Earlier this week Environment Canterbury councillors agreed to send a request to the Minister for the Environment to "call in" the resource consent applications lodged by South Island Resource Recovery Ltd (SIRRL) for the proposed waste-to-energy plant near Waimate.
In a release, the council said if the minister agreed to call in this application, the Environment Court or Board of Inquiry would become the ultimate decision-maker on the application.
Environment Canterbury will have a more limited role in processing the application and providing technical and planning support in auditing the application.
Consent applications can be "called in" when they are of national significance as defined by the Resource Management Act.
The council believed this consent application met that threshold as it had provoked widespread interest and was likely to involve technology, processes or methods that were new to New Zealand.
An energy-from-waste plant was set to be built in Glenavy by the company.
SIRRL had lodged resource consents for the plant with Environment Canterbury and Waimate District Council though they were on hold as they had to file a water consent.
SIRRL said it understood that as the applicant, it was required to be consulted but it would work with whatever decision the Minister for the Environment made on this issue.
"Whatever decision is made, SIRRL will remain committed to working with the local community and iwi going forward."
Why Waste Waimate spokesman Robert Ireland said it supported the decision to seek a central government decision.
It was a project of national significance so it was good to think it would be addressed by central government, if it was accepted, he said.
He said the project would have eventually been decided by the Environment Court anyway.
