The future of the Southern Landfill
Update on the proposed landfill extension August 2020
The landfill is strategic infrastructure for the City. Each year we dispose of around 60,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste there, plus 15,000 tonnes of sewage sludge.
Ideally in New Zealand today, we wouldn’t use landfills to dispose of our waste. In the longer term, we think it is possible that landfills might be phased out, as is signalled by:
- The Government increasing the landfill levy, which will make alternatives to landfilling more cost effective.
- Increases in the price of carbon which will eventually have the same effect.
- Council’s own initiative to divert sewage sludge away from the Southern Landfill.
- Increasing community awareness around waste, and reluctance to landfill.
These signals will all gain traction in the coming years. While change is inevitable and positive, in the meantime we still need to dispose of our waste. An important consideration is that the landfill generates a significant operating surplus (around $7m per annum) that is used to fund kerbside recycling and other waste minimisation initiatives. Without the landfill, we will need to find this revenue from another source.
We have only a few years consented capacity remaining at the Southern Landfill, and so are seeking to develop options. Over the last year we have been preparing to lodge a resource consent application to extend the landfill (now on hold). Unsurprisingly, this has attracted attention and resistance. Broadly, this has been generated from:
- Community concerns about the potential effects on the environment
- Residents groups concerned about traffic and other potential effects.
- Concerns that the engagement process to date has not been sufficiently extensive.
- Seeking to better understand the relationship between the landfill and the sludge minimisation project.
- Concerns that the Council might be seeking to maximise waste and revenue.
We are listening to these concerns and working to better address them prior to progressing the chosen option.
Our intention is to provide further advice to Councillors, with a view to formal public engagement in February 2021. No consent application will be lodged until we have completed this process.
Once we’ve briefed Councillors, we will continue to give you updates via the Let’s Talk page and, in the meantime, if you’re got any questions please check out the FAQs or feel free to get in touch by email Landfill@wcc.govt.nz
Update on the proposed landfill extension August 2020
The landfill is strategic infrastructure for the City. Each year we dispose of around 60,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste there, plus 15,000 tonnes of sewage sludge.
Ideally in New Zealand today, we wouldn’t use landfills to dispose of our waste. In the longer term, we think it is possible that landfills might be phased out, as is signalled by:
- The Government increasing the landfill levy, which will make alternatives to landfilling more cost effective.
- Increases in the price of carbon which will eventually have the same effect.
- Council’s own initiative to divert sewage sludge away from the Southern Landfill.
- Increasing community awareness around waste, and reluctance to landfill.
These signals will all gain traction in the coming years. While change is inevitable and positive, in the meantime we still need to dispose of our waste. An important consideration is that the landfill generates a significant operating surplus (around $7m per annum) that is used to fund kerbside recycling and other waste minimisation initiatives. Without the landfill, we will need to find this revenue from another source.
We have only a few years consented capacity remaining at the Southern Landfill, and so are seeking to develop options. Over the last year we have been preparing to lodge a resource consent application to extend the landfill (now on hold). Unsurprisingly, this has attracted attention and resistance. Broadly, this has been generated from:
- Community concerns about the potential effects on the environment
- Residents groups concerned about traffic and other potential effects.
- Concerns that the engagement process to date has not been sufficiently extensive.
- Seeking to better understand the relationship between the landfill and the sludge minimisation project.
- Concerns that the Council might be seeking to maximise waste and revenue.
We are listening to these concerns and working to better address them prior to progressing the chosen option.
Our intention is to provide further advice to Councillors, with a view to formal public engagement in February 2021. No consent application will be lodged until we have completed this process.
Once we’ve briefed Councillors, we will continue to give you updates via the Let’s Talk page and, in the meantime, if you’re got any questions please check out the FAQs or feel free to get in touch by email Landfill@wcc.govt.nz
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Update on proposed Landfill extension 27.07.2020
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link27 Jul 2020We have received some feedback from the community about the Stage 4 process, and we are seeking our own legal advice.
It’s complicated, and takes time.
We will respond formally when we are in a position to do so.
At this stage, no further work is being done with regards to Stage 4.
Once we have completed the legal review, it remains our intention to share all relevant information and provide adequate time to provide feedback and engage with us prior to lodging any consents.
The project is likely to be delayed.
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Top topics from March
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link07 Apr 2020On 8th and 10th of March we held the third series of public information sessions to update local communities on progress on the proposed extension to the Southern Landfill.
At these sessions we were discussing the technical studies that have been underway, some of our findings and some plans for the future in the areas being studied – Land, Air, Roads, People and Water. We also discussed the ecology of the site, what we found and some of the options we are considering for the future.
We talked about options for restoration planting of the Landfill once it is closed so that it fits into the surrounding environment. The emphasis will be on native plants that are present in the surrounding area.
Waste minimisation was another popular topic. We talked about the initiatives that Wellington City Council has developed or is developing together with national and regional programmes that are supported City wide.
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Monitoring water quality around the Southern Landfill
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link13 Mar 2020How can the public access the information from the Landfill about water monitoring levels?
What are you monitoring for?
We do specific tests at the Southern Landfill as part of the conditions of our consent for operating the Landfill.
The water tests are taken at points within the Careys Gully stream adjacent to the Southern Landfill itself.
Careys Gully stream upstream of the Landfill
Careys Gully stream downstream of the Landfill
Four boreholes that access the ground water in various locations adjacent to the Landfill.
Leachate collected by our pipes (tested at a manhole)
We do the following tests on ALL the sites monthly.
- pH
- BOD5
- Nitrate-Nitrogen
- Copper
- Chromium
- Conductivity
- Iron
- Aluminium
- Lead
- Dissolved (Reactive, Phosphorus)
- NH4-N
- Manganese
- Boron
- Zinc
- Cadmium
- Faecal Coliforms
- Chlorides
- Arsenic
- Nickel
On top of this we also conduct Macro Invertebrate Sampling to get a Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI) score.
Test are collected by a third party and sent to a laboratory for testing to ensure independence.
Reports are sent to the Southern Landfill and a third party peer reviewer monthly.
If we find issues that could be considered to be a breach of our consent, we alert Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) as well as our Community Liaison Group (CLG). The CLG is made up of representatives from the Greater Regional Wellington Council, Wellington Water, the sludge dewatering plant operators, the Landfill operators, the Greater Brooklyn Residents Association, Owhiro Bay Residents Association and Council’s Waste Operations officers.
At the end of each year, the water quality sampling results are compiled and reviewed by a third party reviewer and sent to the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) as part of our annual Southern Landfill Compliance report.
GWRC then reviews the information using their own third party experts required and once satisfied provide us with a compliance document.
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Drop-in and find out more about the draft design
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link11 Mar 2020Our next set of drop-in sessions will be held in March. Come along and see the draft design, check out information on the technical studies and find out about the next steps.
Here’s a recap of where we’re at
- Alternatives have been investigated and the option for the immediate future has been determined – extending the Landfill.
- Technical studies to assist with the design are being finalised.
- A draft concept design for the extension is being developed.
Want to know more?
Come along to one of our drop-in sessions:
Date
Time
Where
Address
Sunday 8 March
11am to 1pm
Brooklyn Community Centre
18 Harrison Street
Sunday 8 March
2pm to 4pm
Ōwhiro Bay School Hall
96 Happy Valley Road
Tuesday 10 March
11.30am to 1pm
Wellington City Council
Level 16, 113 The Terrace
Tuesday 10 March
4.15pm to 6pm
Brooklyn Deli
199 Ohiro Road
Tell us what you think
We’d love to hear your views at one of our drop-in sessions. If you can’t make it along we’ll be posting information on this page (after 8 March) and you can tell us what you think on the feedback button below, or email us at Landfill@wcc.govt.nz or call us on 04 499 4444.
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Landfill by the numbers
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link14 Jan 2020More than 100,000 tonnes of waste comes to the Southern Landfill every year so what happens to it all?
From that almost 20,000 tonnes is diverted, salvaged or recycled every year.
Green waste diverted to compost – approximately 5,800 tonnes per year
Food waste diverted to compost – approximately 1,600 tonnes per year
Scrap metal diversion – approximately 575 tonnes per year
Salvaged material and voluntary drop offs at the Tip Shop – estimated at 250 tonnes per year
Recycling from kerbside and the free recycling drop off – approximately 11,500 tonnes per year.
The remaining material is either too dangerous to be diverted, e.g. asbestos contaminated material, or there is currently no large scale and economically sustainable facilities that can divert this waste so it needs to be landfilled.
That said, we are always on the lookout for opportunities for diversion.
We helped start Kai to Compost, a bespoke private food waste collection service geared to service café’s, restaurants and businesses in the Wellington area. We have seen it grow to the point it is now run by a private waste company with the resources to improve the service.
By May 2020, we expect to run a trial to divert household kitchen food waste. This trial will help inform us on the best methods of kitchen food waste diversion for Wellingtonians.
There are some things YOU can do now to help us divert the waste that comes to the Southern Landfill.
Separate out your green waste – keep green waste separate from other waste. We can divert green waste to make compost at the Southern Landfill.
Keep building waste separate – separated wood can be dropped off at the Tip Shop. We can resell this timber. Metals can be dropped off at our scrap metal bin for free.
Stop by the Tip Shop before going to the transfer station or the tip face. We may be able to take some of your old furniture and sell it on to someone who needs it.
Take some time to understand what can and can’t be recycled, separate these out and use the Council’s free kerbside recycling collection service.
If you have large amounts of recyclable material, more than what can be taken as part of our kerbside recycling service, come to the Tip Shop at the Southern Landfill. We have bottle banks, paper/cardboard bins and plastic bins for you to drop off your recycling for free.
If you have a good idea on how to divert even more waste and are willing to make it work as a business, apply for one of our waste minimisation seed funds. We have funded successful diversion businesses like Again and Again.
If you hire businesses to do work on your behalf, e.g. a tradesman for a building project, ask them to separate any waste they produce to help with diversion and try to reuse material wherever possible.
For more about what can be recycled visit https://wellington.govt.nz/services/environment-and-waste/rubbish-and-recycling/top-tips-for-rubbish-and-recycling
For more about the Tip Shop visit https://www.facebook.com/TipShopWellington/ or https://www.trademe.co.nz
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link20 Dec 2019Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Landfill team!
We'll be taking a short break over Christmas and New Year and will be back on deck in early January 2020.
If you have any questions, please email us on landfill@wcc.govt.nz and we'll be in touch when we are back on deck.
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Let's Talk about the top topics now
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link09 Dec 2019We really enjoyed talking with everyone who attended the second set of community information sessions we held recently. Thanks for coming along.
Key issues were similar to those at the first series of meetings with a couple of extra subjects coming up.
The top three topics were waste minimisation, the effects of the traffic including noise and dust as well as the volume of traffic, and the difficulty of understanding which council regulates what at the landfills in Wellington (Wellington City Council or Greater Wellington Regional Council).
Other issues of interest were recycling initiatives, dealing with sewage sludge in the future, impact on water both in the Ōwhiro Stream and groundwater and long term plans for reinstatement of the land and stream after the closure of this stage of the Landfill.
Residents of Hawkins Hill Road and others close to the Landfill boundaries wanted to know more about windblown litter and visual impacts of the extension to the Landfill for them. We will be looking at options to mitigate this.
One of the other topics raised was the potential for noise impacts due to operations especially early morning and in the weekends.
We’ve recorded all the feedback and questions we have received and are looking at the mitigations we can put in place to address the issues raised.
Our next series of community information sessions is planned for the end of February 2020 where we will feedback on the issues raised this time and look at the design of the proposed Landfill extension.
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Thanks for your interest and coming along!
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link06 Dec 2019Over the last few days, we’ve completed a series of drop-in sessions in Brooklyn, Owhiro Bay and in Central Wellington. It was really great to meet everyone who came along to discuss the project with our project team from the Southern Landfill and Tonkin + Taylor.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to come along and to those who took part in the Facebook Live Q&A.
Lots of information came out of the discussions which we are now collating. We’ll be going into these in more depth here on Let’s Talk over the next few weeks.
In the meantime, if you didn’t attend the Facebook Live Q&A you can review the questions and answers here https://www.facebook.com/events/529205860968116/.
We are really interested in your feedback and any information you may have about the technical studies that are now underway. Please take the time to visit our feedback form where you can let us know your thoughts. Feedback closes on Monday 23 December. Feedback in Let's Talk.
All the information we have received from the drop-in sessions and from Let’s Talk will be taken into account in the next stages of the project.
There are two more sets of community sessions planned before the resource consent is applied for. Tentative dates are the end of February and the end of April. We look forward to seeing you then!
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Come along and find out more about the proposed Landfill extension
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link25 Nov 2019Want to know how we landed on extending the Southern Landfill as the best option for managing the City’s waste, for now?
Interested in what technical studies we’ll be doing to guide the design of the extension?
Want to provide insights into the next steps?
Then come along to one of our drop-in sessions starting this Sunday, 1 December.
Date
Time
Where
Address
Sunday 1 December
11am to 1pm
Brooklyn Community Centre
18 Harrison Street
Sunday 1 December
2pm – 4pm
Ōwhiro Bay School Hall
96 Happy Valley Road
Tuesday 3 December
11.30am – 1.30pm
Facebook Live Q&A
Wellington City Council Facebook Page
Tuesday 3 December
4.30pm – 6.30pm
Penthouse Cinema
205 Ohiro Road
Wednesday 4 December
11.30am – 1.30pm
Wellington City Council
Level 16, 113 The Terrace
If you can’t make a session but would like more information, contact us by email Landfill@wcc.govt.nz or give us a call on (04) 499 4444.
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Drop in - it's time to talk technical
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link15 Nov 2019We’re about to start our next round of community engagement on the proposed extension of the Southern Landfill.
The assessment of different types of waste management alternatives concluded that extending the Landfill remains the most viable solution for now.
To progress work, we need to do a variety of technical reports to help with the design of the extension and to support our resource consent application that will be lodged in 2020.
We’ll be holding public drop-in sessions at the start of December to explain how the decision was made and to seek input on the proposed technical studies.
Drop in sessions:
Sunday 1 December: 11am to 1pm, Brooklyn Community Centre, 18 Harrison Street, Brooklyn
Sunday 1 December: 2pm to 4pm, Owhiro Bay School Hall, 96 Happy Valley Road, Owhiro Bay
Tuesday 3 December: 11.30am to 1.30pm, Facebook Live Q&A, Wellington City Council Facebook page
Tuesday 3 December: 4.30pm to 6.30pm, Penthouse Cinema, 205 Ohiro Road, Brooklyn
Wednesday, 4 December: 11.30am to 1.30pm, Wellington City Council, Level 16, 113 The Terrace, Wellington Central
If you can't make a session but would like further information, contact us by email landfill@wcc.govt.nz or give us a call on (04) 499 4444.
Who's listening
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ET
News Categories
- Alternatives to landfill (1)
- Alternatives to Landfill (1)
- Drop-in Sessions (3)
- Feedback (6)
- Landfill information (6)
- Water Quality (1)
FAQ
- August 2020 Update -Why are you running a formal consultation and going back to Council for a decision. I thought the extension was already in Council’s Long Term Plan?
- August 2020 Update -What options will you be consulting on?
- August 2020 Update -Will options be future proofed?
- August 2020 Update - How will you be consulting with the public and key interested parties?
- August 2020 Update -When will the consultation begin?
- August 2020 Update - Why are you not starting consultation straight away?
- August 2020 Update -You originally said that there was only 3-4 years left, and now there is a year’s delay. What does this mean?
- August 2020 Update - Will you be using some of the previous engagement material?
- August 2020 Update -How can I be kept in the loop about what’s happening?
Timeline
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August 2019 - Project Announced
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageAnnouncement of project and the reasons we are looking at the future of waste in Wellington.
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29 September - Public Information Sessions
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageAt Brooklyn Community Centre and Ōwhiro Bay School
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1 October - Facebook Live Forum followed by evaluations of the information received
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageTuesday, 1 October, 5.30-7.30pm on the Wellington City Facebook page. Facebook Live Q&A
Information from this session was then collated and evaluated.
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Review of values and assessment of the alternatives for the Landfill
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageWe will use your values and comments from the Information sessions, Facebook Q&A and surveys on Let's Talk to help us assess the options for the future of waste management in Wellington. The alternatives are undergoing assessment using various criteria including the values range by people from the Information sessions and social media including Let's Talk.
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December 2019 - drop-in sessions including Facebook Live Q&A
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageDrop-in sessions in Brooklyn, Owhiro Bay, the CBD and Facebook Live Q&A to explain how the decision was made and to seek input on the technical studies to be undertaken to help with design and the resource consent application which will be lodged May 2020
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Technical Studies and Concept Design development
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageThe proposed solution will undergo technical studies and reviews. Further stages of the project will then be updated and a concept design developed.
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Sunday, 8 March & Tuesday, 10 March 2020 - Public information and discussion sessions
The future of the Southern Landfill has finished this stageCome along to one of the following sessions:
Date Time Where Address Sunday 8 March 11am to 1pm Brooklyn Community Centre 18 Harrison Street Sunday 8 March 2pm to 4pm Ōwhiro Bay School Hall 96 Happy Valley Road Tuesday 10 March 11.30am to 1pm Wellington City Council Level 16, 113 The Terrace Tuesday 10 March 4.15pm to 6pm Brooklyn Deli 199 Ohiro Road -
Detailed design of proposed solution
The future of the Southern Landfill is currently at this stage -
Mid 2020 - Public information and discussion sessions
this is an upcoming stage for The future of the Southern LandfillDiscussion of the final design prior to the resource consent application being submitted.
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July 2020 - Submit resource consent application
this is an upcoming stage for The future of the Southern Landfill
Facebook Live Q&A
Thank you to everyone who turned up to the Facebook Live Q&A on 3 December. It was a lively session with lots of discussion.
We will be using this Let's Talk page to keep everyone up to date with the Project so make sure you check back in regularly.
Here is the link to this closed Facebook event if you would like to have a read.
https://www.facebook.com/events/529205860968116/?active_tab=discussion
Here is the link to the closed Facebook event on 1 October if you would like to have a read.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2101121723528984/