The Green Party says Super Dumps such as the ones proposed in Darfield near Christchurch and adjoining the Waikato River won't be needed if its "Zero Waste" policies are implemented.

Yesterday Green Party Co-Leader Rod Donald and Rakaia candidate Rex Verity visited the Mid Canterbury Wastebusters worm composting operation in Ashburton.

Mr Donald said the success of the operation demonstrated the potential for converting organic waste into valuable fertiliser.

"There is no need for rubbish dumps if the organic component of the waste stream is kept separate from all the other rubbish," he said. "The other materials are relatively clean and can be sorted for re-use or storage for later use."

"To achieve our zero waste strategy, we would promote a shift of taxation away from incomes and onto waste and pollution, promote venture capital for new Cleaner Production technologies, implement true cost accounting, encourage a cradle-to-grave life cycle production model, and make manufacturers and packagers responsible for the costs of the final disposal of their products," Mr Donald said.

"A zero waste strategy has the added benefit of removing the uncertainty and anxiety from the lives of those people living near the proposed rubbish dumps."

"So-called waste is a job-rich resource," Mr Verity said. "By burying potentially valuable materials we are throwing away opportunities for significant employment."

Contact: Rod Donald: 025 507 183, 03 332-5765 Rex Verity: 03 366 9978 or 03 389 4544

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>