Dairy Flat residents are watching closely as Auckland weighs a plan to keep Redvale Landfill open into the mid-2030s.

The site, which first opened in 1993 and now takes about half of Auckland’s rubbish, was meant to stop accepting waste in December 2028.

Its owner, WM New Zealand, has asked the Government for fast-track consent to keep Redvale Landfill & Energy Park operating until around 2036, because the planned replacement site at Wayby Valley is tied up in appeals and not expected to open until the mid-2030s.

That leaves a gap where Auckland still needs to safely manage around 600,000 tonnes of waste a year.

From the council’s side, this interim plan sits uncomfortably beside its Waste Minimisation and Management Plan, which aims for Zero Waste by 2040, focuses on cutting waste at the source and calls landfill the least preferred option.

The council notes that landfilled organics create major greenhouse gas emissions and that current waste facilities are fragmented across many operators, while it directly controls only about 20 percent of what goes to landfill.

Redvale neighbours have long expected closure in 2028 and have raised serious concerns about odour, health and ongoing social and environmental impacts.

For people on the Hibiscus Coast, this debate is part of a bigger question about how Auckland handles its rubbish in the years ahead.

Coasties can expect more talk about waste, climate goals and fair treatment for affected communities as the proposal is considered.

Seen something local we should cover?

Let us know at [email protected]