On July 17, protesters will march to the steps of the Auckland Council to demonstrate opposition to the proposed landfill for the city’s rubbish in the Dome Valley and possible pollution of the Kaipara Harbour.

The march, or hikoi, follows a new campaign by Ngati Whatua iwi in support of the Fight the Tip movement centred in the Dome Valley. As many locals are aware, Auckland Waste Management Ltd seeks resource consent for the tip on 1,000 hectares of land, which form part of the catchment for the Hoteo River that flows into the Kaipara harbour. There are widespread fears that a breach of the tip would be devastating for the harbour and marine life.

Iwi are looking for participants from the wider community to help spread the campaign against the tip. Ngati Whatua CEO Alan Riwaka has said “we are having a positive response from around the country, and we are as pleased with this as we can be”. Further details of the march will be announced soon.

Auckland Council earlier agreed to extend the submissions window by three weeks, after protests, because its earlier closure date was covered by the Covid level four and level three lockdowns.