Entry received from: Horowhenua District Council
Category: The Department of Internal Affairs Award for Excellence in Community Engagement
By engaging with purpose in new ways, leaning into difficult conversations and owning past mistakes while being clear about the facts, critics became supporters on an issue which had previously divided our community and Council.
The future of the Levin Landfill has been a complex and challenging matter for Horowhenua as we considered the economic, cultural and environmental impacts of closing the facility or keeping it open.
There was a lot of hurt around the issue and negative sentiment directed at Council because of the way the matter had been dealt with in the past.
People who were once angry and critical of Council become celebratory after we bridged the gap between both sides of the Levin Landfill debate.
An April 2021 we had a 50:50 split at the Council table with strong opposing views.
Two years later, on Wednesday 31 May 2023 a historical and unanimous decision was made by Council to close the Levin Landfill permanently.
How did we do this? By encouraging and hosting open, honest and vulnerable conversations with all members of our community in places and spaces comfortable to them.
Thank you to our category sponsor