Government will need to make Kaipara waste to energy plant decisions: Mayor

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said Government would need to determine these next steps if it chose to explore waste to energy options for New Zealand. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Far North Kahikā (Mayor) Moko Tepania says Government would need to be involved to determine next steps for his council, should it decide on a waste to energy plant for Kaipara.

He said the Government would need to determine these next steps if it chose to explore waste to energy options for New Zealand and a Kaipara plant that processed the Far North rubbish as part of that.

Tepania, who is also Local Government NZ’s Northland board member, said council would consider those steps from there.

His comments come in response to Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson, who is backing a waste to energy (WtE) plant in his rohe, saying last month his two Northland mayoral colleagues were in support of the $730 million facility.

However, Tepania and Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo were circumspect when approached by Local Democracy Reporting Northland to confirm their support.

Jepson admitted later that he had perhaps oversold the council’s support.

Under the scheme, Northland rubbish - potentially provided via council contracts - would feed the high-temperature incinerator to produce power.

The rubbish would come via Far North District Council (FNDC), Kaipara District Council (KDC) and Whangārei District Council (WDC), with the majority via Auckland Council.

Jepson has been promoting the controversial technology since being a shareholder in and doing public relations for the company that tried to convert the former Meremere power station to a waste to energy plant about 30 years ago.

Tepania, in an email sent to plant opponent Caren Davis, said it appeared Jepson may have taken “some liberty around what ‘support’ means”.

Jepson may have inferred his initial Far North mayoral support for a feasibility study into the plant had meant support for the project in totality, he said in the email.

Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson. Photo / Tania Whyte

Tepania, in his email, said his council had not progressed beyond that initial support for the plant investigation, apart from a regional workshop with other councils.

“We have not made any decisions in a formal meeting setting to ‘take a stance’.”

Tepania was subsequently asked to further respond to his email’s claims around Jepson taking liberty with the concept of support.

In response, he said he supported further investigation, but that his council had not made any formal decisions regarding a WtE plant.

Tepania said there were a significant number of implications and central Government changes to enable a plant.

“I do not currently have sufficient information to have a stance,” Tepania said.

Tepania said a waste to energy plant information briefing had been given at a local government Northland Forward Together workshop attended by FNDC councillors. Northland Forward Together is a collective of the region’s four councils’ political leadership – also including Northland Regional Council (NRC).

FNDC did not have a formal stance on the plant and it had not been discussed around the council table, he said.

Far North ratepayers would be consulted over the WtE plant, if that formal stance was developed.

“If central government was to explore waste to energy options for New Zealand, and a potential plant was explored for Far North waste, then we would have to consult with Far Northerners,” Tepania said.

“We do not have any next steps. Central government will determine what next steps FNDC will need to consider.”

Meanwhile, when asked whether he was in favour of the Kaipara-based plant, Cocurullo said he was unable to comment because he had not seen any facts or figures.

“At this point, it’s a concept only.”

Cocurullo, who also chairs the Northland Mayoral Forum, said no formal support had been provided via that leadership group.

“The Mayoral Forum is aware of the waste to energy proposed plant in Kaipara, however, it’s outside of the Mayoral Forum scope of influence, and no action or involvement has been required.”

As Whangārei Mayor, he said he could not comment on whether his councillors were for or against the plant in Kaipara.

“The Kaipara WtE plant has not been publicly discussed or brought to any council briefing or public agenda.”

Cocurullo said there was no WDC budget for progressing the plant in the council’s new proposed long term plan budget.

“We have no involvement in this concept at this point.”

Jepson said that while it would be great to have Northland councils’ support for the WtE plant, that was not essential.

There were other big alternate private waste providers and Auckland’s waste formed the huge majority of fuel for the potential WtE plant, he said.

KDC supported the WtE plant, with 70 per cent of councillors in favour of the project for Kaipara, he said.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.