Stop Smooth Hill Community Meeting | Future Dunedin

Stop Smooth Hill Community Meeting

September 14, 2025

Public meeting on Stop Smooth Hill. On the left, Dunedin mayoral candidate Andrew Simms, wearing a grey suit and patterned yellow tie, speaks into a microphone while leading the forum. Beside him on the panel are Sarah Ramsay in a green knitted sweater and glasses, and Dave Hanan in a navy suit and patterned shirt. A jug of water, glasses, and papers sit on the table in front of them.

Stop Smooth Hill – $133,000 a Week We Can’t Afford

Last week Coronation Hall in Mosgiel was packed. People came to hear the truth about Smooth Hill.

NOTE: The video begins at 35mins

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Building this landfill will cost $92.4 million. Every cent borrowed. The interest alone is more than $4 million a year. Add depreciation and it’s $133,000 a week.

We’ve got to ask ourselves — what else would $133,000 a week fund in our community? Housing. Support services. Schools. Real investment that actually improves lives.

The Alternatives We Already Have

Green Island is still running. It’s cheap to operate. Waste volumes are falling as recycling and reuse increase.

We also have other options. Winton. AB Lime. Both already built. Both already meeting modern standards.

The Risks at Smooth Hill

Smooth Hill sits in the headwaters above Brighton. Only 4.5 kilometres from the airport. International safety guidelines say 13 kilometres minimum.

The consent requires “zero birds over 50 grams” every day. If that fails, Council must build a net over the site. That has never been done before in New Zealand.

A Financial Liability

Smooth Hill only works on paper if it captures huge volumes of commercial waste. That cannot be guaranteed. Without it, the financial model collapses.

Independent consultants have already warned of two inevitable outcomes:

  • Waste volumes will fall short.
  • Costs will blow out beyond the current $92 million price tag.

A Better Future for Dunedin

This isn’t a plan. It’s a liability. And it risks becoming another stadium-sized mistake for Dunedin.

There is a better way. Use existing safe landfills. Double down on waste minimisation. Stop throwing millions into a hole in the ground and start investing in people, services, and a city that works.

$133,000 a week could do so much good in Dunedin. Let’s not waste it on Smooth Hill.

— Andrew Simms, Mayoral Candidate, Dunedin 2025

Authorised by Andrew Simms, andrew@simms.co.nz, 0274 346394

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