A cultural impact assessment by iwi consultancy Aukaha, on behalf of Te Rūnanga o Ōtakou, said the Kaikorai Estuary and surrounding waterways held immense traditional significance for mana whenua, who were seeking to restore the area.
Mana whenua held long-standing concerns about the area’s degradation, the cultural impact assessment said.
The 52-page report is part of the Dunedin City Council’s application to extend expiring resource consents for the Green Island landfill for up to seven years, allowing a new municipal landfill at Smooth Hill to open before its closure.
The report was written to support the progressive closure of the Green Island landfill, the restoration of the estuary and Kaikorai Stream, and to guide "future opportunities to strengthen intergenerational knowledge, community and place-based identity".
The report said the construction of the Green Island landfill, its ongoing operation and other industrial discharges into the estuary and stream over decades had made the area tapu and it could not be used for food gathering.
The long-term goal of mana whenua was to return the estuary and the surrounding waterways to a state where they were again food sources and places where native species flourished.
"The closure of the Green Island landfill is a significant step towards achieving that vision," the report said.
When the landfill closed there would be opportunities for public recreational use around the edges of the site, the report said.
It recommended ensuring interpretation of Kai Tahu history with the Kaikorai Estuary and Saddle Hill was done by Te Rūnanga o Ōtakou.
There could be cultural markers such as carved wooden posts or signage and artwork highlighting traditional stories and native species on site in the future.
The report also sought the requirement of site rehabilitation plans for land contaminated by landfills.
The consents to operate Green Island landfill expire in October.
Otago Regional Council acting consents manager Alexandra King confirmed last week the city council’s application had been accepted.
It was on hold while the regional council waited for further information from the applicant, Ms King said.
