An artist’s impression of the proposed plant.
Penny Simmonds
The new government will be asked to approve or decline the waste to energy plant application for Te Awamutu.
A statement from the Waikato Regional Council last week announced it is asking Environment minister Penny Simmonds to “call in” a waste to energy plant consent application to enable greenhouse gas emissions to be considered.
Global Contracting Solutions Limited plans to build a plant in Racecourse Road to incinerate 150,000 tonnes of rubbish a year.
The “call in” means the decision would be made at ministerial level rather than by the two councils.
The regional council expects Waipā district councillors to make its own decision when they meet next in February.
“We understand a decision on requesting a call in will be made by Waipa’s elected members at their February 2024 council meeting,” acting regional consents manager Hugh Keane said.
Members of the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board have made their opposition to the plant clear, but the issue has not been debated in public by district councillors.
The move to send the issue upstairs will leave opponents nervous given the new government’s more relaxed attitude to burning fossil fuels and offshore oil and gas exploration.
Hamilton-based Global Contracting Solutions said, though, it was disappointed the process may limit opportunities for iwi and community voices to be fully heard.
GCS national business manager, Roger Wilson said it was appreciated many New Zealanders would not be familiar with the benefits of the energy from waste plant process, or the positive environmental impact it would have, “especially compared to traditional waste processes like landfill and thermal electricity generation in Aotearoa New Zealand”.
“We are committed to ensuring the plant makes a positive environmental contribution and we are equally committed to ensuring the local community, wider stakeholders, regulators and central government have the facts about the proposed plant and its processes,” he said.
