Meeting the needs of local communities
Tirohia Landfill is the first modern landfill facility to effectively service the needs of communities in the Eastern Waikato, Western Bay of Plenty, Thames Valley and Coromandel Peninsula.

Over the last decade, smaller community tips and dumpsites have progressively been closed as communities became aware of the dangers of dumpsite leachate polluting surrounding environments.
Until Tirohia Landfill opened in 2001, local authorities and industry have increasingly been forced to transport waste to remote landfill sites. This has been inconvenient and expensive, and has encouraged illegal dumping of some waste in unlicensed sites.

Tirohia Landfill now provides a modern landfill facility to meet the needs of those communities for at least 25 years.

Ideal location for a modern sanitary landfill Tirohia Landfill is located on Quarry Rd off State Highway 26, some 7km south of Paeroa. This is the ideal location for a landfill site. It is located on a private road and well shielded from view. The owner/operator owns the site surrounding the landfill and the nearest neighbours are more than 1km away, minimising the effects of dust, noise and odour on the local community. This modern, environmentally sound landfill facility has been constructed in the exhausted pit area of the Tirohia Quarry operated by H.G. Leach & Co. Ltd. The landfill will be developed in phases, filling quarry areas that are exhausted of useful rock. Designed for a long life The Landfill has capacity to receive 4 million cubic metres of waste, which is expected to take 25 years to fill. This site has been granted resource consents to operate, under the provisions of the Resource Management Act. Phase A & B consents granted until 2038, total capacity = 4 million m3. If community waste minimisation measures prove successful, the life of the landfill may be extended.

Before: The site prior to accepting refuse After: The site as it will appear when Phase A is complete

Leachate collected
Leachate is the liquid residue which drains from waste material as it breaks down in a landfill. The Tirohia Landfill is designed to collect all leachate for removal and treatment offsite. A 500mm composite liner comprising geotextile fabric, clay and high density polyethylene covers the landfill floor and walls and allows leachate to gravitate to a holding pond, where it is collected and removed for processing. Sand and drainage metal are laid over the liner to protect it from damage.

Separate collection system for Stormwater
Stormwater from the remainder of the site is channeled to a stormwater settling pond where suspended solid material settles out before water is released into water systems. Stormwater is prevented from draining into the landfill site.
The stormwater system is completely separate from the leachate collection system. However, as a precaution, stormwater is electonically monitored every 30 minutes for any sign that leachate may have entered the stormwater system.

Landfill Gas

Landfill gas is captured using a system of landfill gas wells which comprises a series of perforated pipes enveloped with drainage metal or shredded tyres, laid either vertically or horizontally into the landfill. Tirohia Landfill Renewable Generation, a joint venture company formed by H G Leach with Mighty River Power, uses this gas to generate power. read more

Planting and Erosion Protection
Upgrading of Quarry Rd to accommodate increased truck traffic has involved considerable earthworks. All new earth slopes have been protected from erosion by laying biodegradable matting over the slopes and planting with native species.
The banks of the Owhakatina Stream, which drains the area below the quarry and landfill, have been fenced to keep stock out and planted with native species to improve water quality and stabilise stream banks to protect them from erosion.
In all, more than 11,000 native plants have been planted on site.

Dust and Dirt Controlled
A wheel wash facility cleans dust and dirt from the wheels of vehicles before they exit the site. Quarry Rd is sealed up to the landfill site.

Ongoing Monitoring
Landfill operator H.G. Leach & Co. Ltd has committed to environmental monitoring of the site for a period of up to 30 years after the landfill is closed.

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F A C T S H E E T

Total site area 102 hectares

Landfill area 8 hectares (within quarry area)

Quarry area 12 hectares

Total airspace 4 million cubic metres

Design life 30 years

Final use of site Restored to farmland/forestry

Post closure monitoring period 30 years

Employees Landfill: 5 - 10, Quarry staff: 30

Gatehouse Computerised weighbridge

Accreditation Tirohia Landfill is accredited to ISO 1401:2004 Environmental Management System.

Waste acceptance Non-hazardous solid waste

Landfill hours of waste acceptance
Mon - Sat 7.00am - 4.00pm Sun - closed

Landfill hours of operation As per quarry hours

Contact
Eric Souchon
Managing Director
H.G. Leach & Co. Ltd
P.O. Box 108, Paeroa
Phone - 0800 108 727
or 07 862 8727
Facsimile - 07 862 7940

Consulting engineers
Meritec Limited - Auckland Sub-consultants:

. Brian Coffey & Associates Ltd
. Engineering Geology Ltd
. Hegley Acoustics Consultants
. Waste Services NSW
. Pattle Delamore Partners
. Priest Mansergh Landscape Architects Ltd

Legal advisors
Jim Milne, Barrister McCaw Lewis Chapman - Hamilton

Regulatory bodies Regional Authority - Environment Waikato District Authority - Hauraki District Council

For further information please telephone
0800 108 727
or 07 862 8727

 

 

Landfill Operator is a Family Company

H.G. Leach & Co. Ltd is a privately owned family company with a 54 year history in the Thames Valley. All shareholders live and work in the area and are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for their staff, neighbours and nearby communities. The company operates four quarries at Tirohia, Matatoki, Tahuna and Waitawheta and manages refuse transfer stations and landfill disposal for local authorities.

Developing a modern sanitary landfill at Tirohia has required a multi-million dollar investment by H.G. Leach & Co. Ltd. Roads and facilities at the Tirohia site have been substantially upgraded to meet strict industry and environmental standards. The company's investment also included the cost of obtaining planning and environmental consents and dealing with court appeals, which began in 1996 and ended in 2001.