A plan to truck oil and gas drilling waste from the East Coast to dumping sites in Taranaki is upsetting iwi who say it is culturally offensive.
Gisborne District Council has received a resource consent application from TAG Oil and Apache Corporation for an exploratory well and an associated proposal to transfer waste to two disposal farms in Taranaki.
Taranaki iwi advocate Peter Moeahu says the idea of receiving someone else's rubbish is appalling.
Oil and gas industry waste taken to disposal sites near Patea and Waitara has so far come from within Taranaki.
Mr Moeahu says it would be a backward step to take waste from outside the region, and the plan will be resisted.
Gisborne district councillor Manu Caddie says Maori on the East Coast also have environmental and cultural concerns.
