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AGENDA

Ordinary meeting of the

 

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

 

Friday 17 May 2024
Commencing at 9.30a.m.
Council Chamber

Floor 2A, Civic House

110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson

 

Membership:

Chairperson                    Deputy Mayor of Tasman Stuart Bryant

Deputy Chairperson        Nelson City Councillor Mel Courtney

Members                        Tasman District Councillor Trindi Walker

        Nelson City Councillor Aaron Stallard

        Iwi Representative Andrew Stephens

Quorum: 3


Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

The Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit (NTRLBU) (NDOCS-1974015928-495) is a joint committee of Nelson City and Tasman District Councils.  The NTRLBU is governed by a Terms of Reference (NDOCS-1974015982-495).

Areas of Responsibility:

·                Matters relating to the operation and use of the York Valley and Eves Valley landfills as regional landfill facilities, and the timing of their use.

Powers to Decide:

·                Setting of fees and charges for waste disposal at the regional landfill facilities by 30 June each year; including the power to apply discounted fees and charges for the disposal of waste in bulk; and to determine other circumstances where discounted fees and charges may be applied.

·                Decisions to accept (or not accept) waste that is generated outside the Nelson-Tasman region.

Power to Recommend to Councils:

·                Any other matters under the area of responsibility of the Business Unit

·                All recommendations to Council will be subject to adoption of an equivalent resolution by the other Council, unless it is a matter specific to one Council only.

Quorum:

·                The Memorandum of Understanding governing the NTRLBU allows for either four or five members to be appointed.  The quorum at a meeting is either two (if four members are appointed), or three (if five members are appointed), including at least one from each local authority.

Procedure:

·                The Standing Orders of the Council providing administration to the committee shall be applied at each meeting.

·                The Chairperson will not have a casting vote

·                Copies of minutes of meetings of the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit will be retained by each Council for record keeping purposes

 


Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

17 May 2024

 

 

Page No.

 

1.       Apologies

Nil

2.       Confirmation of Order of Business

3.       Interests

3.1      Updates to the Interests Register

3.2      Identify any conflicts of interest in the agenda

4.       Public Forum

5.       Confirmation of Minutes

5.1      15 March 2024                                                                               6 - 9

Document number M20493

Recommendation

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit, held on 15 March 2024, as a true and correct record.

5.2      3 May 2024                                                                                10 - 12

Document number M20551

Recommendation

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit, held on 3 May 2024, as a true and correct record.

 

6.       Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report                                             13 - 26

Document number R28530

Recommendation

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Receives the report Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report  (R28530).

 

 

Confidential Business

7.       Exclusion of the Public

Recommendation

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.        Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.

2.        The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

 

Item

General subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Particular interests protected (where applicable)

1

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Meeting - Confidential Minutes - 15 March 2024

Section 48(1)(a)

The public conduct of this matter would be likely to result in disclosure of information for which good reason exists under section 7.

The withholding of the information is necessary:

·    Section 7(2)(i)

     To enable the local authority to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)

2

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Gas Reuse Update Report

Section 48(1)(a)

The public conduct of this matter would be likely to result in disclosure of information for which good reason exists under section 7

The withholding of the information is necessary:

·    Section 7(2)(h)

     To enable the local authority to carry out, without prejudice or disadvantage, commercial activities

 

 

 


Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Minutes - 15 March 2024

 

 

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Minutes of a meeting of the

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

Te Rōpū ā-Rohe Ruapara, Whakatū / Te Tai o Aorere

Held in the Council Chamber, Floor 2A, Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson on Friday 15 March 2024, commencing at 9.30a.m.

 

Present:              Deputy Mayor of Tasman S Bryant (Chairperson), Tasman District Councillor T Walker, Nelson City Councillors M Courtney (Deputy Chairperson) and A Stallard

In Attendance:    Deputy Chief Executive/Group Manager Infrastructure (A Louverdis), Senior Governance Adviser (H Wagener) and Assistant Governance Adviser (A Bryce)

Apologies :          Nil

Karakia and Mihi Timatanga

1.       Apologies

No apologies were received.

 

2.       Confirmation of Order of Business

There was no change to the order of business.

3.       Interests

There were no updates to the Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.

4.       Public Forum

4.1.     Sue Jepson - Waste Management

Document number R28432

Sue Jepson spoke to a PowerPoint presentation (1982984479-7330) about management of waste including waste sludge giving off greenhouse gases.

Attachments

1    1982984479-7330 - Public Forum - Sue Jepson Presentation

5.       Confirmation of Minutes

5.1      1 December 2023

Document number M20394, agenda pages 5 - 10 refer.

Resolved RLBU/2024/001

 

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Confirms the minutes of the meeting of the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit, held on 1 December 2023, as a true and correct record.

Courtney/Walker                                                                           Carried

6.       Chairperson's Report

Document number R28396

The Chair, Deputy Mayor Bryant, spoke about battery recycling at the Men’s Shed and tabled a supporting document (1982984479-7323).

Attachments

1    1982984479-7323 - Chairperson's Report Supporting Information

7.       Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report March 2024

Document number R28261, agenda pages 11 - 20 refer.

General Manager Regional Services, Nathan Clarke, took the report as read and answered questions on progress with the battery collection bins programme, explained York Valley Landfill Unique Emissions reporting and commensurate budget implications, calculation of the rate of depreciation of assets and Health and Safety incidents.

Resolved RLBU/2024/002

 

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Receives the report Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report March 2024  (R28261).

Stallard/Walker                                                                             Carried

 

8.       Exclusion of the Public

Resolved RLBU/2024/003

 

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting.

2.    The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:

Stallard/Walker                                                                             Carried

 

Item

General subject of each matter to be considered

Reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter

Particular interests protected (where applicable)

1

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Operations Contract Tender Report

Section 48(1)(a)

The public conduct of this matter would be likely to result in disclosure of information for which good reason exists under section 7

The withholding of the information is necessary:

·    Section 7(2)(i)

     To enable the local authority to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)

2

Hospital Landfill Gas Boiler Sale Report

Section 48(1)(a)

The public conduct of this matter would be likely to result in disclosure of information for which good reason exists under section 7

The withholding of the information is necessary:

·    Section 7(2)(i)

     To enable the local authority to carry on, without prejudice or disadvantage, negotiations (including commercial and industrial negotiations)

The meeting went into confidential session at 10.20a.m. and resumed in public session at 11.09a.m.

 

Karakia Whakamutanga

 

9.       Restatements

 

It was resolved while the public was excluded:

 

1

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Operations Contract Tender Report

 

4.     Agrees that the report (R28368) and Attachment (1399367370-9860) remain confidential; and

5.     Agrees that the decision be made publicly available once all tenderers have been advised.

 

2

Hospital Landfill Gas Boiler Sale Report

 

4.    Agrees that the report (R28416) and decision be made publicly available following completion of the Sale and Purchase.

 

There being no further business the meeting ended at 11.09a.m.

 

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings by resolution on (date)

 

Resolved

 

 

 

 


Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Minutes - 3 May 2024

 

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Minutes of a meeting of the

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

Te Rōpū ā-Rohe Ruapara, Whakatū / Te Tai o Aorere

Held in the Council Chamber, Floor 2A, Civic House, 110 Trafalgar Street, Nelson on Friday 3 May 2024, commencing at 1.00p.m. 

 

Present:              Deputy Mayor of Tasman S Bryant (Chairperson), Tasman District Councillor T Walker and Nelson City Councillors M Courtney (Deputy Chairperson) and A Stallard, and Iwi Representative A Stephens

In Attendance:    Acting Group Manager Infrastructure (D Light), General Manager Regional Services (N Clarke), Team Leader Governance (R Byrne) and Governance Adviser (A Bryce)

Apologies :          Nil

 

1.       Apologies

 

2.       Confirmation of Order of Business

           There was no change to the order of business.

3.       Interests

There were no updates to the Interests Register, and no interests with items on the agenda were declared.

4.       Public Forum

There was no public forum.

 5.      Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit 2024-34 Activity Management Plan Consultation Submission Feedback Report

Document number R28538, agenda pages 4 - 19 refer.

1.1      Fraser May and Luke Donaldson – Civil Contractors NZ – 33039

Communications and Advocacy Manager, Fraser May and Nelson Marlborough Branch Chair, Luke Donaldson, spoke to the submission.

1.2      Keven Fourie – Heaps MOREnergy-nz – 32402

Chief Energy Officer, Keven Fourie, spoke to the submission.

1.3      Bruno Bosnan – Fulton Hogan Ltd – 33114

Environmental Manager, Bruno Bosnan, spoke to the submission.

           The meeting was adjourned from 1:40p.m. until 1.43p.m.

General Manager Regional Services, Nathan Clarke, took the report as read and answered questions on the Nelson Regional Landfill Business Unit scope in the submissions to the Long Term Plan, partnership and agreement options, waste soil facilities and operations and maintenance contract.

Resolved RLBU/2024/001

 

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Receives the report Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit 2024-34 Activity Management Plan Consultation Submission Feedback Report (R28538) and its attachment (1995708647-58); and

2.    Confirms the increase in the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit fees and charges as proposed in the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Activity Management Plan 2024-2034 and 2024/2025 Business Plan, considering submissions made to Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council through each Council’s draft Long Term Plan 2024-2034 consultation process.

Recommendation to Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council

 

That the Nelson City Council and Tasman District Councils

1.    Notes that the fees and charges at the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit will increase from $212 to $250 (excluding GST) as proposed in the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Activity Management Plan 2024-2034 and 2024/2025 Business Plan; and

2.    Notes that there are no changes to the 2024/2025 Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Business Plan (1995708647-50); and

3.    Notes that there are no changes to the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit Activity Management Plan 2024-2034 (1995708647-49).

Bryant/Courtney                                                                           Carried

 

There being no further business the meeting ended at 2.16p.m.

Confirmed as a correct record of proceedings by resolution on (date)

 

Resolved

 

 

 


 

Item 6: Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report

 

 

Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

17 May 2024

 

Report Title:             Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report

Report Author:         Nathan Clarke - General Manager Regional Sewerage and Landfill

Report Authoriser:   David Light - Acting Group Manager Infrastructure

Report Number:       R28530

 

 

1.       Purpose of Report

1.1      This report is an update by the General Manager (GM) on activities to 28 April 2024 and finances to 31 March 2024, by the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit (NTRLBU).

2.       Recommendation

 

That the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit

1.    Receives the report Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit General Manager Update Report  (R28530).

 

3.       Background

3.1      A number of operational activities have been undertaken at the York Valley Landfill including the construction of a section of the landfill front face.

3.2      The new landfill compactor has reached New Zealand, has cleared customs, and is expected to arrive in Nelson this week.

3.3      The new Regional Landfills Operations Contract was signed on 3 May 2024. The contractor has commenced preparation of management plans, safety plans, and commencement of the mobilisation for commencing operations on 1 July 2024. 

3.4      The various contractors onsite all meet weekly to discuss work safety, vehicle management and other hazards, and this process is running effectively, and the NTRLBU improved permitting systems are resulting in improved management of risks associated with gas works.

3.5      Commencement of the construction of the temporary transfer facility at the landfill has been delayed due to concerns about its ability to accept wastes from the range of truck configurations that access the landfill. Work on refining the design is ongoing and value engineering is being undertaken.

3.6      The dry weather has allowed excellent progress on the leachate and buttress capital works upgrades, with the leachate system and bulk earthworks complete. Only remedial soil stabilisation works and minor changes to access roads and stormwater swales are required for this project to be finished.

3.7      Earthworks undertaken as part of the Buttress works have identified areas on geotechnical instability in the land behind the landfill.  One of these areas on the southern side of the landfill begun subsiding and will need to remediated before winter in order to maintain the stormwater cutoff drains on the site.

3.8      Initial works have been undertaken on geotechnical assessments for gullies 2 and 3 for the new regional landfill consent application.

3.9      An application has been prepared for the fast track process for the new regional landfill consent and this has been submitted to the minister. This formalises previous correspondence on the fast track process submitted by Tasman District Council at the start of 2024.

3.10    The NTRLBU finances show a deficit of $54,000 for the 2023/24 financial year to 31 March 2023. This is above year to date budget by $14,000. NTRLBU budgeted for a full year deficit of $91,000.

3.11    The financial trend over the last period is for an increasing deficit with waste volumes received to York Valley landfill being lower than budget over the period.

3.12    Overall landfill budgets and expenditure are in line with previous period projections. The existing operations and maintenance contractor has notified NTRLBU of several significant variations that will need to be resolved over the next months and are likely to be an increase in operational costs associated with these. These claims include penalties in dispute of $60,000, and requests related to scope changes of up to $150,000.

3.13    If waste volumes remain at the current low levels then the NTRLBU financial position will continue to deteriorate over the remaining quarter with NTRLBUs end of year deficit being significantly more than budgeted.

4.       Health and Safety

4.1      There was an incident where a project articulated dump truck tray overturned during the period. There were no injuries and no damage from the incident.

4.1.1   The contractors stopped work and the incident was investigated promptly by the contractor, and a range of remedial actions were put in place as a result of the investigation.

4.1.2   The investigation identified that speed, off camber road surfaces, and driver complacency were contributing causes to the incident.

4.1.3   The NTRLBU is satisfied that the incident was taken seriously by the contractor. Immediate responses were implemented and detailed investigations, driver training, and improvement actions were quickly implemented.

4.1.4   The actions taken will reduce the likelihood of a similar event occurring in future, and the investigation has resulted in procedural improvements which will reduce the likelihood of the incident occurring again.

4.2      List of additional H&S incidents reported during the period are shown in the below table.

Type of incident

Date

Incident Description

Immediate Response

Follow up actions

Near miss

05/02/24

Excavation into waste requires a gas permit. Work start delayed as SWMS not completed until 12pm so work could not proceed first thing in the morning after the toolbox talk. Permit was prepared and controls in place but permit was not issued by NTRLBU so excavation should not have commenced.

Refresher on system and tighten up practice on closing permits at end of each day. Ultimately a procedural error, expected physical risk controls were in pace

No further action.

Corrective action

14/02/24

Subcontractor to engaged for short duration activity was observed not wearing min PPE. This was not addressed by the Contractors site engineer who was onsite with the sub-contractor.

NTRLBU engaged with Contractor and subcontractor that PPE standard are in place for a reason and they must be adhered to.

NTRLBU escalated to Contractors management and requested refresher be given to their staff for sub contractor induction and enforcing required standards.

Incident

21/02/24

Battery fire from cellphone x 2

Fire stopped, incident to be reported

Battery separation program being funded, recently been less fires noticed. No further action.

Incident

27/02/24

During an activity where two landfill contractors were working together to undertake a task, one of the contractors staff members became upset and verbally abused the other contractors staff.

Contractors incident was cause as a result of the staff member leaving a job planning meeting early and disagreeing with the safety process set up for the activity. NTRLBU escalated the issue to the management of the contractor, requested an investigation be undertaken, and considered root caused for the action.

Gas contractor needs more mature H&S system and to update JSA/SSSP.
Awaiting report from Waste Operations contractor on causes, relationship improved.

Incident

04/03/24

Customer was opening bin door on truck and was struck on leg by part of the load.

Downer staff attended and recorded incident. No harm.

Customer H&S requires review. NTRLBU encouraging customer to walk towards requirement for self emptying bins.

Improvement opportunity

05/03/24

Subcontractor on 345 project working beside access road with spotter, risk of plant interaction with customers accessing site.

Subcontractor adjusted controls adding in delineation with cones.

Day disrupted by heavy rain, reminder to review risks as plans change. Subcontractor investigated observation quickly and acknowledged improvement opportunity.

Incident

08/03/24

Operator slipped on rock and twisted ankle while refuelling compactor.

Medical treatment sought as pain persisted

Contractor to maintain clean site and smooth surface

Incident

08/03/24

Customer truck door not swinging opening and load getting stuck. Presenting safety risk to operators digging out truck.

Customer advised to open door in future.

Customer H&S requires review. Incident on 5 March same cause.
NTRLBU emailed customer on 9/4/24 to have a meeting, following up meetings required to monitor progress.

Incident

18/03/24

Public trucks tipping by well 16. Casing had not been capped and was leaking 3% methane.

Instructed operator to install temp cap immediately and gas dropped to 0.5%

NTRLBU focusing educating Operator to have wells capped sooner and use tools to review hazards.

Incident

04/04/24

Gas contractor staff member pinched arm in gas trailer jockey wheel when shifting as left in poor position.

Doctor visit after still experiencing pain few days later. Incident reported and review on 10 April after request from NTRLBU staff

Toolbox talk with team about trailer parking requirements and risks. Gas contractor staff.

Focus for NTRLBU to have contractor report incidents and update H&S system and culture.

Observation

03/05/24

Tip head required Rodding Eye 45 extended as pipe was about to be surrounded by waste, requested gas contractor raise it today which was not in original week schedule. Also design changed last minute to make easier. Lack of early communication, could project have been completed outside tip head or sooner to mitigate H&S risks.

Resources shifted to extend pipe, NTRLBU revised pipe design.
Email to contractors to confirm responsibility for planning and encourage communication

NTRLBU to clarify responsibility for network design and planning. Works need to be raised at Monday planning sessions.

 

5.       Stormwater discharge Non-Compliance event

5.1      One issue occurred this period during a high rainfall period where debris blocked the chemical dosing system on the stormwater treatment system at the York Valley landfill. The event occurred late in the evening of Thursday 11 April. This resulted in the discharged stormwater being higher in Suspended Solids.

5.2      The chemical dosing system could not be repaired during the night due to safety concerns and was cleared and restarted at 6am the next morning.

5.3      Results of testing undertaken the following morning showed sediment levels were above the allowance discharge consent limit.

5.4      NTRLBU informed the Nelson City Council compliance team of the issue, and an investigation report was prepared by NTRLBU reviewing the sequence of events. This investigation report was provided to the consenting authority along with actions proposed to limit the issues from occurring in future.

5.5      NTRLBU is waiting to hear from the consenting authority regarding any further actions resulting from the incident.

6.       Update on projects

6.1      A range of projects have been implemented over the last period.

6.2      Battery Recycling bin development progress.

6.2.1   Some additional progress has been made on the battery collection bins, with testing of how the bins react to two different fires scenarios.

6.2.2   NTRLBU tested the bins under controlled conditions at a quarry. Temperature and pressure data were collected during the tests and video footage was collected on how the bin acted under these two conditions.

6.2.3   The first set of conditions simulated a fire caused by “vandalism”, the fire included litter being inserted into the bin along with an accelerant, and then the bin being set fire.

6.2.4   The second set of conditions was to fill the bin to 1/3 capacity with lithium ion batteries and pierce one of the batteries to simulate a battery failure.  This scenario was trialed to simulate what would happen if the bin was in service in the community and a battery failed in the bin while it contained batteries.

6.2.5   The results of the testing are being reviewed to identify any risks and/ or improvements required to the bins.

6.2.6   NTRLBU asked TDCs solid waste team to support this work, and the GM would like to recognise TDCs Graham Poxon for assisting NTRLBU to arrange these tests, and Industrial Marine Electrical Ltd and Mike Edridge Contracting Ltd for both supporting the testing.

7.       Operations and Maintenance Contract Renewal

7.1      Contract was signed on Friday 3 May.

7.2      Work is underway with the new contractor to get all the required plans, facilities, insurance and systems in place prior to commencement of the contract.

7.3      The new Tana E520 compactor has entered NZ and has cleared customs and is due to arrive in Nelson in the second week of May.

7.4      The temporary transfer facility construction is becoming urgent. The facility has been included in the O&M tender and NTRLBU may face a variation for the operations if the temporary transfer facility is not in place prior to the commencement of the contract.

7.5      This design of the system has faced a number of setbacks associated with risk management and construction methodology. 

7.6      Budget estimates have significantly increased and despite significant focus by NTRLBU currently no cost effective solution has been found.

7.7      The initial construction design and cost assessments by the existing contractor were reviewed by the contractors’ operational staff who indicated that they were not considered appropriate to effective waste discharge.

7.8      NTRLBU engaged additional support to develop the temporary solution, however the technical advisors have not been able to develop a low cost solution that is both functional, safe and meets their structural safety level.

7.9      It is possible that this facility will not be in place for the commencement of the new O&M contract.

8.       Projects

8.1      The principal projects for the 2023/24 construction season are the lower buttress and leachate system implementation at York Valley, the HAIL management and disposal facility development for the Eves Valley Landfill and the gas reuse system development and installation for the Eves Valley Landfill.

8.2      The HAIL management facility (Class 3 Landfill) proposed for Eves Valley landfill has been held up awaiting the completion of the Eves Valley Stage 2 resource consent renewal.

8.3      NTRLBU have been delayed in finalising the scope for the Eves Valley gas reuse system. It is unlikely that this gas reuse facility will be completed this financial year.

8.4      Delays were incurred for the Eves Valley Gas system in getting a clear understanding of the electrical connection requirements and the costs associated with the installation and electrical connection works, and due to changes in gas composition and flow that occurred unexpectedly during the dry summer period.

8.5      The delivery of the gas equipment will take around 6 months and as such it is no longer possible to complete the works this financial year.

9.       Eves Valley Stage 2 Consent

9.1      No further update is available on the Eves Valley Stage 2 resource consent renewal.

10.     Deed of Agreement and Terms of Reference Review

10.1    The NTRLBU has received advice that the TDC legal advisor has review the updated documents and is now planning to present these to the Tasman District Council for consideration in the near future. 

11.     Odour Management

11.1    NTRLBU had one odour notification during this period. The notification came during still, damp, conditions. Site staff investigated the odour and could not identify a cause.

11.2    An independent odour assessor undertakes a two-weekly assessment of the odour and noise around the landfill, and his visits have not identified any unusual odours on the site. 

12.     Stormwater Management

12.1    A stormwater issue occurred during the period when the chemical dosing pumps blocked over night during a significant rainfall event.

12.2    A priority for the site is stabilising borrow areas and surfaces prior to the end of the earthworks and growing season.

13.     Litter Management

13.1    There were no litter complaints during the period.

13.2    The exterior litter fence netting installation has been installed around the southwestern edge of the landfill.

14.     Emission Management

14.1    The NTRLBU gas management system at York Valley Landfill has continued to operate effectively with the new ring main and new condensate removal system. Some site works have required sections of the gas system to be disconnected during this period and gas collection volumes have reduced as a result, however gas capture and destruction is still at a level higher than to the same period of last year.

14.2    A recent gas status report is shown below.

 

14.3    Work is ongoing on the business case and a concept plan is being developed for the reuse options for the remainder of the gas at the York Valley Landfill. 

15.     Emissions Trading Scheme Position

15.1    The ETS unit price is currently around $55.

15.2    Our current holding of 155,569 units have an average cost of $43.45 per unit.

15.3    Our current New Zealand Unit (NZU) holding and movements.

Units on Hand 31 January 2023                 148,329

Units surrendered for 2022                        7,239

Balance after surrender                             141,090

15.4    Treasury policy limit, assuming a Unique Emission Factor of 0.21 and budgeted waste volumes is 45,353 units.

15.5    Current holding is 94,737 units more than policy due to the reduction in the UEF achieved in 2022 and in 2023.

15.6    The NTRLBU and the Councils have approved the sale of 50,000 NZUs and delegated the timing of the sale to the General Manager of NTRLBU.

15.7    At present it is proposed that NTRLBU do not sell until there is more understanding of the NZ Governments position on climate change actions, and how this might affect future ETS prices, the Default Emission Factor, and the future NTRLBU ETS liability.

16.     Waste Minimisation

16.1    These are the primary activities going on with waste minimisation for NTRLBU at present.

16.1.1 Battery Diversion, this is ongoing and has reduced the number of battery fires that NTRLBU has been experiencing with only two in the last period.

16.1.2 Supporting the development of the Joint Waste Minimisation and Management Plan (JWMMP), NTRLBU are working with NCC and TDC staff to support the development of the JWMMP.

17.     Landfill Waste Volumes

17.1    Landfill volumes have significantly reduced compared to previous years with this year’s waste being around 7500 tonnes less year to date than the 2022/23 financial year. This decrease in waste mass is thought to be principally related to a reduction in commercial and industrial activity.

17.2    Airspace development activities undertaken during the period have resulted in an additional 35,000m3 of airspace being developed. This airspace can accept around $9 million worth of waste at current landfill gate price.

18.     Risk Management

18.1    NTRLBU considers its risks on an ongoing basis, as risks on the site frequently change because of additional information or changes to operations.

18.2    This section has been added to outline some strategic and tactical risks facing the landfill at present. It is not intended to be comprehensive or to outline all risks, rather highlight a few risks at the current time.

18.2.1 Reporting Compliance – NTRLBU needs to implement revised reporting by 1 July 2024 to meet changing Ministry for the Environment requirements. Current expectation is that new landfill weighbridge software will be implemented by 1 July that will allow the correct data to be collected. There is a risk that delays, or weighbridge data issues could occur as a result of the condensed timeframe for the change.

18.2.2 Slip Risk – the land surrounding the landfill has historically been unstable and several slips have occurred around the site during the life of the landfill. A significant slip has recently activated in the southern side of the landfill, and remedial actions are being undertaken to stabilise the area. An ongoing risk of further impact from slips around the landfill remains. The principal risks associated with landslide relate to Health and Safety of personnel, maintaining unconstrained landfill access, and financial costs to remedy the slips.

18.2.3 Stormwater management – NTRLBU has upgraded the landfill sediment retention ponds and has improved stormwater channels and other services. There have however been occurrences where the sediment load from the system has exceeded the resource consent parameters due to the intensity and duration of the rain events, and the larger earthworks projects being undertaken on the site.  NTRLBU is actively stabilising soils and implementing actions to reduce the sediment load and reduce the catchment area requiring treatment in the onsite sediment ponds.

19.     NTRLBU Finances

19.1    Income Account for the period to 31 December 2023

19.2    The budget year to date shows NTRLBU is $14,000 above budget, however the trend over the last period is for worsening financial performance.

19.3    NTRLBU income has been lower than budget over the last six months, and it is likely that revenue for the financial year will be below budget in the order of $250,000.

19.4    Operational costs are above budget with increased costs associated with a range of different activities.

19.5    Airspace gains made during the year also sit within the operational budget due to the NTRLBU accounting processes. 

19.6    Operating costs year to date are $913,000 higher than budget with these costs related to the O&M tender development processes, the increased costs associated with our new gas permitting and gas monitoring processes during construction works, and the ongoing development of airspace within the landfill.

19.7    Additional operational costs associated with the temporary transfer facility are also anticipated.

19.8    Overall, the NTRLBU is on budget for the year to date, however it is expected that the situation will deteriorate over the period to the end of the financial year. The additional revenue in some areas has compensated for the additional costs.

20.     Conclusion

20.1    Operations at York Valley have been running effectively, and transition to the new Operations and Maintenance contractor commencing on site on 1 July is well underway.  Ongoing focus is needed on Health and Safety to make sure that standards don’t slip during the transition period.

20.2    The period was successful for NTRLBU on active construction projects, particularly with the landfill stabilisation works, and geotechnical investigations for the future landfill development.

20.3    Progress has been poor on gas reuse actions and contaminated soil management actions for a range of reasons. It is likely that these projects will be unable to commence this financial year.

20.4    These delays will mean that some projects will carry over into the 2024/25 financial year.

 

 

 

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