Development of Smooth Hill Landfill

2025 updates

Update, July 2025

A confirmed budget of $92.4 million has been allocated in the Dunedin City Council (DCC) 9 year plan 2025-2034 for Smooth Hill Landfill construction and upgrading roads. Resource consent to build Smooth Hill Landfill was obtained in May 2023.

The roading upgrades to McLaren Gully Road and Big Stone Road will improve access for trucks that will travel from the Green Island Resource Recovery Park transfer station and along SH1 to Smooth Hill Landfill once it is constructed. Construction is planned for completion before Green Island Landfill closes around 2029/30.

Council has decided in principle to build a landfill at Smooth Hill alone (i.e., not in partnership with a private company) because:

• Council maintains control
• it allows Council to focus on its waste minimisation goals
• Council retains 100% of the landfill’s revenue
• financially, it is the best option in the long term
• it provides resilience and self-sufficiency, including in natural disasters
• mana whenua supports this option
• it aligns with Council’s Zero Carbon Policy
• there are economic benefits to Ōtepoti Dunedin
• it minimises risks around fuel price increases, as compared to the export option.

Smooth Hill Landfill will be designed to service the city for up to 70 years depending on rubbish tonnage amounts. We are monitoring the empty site’s air, water, soil, and ecology (including pests such as southern black-backed gulls) for three years ending in early 2026. This baseline data will help us maintain high environmental standards when the new landfill is operating.

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  Does the DCC have permission to build a landfill at Smooth Hill?

  Yes, the DCC can progress a new top-class landfill at Smooth Hill, after the Environment Court granted consent for the project on 9 May 2023. The site has been designated in the District Plan for “Proposed Landfilling and Associated Refuse Processing Operations and Activities” since 1995.

  When is landfill construction likely to occur, if it goes ahead?

  We do not have a set date for construction yet. There are a number of things to factor in. For instance, the 36 months of site monitoring of the air, water, soil and ecology we must complete prior to any landfill construction, won’t be finished until early 2026. We also need to consider the existing Green Island Landfill’s operation. Green Island Landfill is being closed in stages and we expect it will close around 2029/30.

  Why is Smooth Hill a potential landfill site?

  The Smooth Hill site bordered by McLaren Gully and Big Stone Roads was first identified as a potential landfill in 1992. In 1995 it was legally designated in the District Plan for waste disposal and related activities. Smooth Hill was also considered in relation to all other potential options for waste disposal, including alternative existing waste disposal sites. However, that was decades ago. As such, we have undertaken a new suite of investigations to assess the site in relation to today’s standards. These studies concluded that the site is suitable for a modern landfill.

  Will the community have an opportunity to find out more about Smooth Hill Landfill, its construction and operation?

  Yes. We will share information about milestones in the development of Smooth Hill Landfill with the public and with members of the community liaison group that was formed in 2023.

  How long have you been planning this?

  The need for an alternative landfill or waste disposal site to Green Island Landfill was identified in the 1990s. Since then, a range of options have been considered for future operating models.

  An initial Business Case investigation into every aspect of Dunedin waste and recycling, including collection and disposal occurred alongside a waste assessment and informed both the 2020 and 2025 editions of our Waste Minimisation and Management Plan. The business case concluded that the optimal future waste and diverted materials model for Dunedin includes a well-managed, Class 1 landfill within the Dunedin region.

  What alternatives are there to developing a new landfill?

  While we aspire to a zero-waste future, the reality is that we will need somewhere to dispose of waste for many years to come. There are a range of other ways to manage the disposal of our waste. These include trucking waste to existing landfills in the wider region, incineration, or biological treatment of waste. All options were considered as part of the initial business case – including how we can reduce or recycle more waste.

  What would a new Class 1 landfill cost if it goes ahead?

  $92.4 million has been allocated in the DCC 9 year plan 2025-2034 for development of the site and roading upgrades. Operating a landfill is estimated to cost about $6 million a year.

  Would a new landfill at Smooth Hill increase rates?

  Operation of the new landfill will be primarily funded from fees charged for using it.

  Given the increased truck traffic, would there be upgrades to the roads accessing Smooth Hill if it becomes the city’s landfill?

  Yes, there will be upgrades to McLaren Gully Road and Big Stone Road so trucks can access the Smooth Hill Landfill from SH1.

  Would I have to drive to Smooth Hill to dispose of rubbish if it becomes the city’s landfill?

  No, you wouldn’t have to drive to Smooth Hill to dispose of your rubbish. There will be transfer stations in the city for you to take rubbish to, e.g., at Green Island Resource Recovery Park. It would then be put into trucks for delivery via State Highway 1 to the landfill. Smooth Hill would be a modern, Class 1 landfill facility, run to the latest health and safety standards, and as such the public would not deliver rubbish directly to the site.

  Will there be noise, smell or run-off?

  A new landfill would use large plant machinery such as a compactor and loaders. In general, landfill operations are not particularly noisy and usually only operate during opening hours. The Green Island Landfill operates with neighbours very close by. Any noise issues have been addressed quickly, with no on-going noise related issues.

  Landfills have a distinctive odour. A range of mitigation tactics would be used to manage odour at a new landfill. Odour neutralising cannons are effective, as is having a well-established gas collection system.

  Modern landfills are highly engineered. Liners are used so that any run-off is contained and transported off site or treated onsite.

  Would seagulls be attracted to the Smooth Hill Landfill?

  The new landfill would be run with modern techniques that prevent scavenger activity by reducing organic material and covering rubbish immediately. For example, Kate Valley Landfill near Christchurch, established in 2005, uses the latest techniques and is a similar distance from the ocean as Smooth Hill; it does not attract seagulls. Our aim would be to create the same conditions, so seagulls and other pests would have no opportunity or reason to become established.

  What will the visual effect be?

  The natural topography of Smooth Hill means landfill operations are unlikely to be visible from any of the current neighbouring houses. It is best practice for landfills to be concealed from public view. This can be done with tree planting, bund building and fencing. We are planning landscaping and tree planting in consultation with the nearest neighbours.

  Have the Mosgiel Taieri and Saddle Hill Community Board been consulted?

  They have been informed and consulted as part of the resource consent process required to gain Otago Regional Council (ORC) permission to operate a landfill on the designated site. We continue to keep them advised as plans progress.

  Was there public consultation before the Smooth Hill site was designated as a potential landfill site in 1995?

  Yes, there was extensive public consultation in 1993 as part of the site designation process.

• 2023 updates

  Update, 10 May 2023

  The DCC is now able to progress a new top-class landfill at Smooth Hill, after the Environment Court granted consent for the project on 9 May. The decision follows a Court mediation process resolving the final appeal. One of the key next steps will be the formation of a community liaison group, which will be an important conduit between the DCC and the community as the landfill project takes shape.

  See the media release.

  Update, February 2023

  The appeal to the Environment Court that was lodged by Dunedin International Airport Limited (DIAL) regarding approval of the DCC’s resource consent application to operate a city landfill at Smooth Hill has been resolved and the appeal has been withdrawn. There remains one appeal to be determined. The DCC is engaged in the ongoing statutory Environment Court process to work through this appeal.

• 2022 updates

  Update, October 2022

  The Environment Court received two appeals to the Independent Consent Hearing Commissioners' decision to approve the DCC’s resource consent application to operate a city landfill at Smooth Hill. The DCC is engaged in the ongoing statutory Environment Court process.

  Update, 16 September 2022

  On Friday 9 September, Independent Consent Hearing Commissioners announced their decision to approve the DCC's resource consent application to operate a city landfill at Smooth Hill.

  See the media release.

  Update, 15 August 2022

  On 12 August the DCC supplied Independent Consent Hearing Commissioners with its final reply to the matters raised at the hearing for the Smooth Hill Landfill application for consent.

  The reply includes final legal submissions, expert evidence in reply and DCC's proposed conditions for the operation of the Smooth Hill Landfill.

  The next step is for the Commissioners to consider this material and decide how they wish to proceed towards making a decision on the application.

  To view the final reply, expert evidence and proposed conditions provided on 12 August, and to find out more about the Smooth Hill consent application process, go to the Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website. The ORC is the lead agency for the consent process.

  As mentioned below in the 9 June update, the Independent Consent Hearing Commissioners asked the DCC whether it was prepared to provide a quantitative public health risk assessment regarding Ōtokia Creek. The DCC offered to commission the assessment, which was provided in June. To see the 'Extended Water Quality and Human Health Risk Assessment' refer to the 'Minute 3' section on the Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website.

  Update, 9 June 2022

  During the public hearing for the Smooth Hill Landfill application for consent, all those who wished to speak to their submission made presentations to a panel of three independent Consent Hearing Commissioners between 17-24 May.

  On 24 May, the Commissioners adjourned the hearing to give time for the DCC to commission a ‘Quantitative Public Health Risk Assessment’ regarding Ōtokia Creek. Once received, the assessment will be provided to the Commissioners and circulated to relevant parties for comment. Following that, the DCC will be able to submit its final reply and produce a final set of recommended conditions.

  When the Commissioners receive the additional information requested, they will decide whether to resume or conclude the hearing.

  For specific details about the Commissioners requests and suggestions go to the public hearing’s Minute 3 and Minute 4 on the ORC website.

  For full details about the public hearing go to the Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website.

  Update, 21 April 2022

  The ORC and the DCC have released their planner reports, including recommendations, ahead of the public hearings in May.

  To view the DCC planner’s report go here.

  To view the ORC planner’s report and find out more, go to the Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website. The ORC is the lead agency for the consent process.

• 2021 updates

  Update, 16 November 2021

  Submissions on the Smooth Hill landfill application closed on 15 November.

  To find out more, go to Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website. The ORC is the lead agency for the consent process.

  Update, 18 September 2021

  The ORC has now completed its assessment of the DCC's resource consent application to operate a landfill at Smooth Hill and has determined that the consent application is to be publicly notified. The DCC has as a consequence determined that the related consent application for road widening and upgrading works will also be notified. The notification for both applications was done today. The reasons for public notification of the consent are set out in the ORC notification decision (S95) report and the DCC notification decision (S95) report.

  • LUC-2020-405 - s95 Report and Decision - Smooth Hill (PDF, 424.9 KB | opens in new window)
  • Notification Report RM20.280 (PDF, 2MB | opens in new window)

  To find out more, including how to make a submission on the landfill application, go to the Consents and Compliance page on the ORC website. To make a submission on the DCC’s related application, LUC-2020-405 Big Stone Road application. The ORC is the lead agency for the notification and hearing process for both applications.

  Update, 5 August 2021

  The DCC Council has today supplied responses to the ORC's request for more information regarding its resource consent application to operate a landfill at Smooth Hill.

  Update, 31 May 2021

  The DCC has today supplied responses to the ORC's request for more information regarding its resource consent application to operate a landfill at Smooth Hill.

  The documents that have been updated are provided below. Documents which are unchanged can be found in the 27 August 2020 update.

• 2020 updates

  Update, 27 August 2020

  The DCC has lodged its resource consent application with the ORC to operate a landfill at Smooth Hill. The DCC has applied for several resource consents, including discharges to air, water and land.

  Please note: This consent application is an ORC process.

Consent application documents