The Waitaki District Council is moving to formalise the use of the Chelmer St site as a resource recovery and recycling centre for Oamaru.
The site, the former Oamaru Borough Council works depot, is occupied by the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust's resource recovery park, but the way it is being used and plans for the future have outgrown its resource consent.
Now the council is considering seeking a designation over the site of the corner of Chelmer and Cam Sts - and extending it so vacant land to the west can be used as a rubbish transfer station for Oamaru once the Oamaru landfill closes.
Future use includes involving the trust in sorting and managing material from a district-wide kerbside recycling service.
Tomorrow, the council's assets committee will consider whether to seek a designation under the Resource Management Act for the site.
Solid waste officer Gerry O'Neill, in a report to the committee, said the designation would cover what was happening on the site now, allow for the processing of kerbside recycling material and the future establishment of a central-hub transfer station when the Oamaru landfill was closed.
It would be more efficient to have the recycling operation and transfer station on the same site.
Processing of recycling material on the site would be considered a significant increase in the operation which would require either a new resource consent or the designation of the site for waste management activities.
A designation would be more flexible and would take about the same time as applying for a new consent.
Mr O'Neill said the former depot land was owned by the Crown and designated as a council depot.
The western block, which would become part of the transfer station, was owned by the council as public reserve, with an underlying zoning of rural residential.
The council would meet residents and property owners in the vicinity to find out their concerns.
Designation would also involve advertising the proposals, calling for submissions, hearing them, then a decision.
The cost of the designation process could be as much as $50,000.
