The Dunedin City Council received consent for its "resource recovery park precinct" this month.
Independent hearing commissioner Myles McCauley said he agreed with the city council and the Otago Regional Council, which both said the effects of the operation would be no more than minor.
"None of the adverse effects weigh against granting of these consents.
"While many of the submitters’ concerns are not directly in scope for the applications, the applicant has expressed willingness to work with neighbours on the issues raised, and has made amendments to the proposed management plans and conditions.
"I consider that the primary ‘in scope’ issue of odour has been addressed by the experts."
In his decision, Mr McCauley said the present landfill site included a dedicated area for waste transfer and diversion activities, and the city council planned to redevelop that area as part of its strategy to improve its waste management system.
This development was connected to the city’s revamped kerbside collection system and the development of new transfer facilities in the wider district, he said.
The landfill itself was nearing the end of its operational life and its replacement at Smooth Hill, near Brighton, had been consented.
The new waste precinct would include a variety of
new facilities, while some existing facilities were to be retained at the site.
An "organics receival building" had already been built and was largely operational, but its construction was allowed by separate resource consents.
The building was used to receive and for the initial sorting of organic waste brought to the site by truck from the kerbside system.
The organic waste would either be taken to a now-consented organics processing facility or shredded and sent elsewhere, he said.
The organics processing facility was a composting system composed of at first six but eventually up to 10 bunkers where organic waste would be taken.
Composting would be done by an "aerated static pile process" which passes air through the composting material.
Compost would remain in the bunkers for a maximum of 21 days and then be taken to a maturation area to cure for up to 30 more days.
Air extracted from the bunkers when the air flow was outward from the bunkers would pass through a biofilter to reduce its odour, he said.
The "materials recovery facility" where recyclable material from kerbside collection would be taken and processed was the closest facility to neighbouring houses, in Clariton Ave, south of the site.
The bulk waste transfer station where general waste would be dropped off before being taken off site would have a sorting pad for construction and demolition waste nearby.
There would be a hazardous waste drop-off and storage area.
Three bunkers where glass would be sorted by colour and stored for transport from the site would be installed.
Staff amenities, offices, truck parking and vehicle wash bays would also be built.
Meanwhile, the main access road, the kiosk, weighbridge and wheel wash, the existing education centre and Rummage Store, existing recycling and garden waste drop off areas and the diverted materials storage area would all remain on site.
A site environmental management plan, construction environmental management plan, composting management plan and southern black-backed gull management plan had all been a part of the city council’s application.
Six submissions were received, of which two submitters requested to be heard.
The submissions raised a number of concerns, some of which were in scope "and some — for example noise, roading infrastructure, visual impacts, bird nuisance, loss of sunlight — are not".
Of the submitters wishing to be heard, one raised several concerns, and while only the issue of dust was directly in scope, the city council had volunteered conditions with the intent of addressing vermin control and noise, he said.
Another neighbour also raised a variety of issues, "including several related to potential odours from the site".
"The applicant is also making efforts to address these concerns.
"The submitters make it plain that they retain concerns regarding odour effects from the site, and that they will be diligent in making complaints if events occur.
"The applicant and council experts agree that odour from the [site] itself will be less than minor, and I anticipate this outcome being reflected in consent compliance."
