If approved, the plant called Paewira would be built at 401 Racecourse Rd, north of Te Awamutu, between the local racecourse and Fonterra effluent ponds, and burn 150,000 tonnes of waste annually.
The waste would be sourced from councils across the wider Waikato region, and generate 15MW of electricity, enough to provide for about 14,000 households.
Hamilton-based Global Contracting Solutions first launched resource consent applications with the Waipā District and Waikato Regional Councils in 2021.
All submissions previously made to the councils will be considered by the board of inquiry and do not need to be relodged. All previous requests to speak at the hearing will be carried over.
The board is also inviting any further submissions.
At a workshop for Waipā District Council elected members last week, council staff were directed to prepare a draft submission.
In a statement, the council said its submission would focus on the social and community impacts of the proposal, the potential effects on health and wellbeing, cultural concerns, and the risks that it undermines waste minimisation efforts.
Waipā Mayor Susan O’Regan said the council had to consider the worst-case scenario if the plant were to be built, particularly in the proposed location on Racecourse Road, which is next to residential neighbourhoods and the Mangapiko Stream.
“The impact is not just on the neighbouring streets – what about the impact on the agriculture that underpins our economy in Waipā? The stakes are extremely high,” she said.
“And what’s more, we have done so much work on waste minimisation and recycling. The message this sends, that we need not bother with a circular economy because we can just send it all to be incinerated, just doesn’t sit right.”
Global Contracting Solutions intends to build the plant on 401 Racecourse Rd. Image / Supplied
O’Regan said before the application was called in by the minister and directed to a board of inquiry, the council had a regulatory role and therefore had to “stay in our lane”.
“So, we may have appeared to have been absent from the dialogue about this issue, but there were good reasons for this. Now, we can take the lead on behalf of our community and identify the key issues we believe the board should consider.
“There is just not enough evidence that this plant will uphold our community’s wellbeing.”
Global Contracting Solutions said it was disappointed with the council’s position “on several points”.
“We have been engaged with WDC planners for three years on this process,” GCS managing director, Craig Tuhoro said.
Craig Tuhoro.
“However, it has all been via external consultant reports as that is how the RMA is applied. At no stage have we had an opportunity to engage with the mayor or councillors’ since they were elected to showcase the opportunity this development affords the community.
“Paewira ... utilises technology that has been proven around the world to be safe, reliable and contribute to higher levels of resource recovery than New Zealand could achieve without it. The technical submissions we are required to make reinforce this.”
Initially, Global Contracting Solutions released a statement saying they were disappointed the councils asked the minister to step in, however, they then changed their mind, saying they had become “less confident in the benefits of localised decision making” and would support the call-in.
The company said they would have preferred for the matters to be referred to the Environment Court instead of the board of inquiry, to be consistent with the call-in of the Waimate consent application.
Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Meanwhile, Waikato Regional Council said it was also in the process of preparing a submission.
“The submission is expected to be complete mid-December 2024, after which it would be publicly available,” a council spokesperson said.
Submissions can be made until December 18, 5pm, via the Environmental Protection Authority. The authority is not involved with the decision-making but manages the public submission process.
• In December 2021, Global Contracting Solutions launched resource consent applications to build a waste-to-energy plant in Te Awamutu with Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council
• In March 2022, the regional council asked GCS for more information on a number of matters including flooding, air quality, and waste acceptance
• In April 2022, Waipā District Council asked GCS for further information in regards to acoustic effects, operational effects and mitigation
• In September 2023, the councils decided to jointly process the consent applications and invited feedback from the community
• Submissions closed in October 2023
• In October 2023, the district council asked GCS to provide further information on landscape, national, regional and district policy instruments and waste sources
• The same month, the community group Don’t Burn Waipā organised a protest against the proposed plant
• In December 2023, the regional council also asked for more information.
• The same month, Waikato Regional Council asked the minister to call in the application
• In February 2024, Waipā District Council joined the regional council in asking the minister to call in the application
• The same month, Te Nehenehenui, the post-settlement governance entity for Maniapoto, wrote a letter to the Minister for the Environment in support of the council’s application for a call-in
• In March 2024, Tukoroirangi Morgan, the chairman of Te Arataura, the executive entity for Waikato-Tainui, wrote a letter to the Minister for the Environment in support of the council’s application for a call-in
• In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Authority weighed in on the proposal saying it considered the proposal one of national significance and supported the councils’ decision to ask the Minister for the Environment to get involved
• In August 2024, Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds called in the application and referred it to a Board of Inquiry
