Trust Submissions
The PNCET firmly believes in the principle of environmental sustainability and writes submissions in favour or otherwise regarding projects in the Manawatu which it perceives to be sustainable or not. We view sustainable projects as ones which use natural resources responsibly, taking into account the long-term wellbeing of people and the environment in the Manawatu.
Recent submissions
- Horizons Regional Land Transport Strategy (August 2009)
- DB Breweries Ltd - re permit for discharges from Tui Brewery Site in the Tararua District (July 2009)
- Mighty River Power Ltd - re Turitea Wind Farm Proposal (February 2009)
A summary of each submission follows, and you can also download the full submissions.
Submission summaries
Horizons Regional Land Transport Strategy Review- Submitted 7 August 2009
- PNCET believes that the Land Transport Strategy Review vision must:
(i) Ensure an increasing compatibility with environmental sustainability, and adaptation to near and medium-term changes in the energy inputs for the transport sector.
(ii) Address the triple bottom line: A safe transport system that provides choices and opportunities, and contributes to the Region’s environmental sustainability, easy lifestyle, and economic vitality.
- The objectives of the plan must focus on Environmental Sustainability and ability of the network to function in peak and post peak oil times.
- Key issues include a rapid resolution of the disparate geography and low connectivity of transport modes in the Palmerston North City network: we remain a city with:
(i) Disparately located rail,intra-city bus, inter-city bus, and air networks
(ii) No option for carrying bicycles on the key piece of that link – the intra-city and regional (e.g. Feilding – Palmerston North) bus network.
- Additionally, all termini are sub-standard in terms of their contribution to the vision. Vital towns and cities have public transport nodes that show a level of care, value and appreciation that is sadly lacking in our local networks.
DB Breweries Ltd - re permit for discharges from Tui Brewery Site in the Tararua District
- Submitted 31 July 2009
- PNCET recommend Resource Consent Application Numbers 104758, 104759, 104760, 104761 be DECLINED until such time as the points raised in this submission have been satisfactorily addressed with regards to environmental sustainability. These applications relate to resource consents for:
(i) Consent Application for Discharge of Cooling Water to the River (2 million litres per day at up to 30 degrees
(ii) Consent Application for Discharge of Solid Waste to the Land (60,000 litres per month of primarily diatomaceous earth)
(iii) Consent Application for Discharge of Liquid Waste to Land and River, specifically:
A) Discharge of Activated Sludge to Land (224,000 litres per day)
B) Discharge of Clarifier Overflow to River (900,000 litres per day and up to 900g DRP)
(iv) Consent Application for Discharge of Stormwater (1.43 million litres per day).
- The considered view of the Trust is that the four Applications as presented on behalf of DB Breweries Ltd. and their owners, should they be approved, will contribute directly and substantially to the pollution of the Mangitainoka River and cumulative effects at points downstream, thereby undermining the environmental sustainability of the Manawatu catchment and areas influenced by that catchment. They further contribute directly to the pollution of land adjacent to the manufacturing site through liquid and solid discharges.
- Instead, the PNCET believe that profit should be invested to achieve increased and increasing environmental performance to implement leading edge environmental practices in brewery processes to significantly reduce the pollution loading of this waterway. Along the way, this will have the fringe benefit of improving our balance of trade and creating jobs in New Zealand for skilled trades workers undertaking the work to improve environmental performance at this site.
Mighty River Power Ltd - re Turitea Wind Farm Proposal
- Submitted 23 February 2009
- PNCET opposes the proposed Turitea wind farm on the basis that there is inadequate information and guidance at both national and regional levels both on:
(i) The need for additional electrical generation
(ii) The siting and development of wind farms and other renewable electricity generation facilities, once the need is demonstrated.