FAQ

The word reclaim has various meanings, all related to the project. We are reclaiming our coastline, reclaiming our land, reclaiming our environment and reclaiming our future. Reclaim is also commonly used in the waste industry, the perfect partnership.

There are 3 coastal contaminated land sites that are in danger of slipping into the sea. Two fly tipping sites on Beach Rd near Awamoa Rd, and the Hampden Closed landfill. The waste from these sites can be received at the WDC Palmerston Landfill.

The Beach Road Landfills are two historical landfills which were never specifically opened or approved by Council for use as landfill. They are illegal dump sites, otherwise known as fly tipping. The Hampden Closed Landfill is a former Municipal Solid Waste Landfill that was in operation from 1970 until 1996. While we’d never open something like that again, we are wanting to right the wrongs of the past.

Palmerston Landfill consents expire in August 2027. It is not an option to renew these consents. Therefore, council has a finite time in which to take the waste to Palmerston. The nearest landfill that would receive the waste is the AB Lime landfill in Winton, Southland. WDC has been given approval from the Otago Regional Council to receive this waste at Palmerston Landfill.

Waitaki District Council activated a project team in October 2022 on the back of a briefing by Project Manager, Steve Clarke. Called Project Reclaim, this team has eight key members: Roger Cook (Heritage, Environment and Regulatory Group Manager), Steve Clarke (Solid Waste Manager and Project Manager), Andrew Bardsley (Regulatory Manager), John Palethorpe (Communications), Amelia Lines (Risk and Procurement Advisor), Lucianne White (Waste Minimisation Officer), Gareth Phillips (Senior Projects Engineer – Water Services) and Helen Ramsey from Morrison Low.

The request for proposal was released in January 2023. The following tenders briefing saw a total of 13 companies and 24 people in attendance over 2 days in February which included site visits. Council anticipates seeing some very high-quality bids come through.

The project team has also commenced early community engagement which has included meeting the residents of Falcon Street in Palmerston which is where the entry to Palmerston Landfill is located, residents of Stafford Street in Hampden, Te Rūnanga o Moeraki and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Pukerteraki.

The contracts have been awarded to Waste Management and Fulton Hogan.

Works have been completed on Falcon St Palmerston to place a sewer line to receive leachate from the planned fully lined cell. This will ensure any leachate from Project Reclaim materials is properly channeled and processed to protect the local environment, following best practice in this area. The existing unlined landfill cell will be capped, and the current leachate pond drained and filled, as part of the site works.

Waste Management will take possession of the Palmerston Landfill site on 1 November 2023, to begin the earthworks required to develop a new fully lined cell receive the remediated waste from the Beach Rd sites and Hampden closed landfill.

In June 2024, excavation at Hampden began and waste was transported to the fully lined landfill cell in Palmerston.

In August 2024, the work at Hampden was nearing completion and the focus turned to Beach Road.

The Project Reclaim Team are held four local Q&A sessions around the coastal landfill remediation in Waitaki. These sessions were held in Palmerston, Hampden, Kakanui, and Ōamaru in late March / early April 2023.

Feel free to contact us at any time during the project via projectreclaim@waitaki.govt.nz – your email will be sent directly to Project Manager Steve Clarke, Communications Specialist John Palethorpe and Regulatory Manager Andrew Bardsley