A public meeting will be held on Wednesday 20 April at 7pm online to discuss a large waste incinerator proposed for Te Awamutu. The meeting is hosted by the Zero Waste Network, Para Kore and Go Eco - the Waikato Environment Centre.

“The incinerator would operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week burning 166,525 tonnes of municipal solid waste, plastics , tyres and flock (the combustible materials left over from a vehicle once the recyclables have been stripped out),” said Sue Coutts of the Zero Waste Network.

“The proposed site is 401 Racecourse Road in Te Awamutu, an area that is immediately adjacent to existing and planned residential housing, and that is subject to flooding.”

"We work with communities across Waipa, who are working hard to restore the environment and remove introduced predators. Building an incinerator is at complete odds with our vision of healthy environments and global ambition to reduce emissions,” said Kelli Pike of Go Eco.

“This proposal is dangerous for the community: it will expose our people living, working and studying in the surrounding area, including a kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and the campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to cancer-causing dioxins and other hazardous emissions,” said Jacqui Forbes of Para Kore.

“Aside from the health effects, incineration takes us absolutely in the wrong direction in terms of our waste. Incinerators are just another disposal option like landfill, except that incinerators actually create hazardous waste where none exists in the feedstock. Incinerators still need landfills for the toxic ash that is left behind,” said Sue Coutts.

“Incinerators actually create a market for waste: Te Awamutu would become an importer of waste from all over the region and waste minimisation efforts would be undermined.”

“We encourage people to join the public meeting to find out more about the proposal and about the alternatives to both incineration and landfill. There will be an opportunity for Q&A as well as space for community organising.”

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