Shore has another look at appeal over Okura landfill

By WAYNE THOMPSON

The North Shore City Council is likely to drop its threat to stop a cleanfill site going ahead in another council's area.

The council resolved in August to keep alive its appeal to the Environment Court over the site, which is at the head of the Okura River, directly south of the Okura-Long Bay marine reserve.

But its campaign is running out of steam.

Although supported by the East Coast Bays Coastal Protection Society and Keep Okura Green residents' groups, North Shore lacks the backing of neighbouring Rodney District Council and environmental watchdog the Auckland Regional Council.

Rodney approved resource consent for the 33ha site, which is in its part of the Okura catchment.

ARC councillors declined the plans but objections were withdrawn after staff reached agreement with developer Bral Holdings over amended conditions for sediment control.

Appealing against the Rodney consent has become such a sensitive issue for the city council that last Thursday it discussed the matter in a confidential session.

Mayor George Wood said the discussion included legal advice and could not be made public, "because we don't want to prejudice our case if we go to the Environment Court".

Okura groups took this as a bad sign.

The new council was urged to fight on by Dave Johnston, of Keep Okura Green.

He told councillors they would lose their souls if they threw in the towel believing an appeal was too hard and too expensive.

Some consolation was offered by the council's resolution to "pursue a submission" to the court on Rodney's proposed District Plan Change 55.

This calls for the Rodney plan to make cleanfill sites a prohibited activity just as North Shore's plan bans them in its part of the Okura catchment.

The council argues both plans should be the same if there is to be an integrated management of the effects of activities within the catchment, as required in the Resource Management Act.

Bral Holdings has resource consent for 20,000cu m of earthworks and unloading 280,000cu m of cleanfill rubbish.

North Shore and ARC officials went into mediation with the company to agree on ARC consent conditions for environmental effects.

Concern was expressed about sediment and the long-term effect of noxious leachates from cleanfill draining into Okura estuary.

Bral lawyer Susan Simons said the developer had added precautionary conditions to meet the city's concerns about contamination checks of the cleanfill. That was done despite the appeal being a land use issue rather than one of contamination.

She said the council risked an expensive claim from Bral if it were dragged into court despite its efforts.

But protection society chairman Robert White doubts the project is not a threat to the marine reserve and is concerned the council will give up the appeal.

He said work by the city council's technical experts showed it was impossible to ensure some contamination material could not get into the cleanfill and be released in water from sediment ponds.

ARC chairman Mike Lee said he had asked officers to work with the city council and residents on outstanding issues.

"Hopefully, there will be a good outcome for everyone."