TIMELINE OF EVENTS
2015
May – Gerard Gallagher registers N2ENZ on the NZ Companies register. Later to become Waste Energy Ltd and then Renew Energy Limited.
June – Buller district council economic development manager John Hill suggests the closing Holcim Cement Plant be converted into a waste-to-energy plant. Buller District Council discusses WtE idea with French company, Veolia, which operates similar plants overseas. however, these talks did not progress.
2016
May – Paul Robert Taylor added as director to N2ENZ
June – Company formerly known as N2ENZ changes its name to Waste Energy Ltd. Donald Murray Douglas Cleverley added as director to Waste Energy Limited.
July – NZTE agrees a $50,000 fund for a feasibility study. A matching sum was contributed by Development West Coast.
August – Feasibility study begins. Mayor Garry Howard and Renew Energy directors visit waste-to-energy plants in England.
2017
hJanuary – Feasibility study is completed.
June – Report from State Services commission into Gerard Gallagher released.
July – West Coast Economic Development Action Plan published but has no mention of a waste-to-energy plant.
August 16 – Gallagher changes company name a third time, company now registered as Renew Energy Limited.
– Kevin Stratful appointed as director to Renew Energy.
August 18 – Gallagher retires from his role as a director of REL but remains a shareholder and chief executive.
December – McIntyre Contracting, Leonard Hugh Grey and Duncan Cotterill Nelson Trustee 2017 limited added as shareholders to Renew.
2018
March – Following an emergency board meeting Gallagher resigns as chief executive of REL.
– Gallagher removed as shareholder, shares allocated to Morrison Mallet nominees no.2 Limited.
– David McGregor appointed new chief executive of REL.
March – West Coast mayors write to MBIE expressing support for the waste-to-energy project.
May – Howard and Renew visit China and secure $300m backing from China Tianying Inc.
August – Gerard Gallagher emails Dunedin City council on behalf of Renew Energy Ltd with WtE proposal. He mentions Shanghai partner interested in funding more than Westport plant with preferred option to partner with local government.
October – Renew Energy and Waste Energy amalgamated.
December – Morrison Mallet Nominees no.2 Ltd removed as shareholder, shares allocated to Gerard Gallagher.
2019
January – Renew lodges a resource consent to stockpile 132,000 tonnes of rubbish in Reefton, but later withdraws the application due to public opposition.
March – Howard’s involvement and signature on an agreement with China Tianying becomes public and Renew Energy say they will not build the plant in Westport due to lack of public support.
April – Howard faces a vote of no confidence from his councillors for not keeping them informed regarding agreements with CNTY.
May – Marlborough Council solid waste manager Alec McNeil said the agreement with Renew Energy to send its waste to a REL WtE plant was still in force, despite the company pulling out of Westport. Marlborough was not being considered as a possible location for Renew Energy, but South Canterbury could be viable, as it already had other industrial plants operating there, and Marlborough could send rubbish by train, McNeil said.
July – Kevin Stratful resigns from role as economic development consultant for Development West Coast after coming under fire for using his work emails to promote WtE proposal. He also resigned from being a director of the Reefton Distilling Co after its managing director, Patsy Bass, publicly opposed the plan to store rubbish for the waste-to-energy plant in Reefton.
July – REL Pitch proposal to 500 Hokitika residents. Kevin Stratful stating that CNTY will no longer be used as company were in discussions with new European partner. He also said the plant would not use Chinese technology and would not require the storage of waste.
2020
June 16 – Waimate Council representatives including Mayor Craig Rowley, CEO Stuart Duncan and CEO support Manager Michelle Jones host REL director Kevin Stratful, Babbage consulting’s Paul Duder and a local real estate agent in the first known closed door meeting between WDC and REL reps on June 16. Although this is the first recorded meeting between parties, the email subject header states ‘catchup meeting‘
June 17 – Gerard Gallagher emails Dunedin City Council on June 13 attempting to arrange meeting between Kevin Stratful and DCC stating Stratful will be in Dunedin on the 17 June. The meeting was intended to discuss acquiring DCC waste to fuel WtE plant. Gallagher states “Its looking like the first plant in NZ will be located on the East Coast of the South Island.” This meeting was proposed for day after Waimate Council meeting.
Sept 11 – SFO lays charges against Gerard Gallagher
2021
March -South Island Resource Recovery LTD(SIRRL) registered as a company in NZ, with Renew Energy LTD(REL) a 40% shareholder, China Tianying(CNTY) 41% and Urbaser 19%
May – WDC senior management including the Mayor host a catchup meeting with SIRRL reps.
June – Waimate District Council CEO formerly invites Kevin Stratful to pitch his W-t-E proposal to a full in committee council meeting. Stratful advises Duncan that pitch to council should coincide with trip to Waimate to “secure the land”
July – Kevin Stratful travels to Waimate on July 28 to provide pitch to full council meeting closed to the public.
August – Kevin Stratful emails CEO Duncan to advise him that the rest of his trip to Waimate was successful and that he had support in place from MGI irrigation, Oceania Dairy, Alpine Energy and an individual who’s name was redacted, also that support from Council would be helpful with the board.
August – Stratful also advises that SIRRL has employed Public Relations firm Convergence to handle PR and the setting up of the Project Kea website.
Convergence email Waimate District Council CEO support manager asking for “statement of support” from mayor Rowley and a list of the towns “Key Influencers”
Sept – Stuff-Timaru Herald run story announcing South Island Resource Recovery Ltd plans to waste a $350 million Energy Plant called Project Kea. Company stating they expect to lodge resource consents by the end of the year. This article included a supporting statement from Waimate mayor Craig Rowley stating it was an exciting proposal which could create many benefits for the district. “This would include new employment opportunities and is yet another example of the district’s appeal to commercial operators.
Sept – SIRRL host information sharing days at the Waimate event centre on the 22nd and 23rd September.
Sept – SIRRL’s resource consent application ‘consultation report’ states that SIRRL reps met with the Waimate Rotary group on September 23 for the purpose of providing a project overview and sharing information.
2022
March – Waimate protests Project Kea as SIRRL return to Waimate for information sharing sessions.
April 5 – WDC grant land subdivision of 20 hectares of Murphy Farming land into two parcels.
April – SIRRL announce they have purchased land at Glenavy for WtE plant, subject to OIO approval and granting of resource consent to build and operate WtE plant.
Sept – SIRRL lodges resource consent application with WDC and ECan to build and operate WtE plant at Glenavy.
Sept – Local elections candidates voice their opposition to Incineration plant.
Oct – Consents applications returned by WDC and ECan due to lack of fundamental information.
Oct – Doctors declare Project Kea a ‘Waste to Poisons plant’
Nov – SIRRL relodge resource consent 2 days before RMA reform takes effect, thus avoiding requirements for regulatory authorities to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions as part of SIRRL’s resource consent application.
Nov – SIRRL’s consents again returned for lack of site specific CIA.
2023
Jan – SIRRL appeal Waimate DC and ECan’s decision to return consent applications.
March 17 – Gallagher convicted of fraud, sentenced to twelve months home detention.
April 13 – SIRRL apply for OIO approval to acquire Glenavy land and significant business assets. 12 months after acquiring land sale agreement, and two years after registering SIRRL as a NZ business.
April – Commissioner Rob Enright upholds SIRRL’s objection to WDC and ECan’s decision to return consent application due to the lack of a site specific cultural impact assessment. Meaning the council’s must proceed with processing SIRRL’s consent applications.
May – Stratful pitch’s a Waste to Energy proposal to Kaipara District Council on behalf of SIRRL.
May 28 – Labour Finance minister Grant Robertson declares SIRRL’s Overseas Investment Office (OIO) land sale application of National interest, therefore sign off is required by the Finance Minister.
May 29 – LINZ Minister Damien O’Connor calls in OIO application. Meaning LINZ Minister will be required to sign off on SIRRL landsale and significant business assets application.
Jun – WDC and ECan request Ministerial call in of Project Kea resource consent.
Aug 31 – Minister for the Environment, David Parker calls in SIRRL’s resource consent application, and directs it to the Environment Court.
Sept – ECan and WDC request further information from SIRRL in relation to its resource consent applications to build and operate a WtE plant in Waimate.
Sept – Central government elections candidates including National’s Miles Anderson, say they don’t support SIRRL’s incineration plant
2024
Feb – Nicola Willis signs off SIRRL’s OIO application as not contrary to NZ’s national interests. Willis also scrubs LINZ recommendation that would ensure SIRRL only source waste fuel for the proposed incinerator from within the South Island, thus leaving the option open for the importation of waste.
March 18 – OIO approve SIRRL’s land sale and significant business assets application.
May 1 – SIRRL lodge Fast-Track application.
Jun 12 – SIRRL and REL director Paul Robert Taylor arrested while trying to drive from Christchurch to his farm south of Ashburton, a 100km distance, while intoxicated.
July 31 – Willis asked by Newsroom’s David William’s why did she veto the OIO condition that SIRRL only source waste fuel for the proposed W-t-E plant from within the South Island. Her response; “Having read the assessment report, I formed my own view which was that the Environment Court was better placed to assess any impacts through the resource management consent process.”
Sept – Manahau barge belonging to WMS Group, grounds on West Coast beach. WMS shareholder Hugh Leonard Grey is also a shareholder of Renew Energy Ltd.
Oct 6 – Govt release list of 149 projects shortlisted for fast-tracking, with Project Kea included on list.
Dec 16 – Govt release Fast-Track applications on Environment Ministry’s website.
Dec 17 – Fast Track Bill passed into law.