July 07, 2020
Dome Valley tip trashes potential water source
The chair of Ngāti Manuhiri says it doesn’t make sense to site a major landfill in the middle of a catchment that could be vital to Auckland’s future water needs.
The Pakiri-based iwi is opposing consents sought by Waste Management for the tip on farmland near Dome Valley.
Mook Hohneck says it will require diversion or replacement of more than 15 kilometres of streams and waterways on the site itself and impact more than 30 kilometres of the Hoteo River.
He says only the abandonment of the project will satisfy the iwi.
"The catchment of the Hoteo is 8 per cent of the total catchment of Auckland Council's domain. Why don't we look for new ways how we can store water? Rather than putting landfills and rubbish dumps right in areas that contain so much vibrant water, there is the possibility of future development that can help everyone," Mr Hohneck says.
The Hoteo River is considered the umbilical cord of Ngāti Manuhiri because it is the way the iwi spread from the Kaipara Harbour to settle on the east coast in the 1600s.
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