Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust has chosen to support Waste Management New Zealand’s resource consent application for a 26 million cubic metre “mega dump” in Dome Valley, north of Auckland.

It’s a change of heart that has sent shockwaves through opponents of the landfill.

A joint memorandum between Waste Management and the Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust - a subsidiary of the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust - was filed in the Environment Court earlier this year.

The court has been sitting at Te Ao Mārama marae in Te Hana this past week to hear from those still opposed to the landfill, including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, environmental group Fit the Tip and Ngāti Whātua hapū Te Uri o Hau.

For Mikaera Miru, from Te Uri o Hau, the settlement trust’s backflip is a bitter pill to swallow.

“It has been a huge surprise. We feel like our throats have been slit by Ngāti Manuhiri. This is not Ngāti Manuhiri people - this is a statutory board.”

In exchange for the settlement trust’s support, Waste Management has agreed to several conditions, including a return of 1060ha of Waste Management landholdings once the site is no longer required, $2m to construct six homes nearby, and a $10m environment fund should the river be exposed to risk.

It is also promising jobs at the landfill for Ngāti Manuhiri descendants.

That has raised concerns among Ngāti Manuhiri about who at the settlement trust has chosen to support the application.

Annie Baines from Ōmaha Marae says the settlement trust does not correspond with its members.

“There has been no engagement with the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, with its beneficiaries. We have had no hui, no pānui.”

 “We 100 per cent tautoko our whanaunga in the Kaipara. We do not want a dump in our backyard. We don’t want 400 trucks driving up State Highway 1 daily.”

The proposed site sits just south of Warkworth on State Highway 1, with the Hōteo River close by. There are fears that leaching from the dump could pollute the river which runs into the Kaipara Harbour.

That is a major concern for Miru and Te Uri o Hau, who say the right of mana whenua on that particular part of whenua is unclear, with both Te Uri o Hau and Ngāti Manuhiri claiming an interest.

“The Kaipara Harbour is the jewel in the crown of Ngāti Whātua. There is no way that Ngāti Whātua is going to stand by and risk this treasure being contaminated.”

“The Dome Valley is the second biggest resource of water for Auckland and what are they doing? They want to put a rubbish dump over the top of it. This is totally irresponsible and stupid.”

Te Ao Mārama reached out to Waste Management and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust for comment. They replied by saying they will both wait for the Environment Court’s decision before making comment.