Local residents of the Kaipara Harbour, the wider Northland Region as well as all New Zealanders, should be deeply concerned about a proposed waste incinerator in the Northland area. This issue is personal to me and many others who call this place home or have family living in the area. The technology that this plant intends to use has been banned in numerous places overseas due to its detrimental impact on air quality. We don't need such a polluting plant in our country, especially not here in Kaipara.

The financial burden associated with controlling the pollution caused by this incinerator is immense, and it's unclear who will bear these costs. It's highly unlikely that those responsible for the proposal will foot the bill - instead, it may come out of our rates.

Our planet is already struggling under the weight of human-induced pollution. We cannot stand by and allow further harm to be inflicted upon our environment or ourselves. The health risks associated with poor air quality are well-documented (source: World Health Organization), including respiratory diseases and other serious health problems. The chemicals it will produce will end up on in our lungs, on our growing crops, in our waterways, everywhere! 

Almost 50% of household waste is compostable or green waste- given NZ's poor soils, composting is again vital in NZ. We are pouring valuable resources into a fire pit.

"Why is waste incineration a false solution? (also called "waste-to-energy")
**Incinerators are dirtier than any other energy source emitting up to 3.8 times as much greenhouse gas.
**Incinerators transform waste into toxic ash which creates air and water pollution. this is harder to contain and usually more toxic than waste in its original form
**This toxic ash causes harm to human health increasing asthma risks, reduced lung function, and greater hospital admissions.
**Incinerators are costly to build and run, wasting billions in taxpayer money that could go to real zero waste solutions."

We must stand up against this proposal for the sake of our community, our health, and future generations who deserve a clean environment. Please sign this petition today to halt construction of the Kaipara Waste Incinerator! It will only encourage excess waste as these plants need a large amount to be fuelled 24/7! This will be detrimental on a large scale!