Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua is challenging an interim decision to grant resource consent to Waste Management Ltd for a mega-dump in Dome Valley in the Auckland High Court.
The Environment Court made its decision in December last year, following a backflip by local iwi Ngāti Manuhiri to support the project.
The 60-hectare, 26 million cubic metre landfill will be a stone’s throw from the Hōteo River, which runs into the Kaipara Harbour. Opponents say the environmental impacts on the health of the harbour should outweigh Auckland’s need for a place to dump its rubbish.
Richard Nahi, a trustee for Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, says the harbour is of great importance to his people and the health of the harbour is paramount.
“Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua represents all hapū and marae within its boundaries and the Kaipara is the breadbasket of the iwi since the arrival of our waka, Māhuhu-ki-te-rangi.”
“It’s a question of guardianship of our moana of Kaipara.”
Last year, a memorandum between Waste Management and the Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, a subsidiary of the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, was filed in the Environment Court.
In exchange for the settlement trust’s support, Waste Management has agreed to several conditions, including a return of 1060 ha of Waste Management landholdings once the site is no longer required, $2 million to build six homes nearby, and a $10 million environment fund should the river be exposed to risk.
Pera Paniora, who is from Ngāti Whātua, says her iwi is challenging the decision made by the Environment Court.
“According to the interim decision, the commissioners and the judge said that had it not been for the support of Ngāti Manuhiri, they would have endorsed the original decision... to decline the resource consent.”
But, she also says it’s not about fighting with her whanaunga, Ngāti Manuhiri.
“Ngāti Whātua is strong and resolute to ensure whanaungatanga is kept intact as much as possible - this is not about us fighting against manuhiri. We are protecting the whenua.”
“We continue to fight to ensure this does not go ahead. We will leave no stone unturned and, unfortunately, we are at this point today at the High Court.”
The case is expected to take a week, with other iwi such as Te Uri o Hau to present their arguments.