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Hands on in Tonga: Helping with new landfill cells

News

30/8/2024

2 mins read

Hands on in Tonga: Helping with new landfill cells

Enviro NZ’s Louis Sparks has been ‘hands on’ in Tonga recently helping the island nation with its new landfill.


Louis’s expertise as a landfill technician and planning manager has been invaluable to the Tonga Waste Authority Limited (WAL) with the construction of a new third landfill cell underway.


The island’s isolation, geography, and the scale of its economic activity present challenges, as the landfill receives 95 percent of all waste from the main island of Tongatapu and its two existing landfill cells are nearing capacity.


Prior to Louis’s visit the WAL team came to New Zealand to look at our landfill operations. Louis says they’ve put their learnings to good use but still have a way to go yet.


"The learning for landfill manager Charlynn, who is very smart, is priceless.  With no reference or mentor in Tonga to turn to for advice she told me she cried for many days feeling she was not equipped to do the job. So, the opportunity for her to learn from me is huge."


Louis says Tongan people are proud of their environment and very aware they need to preserve their small island and limited resources. “This has been a key topic in discussions in providing them technical assistance to preserve and maximise their landfill space to ensure a sustainable future waste disposal solution for Tonga.”


Louis's trip was in partnership with PacificTA which is funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme, it was established to assist Pacific Island countries in developing and delivering appropriate solutions for service delivery at the local level.


This support includes areas such as urban planning, infrastructure management, water and waste management, and asset management.


Before Louis headed to Tonga, PacificTA hosted the Tonga WAL management group for a visit to the Taupo Landfill operated by Enviro NZ. Here, our landfill operations staff and Hampton Downs technical staff took the group on a site tour and engaged in technical discussions.


Enviro NZ's voluntary technical assistance will continue in the short term as WAL complete the new landfill cell and involve further support for operational improvements at the landfill.

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