January 24, 2023
Cultural impact hole stops waste plan
Zero Waste Network Aotearoa says the decision by Environment Canterbury and Waimate District Council to refuse resource consent for a massive waste incinerator is a message to companies they can’t dodge treaty obligations.
Spokesperson Dorte Wray says the application by South Island Resource Recovery Limited, a joint venture between locals Renew Energy and China Tianying, failed to include the necessary cultural impact assessment.
She says as the company has itself promoted the scheme as a large scale use of totally new technology, it is reasonable for councils to expect the application addressed all matters from the outset.
She says Horizons Regional Council should have taken a similar stance on an application for a waste-to-energy project in Fielding, where a consent has still not been granted because basic information on cultural impacts was lacking.