The $12million landfill remediation project to remove waste from the closed landfill and protect the Rangitata River began in early May.
Timaru District Council group manager of infrastructure, Andrew Dixon, said great progress had been made, with about 10,077 tonnes of waste removed so far and relocated to the council’s Redruth landfill.
About 45,000 tonnes of waste in total will be moved to Redruth, and the project is expected to be completed by early March of next year.
The project is 50% funded by Ministry for the Environment’s contaminated site and vulnerable landfills fund. Rooney Earthmoving is carrying out the work and has removed the equivalent of 342 truck and trailer loads of waste.
The Peel Forest landfill was in use from 1962 to 2004.
Flooding from the adjacent Rangitata River in 2019 resulted in a corner of the landfill being exposed and waste falling into the river.
Mr Dixon said the project was important to ensure the Rangitata River was protected from contamination, with a high risk of the river breaching the closed landfill.
The river has been identified as land of national significance and a site of special wildlife significance.
The council had also partnered with local iwi due to the importance of the Rangitata River to them, as the river was a critical travel route for Ngāi Tahu, connecting them to the West Coast, and was an important source of kai.
"Once the site has been cleared, we will do minor landscaping and let the land return to a natural state," Mr Dixon said.
— APL
