Napier man's ashes sprinkled near land set to become a landfill

Napier mother, Linda Brown is "disgusted" at plans to develop a dump where her son's ashes are scattered. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Napier mother is "disgusted" at an international company's plans to develop a dump where her son's ashes are scattered.

Tech entrepreneur and former owner of Auckland's Springhill Estate, Tony Lentino, died in 2016 after a 15-month battle with cancer.

His 363ha property was sold shortly after, to waste company Waste Management, in which 80 per cent is owned by the Chinese government.

Proposed landfill site.

It plans to create the rubbish landfill in Dome Valley, on land between Wellsford and Warkworth, including Springhill Estate, but would need resource consent first.

Linda Brown said there was no way her son would have wanted this for the farm he loved and his family were horrified at the prospect.

"My heart was broken when he passed away, but now another bit is broken off. I just think it is appalling that there was no regard, no respect for the environment.

"My son loved that place, he loved it. I loved it, I spent a lot of time there."

She attended the Fight the Tip, Save the Dome meeting at Wellsford Community Centre, saying she wanted to offer protesters her moral support and clear any confusion that they were behind the plans. "I did it for Tony. I did it for my son."

She said the sale had been handled by trustees and she and her family did not find out who had bought the Springhill land until after the sale had gone through.

"He wanted the farm to be onsold to another entrepreneur ... someone who wanted to make an environmental park. It had everything going for it."

"We have got to stop this because the same thing can happen to any other community. I know we have got to have rubbish tips, of course we do, but not on a beautiful pristine property."

Waste Management managing director, Tom Nickels, said they were unaware that Lentino's ashes had been scattered within the Springhill Estate property and only learned of this when it was reported last week.

He said they are not planning on building a landfill on the Springhill Estate.

"We purchased Springhill Estate primarily for the purpose of maintaining a suitable buffer between the proposed landfill and any neighbouring homes. The landfill will be in neighbouring property that we have also acquired, which is currently
managed as plantation pine forestry.

"We have spoken with some members of the Lentino family since we purchased Springhill
Estate, but have not spoken directly to all of them. We are sorry for any confusion about our proposal and are keen to clarify the situation with them."