The Ministry of Works, with assistance from Australian consultants Coffey MPW, has completed the design for a new landfill at Tapuhia, ready for submission to the Governments of Tonga and Australia

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The landfill is part of a Solid Waste Management Project funded by Australia (through AUsAID) and Tonga. The Project aims to improve the health and environment for all people on Tongatapu. The new Tapuhia landfill will be a modern waste facility similar to others in Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Australian Project Manager John Gildea said it would be very different to the old-fashioned style dump at Popua.

"Dumping and handling of rubbish will be carefully managed by staff employed at the landfill. At any one time, only a small ...‘face...’ of the landfill will be worked. As waste is dumped, a compacting machine will crush the waste down. At the end of each day, the compacted waste is covered with soil to stop it from blowing around, to stop bad smells, and to prevent pests and fires," he said.

The landfill has been designed to protect the groundwater underneath. The floor and walls of the landfill will be covered with layers of clay, limestone, a special synthetic liner, and a drainage collection system before any rubbish is put in. These protective layers prevent groundwater pollution. A system of drains and pumps will take away any waste water for treatment. Groundwater monitoring bores are also being drilled around the boundary of the landfill, so the Department of Environment can regularly check the quality of the groundwater.

The Tapuhia quarry site was selected out of a list of 12 possible sites because it is a large Government owned site which can take waste for the next 25 years, or longer if the community reduces and recycles waste. Tapuhia is away from where people live, but is centrally located in Tongatapu and easy to access for rubbish collection trucks and the public. An Environmental Impact Study for the Tapuhia site was approved by the Government of Tonga in October 2002.

Although the public will still be able to bring rubbish to the landfill, for safety reasons access will be limited to public drop-off areas. To make sure the landfill lasts for a long time and does not fill up too quickly, some types of waste will not be accepted. Such wastes include: garden waste, car bodies, paint, petrol, diesel and oil, and large household items like refrigerators and freezers. Special collections will be arranged for these items and the community advised when pick up will occur. Recycling will be encouraged and areas set aside for collection of glass and cans. Garden waste will be handled separately with the community being encouraged to shred green waste and make mulch and compost.

Rubbish collection for all villages in Tongatapu is also planned. Together with the community and town and district officers, the Project is looking at options for rubbish collection to find out what the preferred method is and what people can afford to pay. Mr Gildea said that it is important that everyone on Tongatapu pays for rubbish collection so that the cost can be kept as low as possible. ...“Everyone produces waste, so everyone has a responsibility to dispose of it properly, and in Tonga a landfill is the safest place for rubbish that cannot be recycled...”, he said. As well as regular general waste collection, free special waste collections will be held twice a year.

Construction and lining of the landfill will commence later in 2004 and be completed towards the end of 2005. A contractor has already been appointed to build a fence around the site to prevent the unauthorized access by people or stray animals. After the Tapuhia landfill is open, the old Popua (Tukutonga) dump will be closed and the land rehabilitated with the support of the New Zealand Government.