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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER2014
SITE REPORT
and largepartsof the eastern suburbs. Initial
assessmentsdetermined that, in theworst case
scenario, the city faced thedemolitionof some
1,100CBDbuildings, up to500 commercial
buildingsoutside theCBD, andperhaps 10,000
ormoredomesticdwellings.
BurwoodResourceRecoveryPark (BRRP)
was established tomanage the receipt and
resource recoveryprocessingofmixed
demolitionmaterial todeliver an immediate
and low risk solution thatwouldaddress the
enormous scaleof theproject. Theoperation
wasdevelopedbyChristchurch recycling
serviceproviderWasteManagementNZ,
working inpartnershipwithCCCandCERA.
TheBRRP isnowunder theownershipof
TranswasteCanterbury, a joint venturebetween
WasteManagement and fiveCanterbury
councils (Christchurch,Ashburton, Selwyn,
Waimakariri andHurunui), andownsKate
ValleyLandfill that takes allmunicipal solid
waste from the fiveCouncil areas.
Around4.25million tonnesof recyclable
demolitionmaterial is expected from the
demolitionof buildings.
MAKING THEMOST OFWASTE
TheBRRPoperation is aiming to recycle
50%of thedebrismaterial itwill receive
from the city’squake-damaged commercial
and residential buildings.CERA estimates
thedemolitionmaterial tobe removed from
Christchurchasbeing the equivalent of around
20yearsof normalmunicipal solidwaste.
Up toaquarterof thisdemolitionmaterial is
expected tobe taken toBurwood for recycling,
making it the largest recyclingundertakingof
its type inAustralasia.
Themixeddemolitionmaterial requires
majorprocessing so that it canbe separated
intouseful components. Followinghigh
initial volumes immediatelyafter the2011
earthquake, Burwoodhasbeen receiving
material at up toa rateof around300 tonnes
aday inan intensive resource recoveryphase
that is likely to last fiveyears. Investment
inplant and equipment suited to themixed
debrismaterial being receivedatBurwoodhas
resulted in themost sophisticatedmaterial
sortingprocess ever seen inAustralasia,
according toCERA.
TheBurwood sitehasbeen receivingmixed
demolitionmaterial since earlyMarch2011,
just amonthafter the secondearthquake. Every
truckloadarriving is visually inspected so that
its contents canbeassessedand confirmedas
acceptable. Thedriver isdirected to the correct
locationwithin the stockpile zone, depending
on the typeof load. Thisoccurs 12hours aday,
sixdaysperweek. Stockpilingof thematerial
isperformed carefully soas topreserve the
recoverypotential of thematerials.
The recyclingplant hasbeen constructed to
undertake the fine sortingofmaterial through
a combinationmechanisedandmanual state-
of-the-art processingplant.Magnets areused
to recover ferrousmetals and eddy current
drums areused to separatenon-ferrous
metals. Sorting line staff in turn remove fibre,
fittings, untreated timber, plastics, gib/plaster
board, andother reusablematerials. Residual
waste from the fine sortingprocess is sent to
a specially constructedhigh standard landfill
situated to thenorth-east of theold closed
Burwood landfill.
Situated just 8km from the city centre,
Burwoodand three smaller areas in the
surroundingBottleLakeForestwere identified
as thebest site for this temporaryprocessing
facilitybecause the sitedoesnot posea risk
to theaquifers that supply the city’sdrinking
water.Also, therearealreadymonitoring
measures inplace tominimiseadverseaffects
on the environment,while transport routes
toand from theold landfill sitearealready
established.Moreover, theoverall areaof the
BRRPwill only coverone-eighthofBottle
LakeForest, leavingmost of theparkopen
to recreational users.UnderCivilDefence
approvals,workonaccess roads and security
fencingwas completed to ensure the site could
be safelyoperated.
A further solution to copingwith the
enormousquantityof demolitionarisingswas
found inTeAwaparahiBay, east ofCashin
Quay inLytteltonHarbour,whereLyttelton
Port ofChristchurch (LPC)wished to expand
its facilities. Building landwardwas a restrictive
option, leaving seaward reclamation themost
attractivealternative.
TheGovernment approveda10-hectare
reclamationat thePort, giving the city
apracticalway todealwith someof the
estimated8.5million tonnesof rubbleand
othermaterials.
Themain building at the Queen
Elizabeth II Stadium in Christchurch
falls to a Komatsu high reach
The formerMillers
department store a
Christchurch landmark -
undergoes demolition
