Christchurch inhabitants shocked at proposed location of demolition debris dump.
A planned earthquake demolition waste dump in residential Papanui has shocked residents, who say they have not been consulted about the site.
International disaster response company Ceres Environmental has applied for a three-year lease to operate a temporary contractors depot and waste transfer station on a piece of land in Cranford St.
The company said the facility would “significantly shorten haulage times” for demolition companies and could reduce the time and cost of some demolition projects.
The site would be used to store vehicles, machinery and debris, and would collect and store demolition material until it could be taken away to another landfill.
It said there were “no immediate neighbours” to the site, while noise impacts would be minimised by the large site.
Residents’ spokesman David Moorhouse said residents became aware of the proposal only after receiving a tipoff from someone who had seen the application.
“Most people don’t know about it, and when they do hear about the details, they’re shocked.”
The site was close to a school and residential properties, and residents were concerned about the environmental impact of the site, Moorhouse said.
“There could be water pollution, land and air pollution issues: we don’t even know if asbestos will be going through there.”
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