Protest in Te Awamutu
Concerns Global Contracting Solutions may not comply with council rules, has Fonterra objecting to plans for a waste to energy plant in Racecourse Road, Te Awamutu.
Protestors at Don’t Burn Waipa
In its submission to an Environmental Protection Agency board of inquiry to be heard in June, the dairy farmer owned co-operative authorised agent Mark Chrisp raised concerns with the compliance history of the applicant’s parent company Global Metal Solutions Limited.
“In 2022, Global Metal Solutions Limited was ordered to pay $134,900 to Hamilton City Council in respect of enforcement order proceedings . . . to deal with the impact of noise (including persistent breaches of the noise limits in the Hamilton City District Plan) from its metal recycling business,” Chrisp said.
The importance of Fonterra’s nearby 140-year-old manufacturing site on Alexandra Street, air quality and customer perception was at the top of the list of Fonterra’s objections to the plan.
“The Waipā District Plan reiterates the importance of the Te Awamutu Site and the need to ensure compatible activities establish adjacent to the Te Awamutu site,” Chrisp said.
“The food producing activities that are carried out on these sites are sensitive to other industrial activities.”
Chrisp said as a food manufacturer, the company had concerns about the implications of any activity in proximity to the Te Awamutu site that discharges emissions to air that could affect or compromise Fonterra’s existing or potentially future operations.
“As part of its overseas operations, Fonterra’s experience is that other waste to energy facilities have not established in close proximity to its food processing operations.”
Fonterra was also concerned with customer perception, as domestic and international customers were concerned with any perceived or real food safety risk associated with the combustion of waste products in such close proximity to its Te Awamutu site.
The submission aligned with comments made by Waipā district mayor Susan O’Regan who told councillors, last year, she was concerned with the impact the plant would have on agriculture locally and regionally if the consent was granted.
The council has also submitted against the application.
An artist’s impression of Paewira. Photo: Supplied
