Protests against the Levin Landfill have been ongoing for years - this image is from a 2016 protest.
Protests against the Levin Landfill have been ongoing for years - this image is from a 2016 protest.
The final decision on the future of the Levin Landfill is now included in Horowhenua District Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) 2021-2041 Amendment, to ensure a verdict on the landfill’s status is reached by June 2023, despite the tight timeline.
A council press release said the council was given twooptions at its November 23, 2022 meeting - to include the decision in the LTP 2021-2041 Amendment or wait until the LTP 2024-2044.
The entrance to the Levin Landfill.
Councillors opted for the earlier date because a significant amount of time, resources, and cost had been allocated over the last five years to reaching a conclusion on the landfill, while the final decision continues to be pushed out.
Councillors agreed that it was time to decide on the fate of the landfill.
In order to do that, additional work is required to complete the supporting documentation for the decision, with future options and the associated financial impact needing to be presented to the community through a formal consultation process. Ahead of formal community consultation, the council will meet a number of times in the lead-up to Christmas to discuss and assess the future of the Levin Landfill options.
Mayor Bernie Wanden said, “A decision around a closure date of the landfill is the first step along the way to reimagining the delivery of our solid waste activity. Council is committed to doing the work to ensure that all options are considered for the landfill, alongside a strategic view of waste minimisation for our district, in order for social, cultural, financial, and environmental impacts to be fully explored.”
Levin's landfill, as seen from the air. Image / Google Maps
Council will consider an additional report on 14 December, where they will make a decision on funding and commitments associated with the remediation of the old dump and current open landfill cell.
