A paper to be presented to councillors at this week’s meeting shows staff recommend increasing the budget for the project from $52m in the 2021-31 long-term plan to $92m in the 2025-34 nine-year plan.
It also summarises a discussion held at a non-public meeting in November, at which councillors made a decision to move ahead with the project rather than export the city’s waste.
Councillors at the meeting also voted the council should build the landfill on its own and not seek a private partner.
The agenda papers for this week’s meeting provided the advice from staff and consultants that councillors received in November, albeit with some redactions.
"There is strategic value in ownership control ... Building Smooth Hill alone allows council to dispose of its waste without needing to share half the profit, after operating and capital expenses, with its commercial facility partner."
Setting up a commercial partnership would also be complex, "particularly given competing objectives", and would be expensive to establish, council staff said.
The council has consents for the development of Smooth Hill landfill, which were granted nearly two years ago.
"With Green Island nearing capacity, the city needs an alternative site for the disposal of its residual waste stream and Smooth Hill provides the council with the opportunity to build a modern facility within the city boundaries."
Staff also recommended against the proposal to export the city’s waste, as it would "also expose council to economic risk from increases in fuel prices" and prove inconsistent with the council’s zero-carbon policy and its relationship with mana whenua.
"If the council builds its own landfill, then it has autonomy over the waste collection process, from the kerbside collection right through to diversion and residual disposal."
In 2018, the council established the waste futures project, which aimed to reduce the amount of material that needed final disposal by 30% per person by 2030.
Construction of the Smooth Hill landfill is not expected to start until the 2027-28 financial year, with completion in 2029-30. It is expected to last 40 years if waste stays at current levels of about 60,000 tonnes a year.
