The Burwood Resource Recovery Park was established following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-2011 to manage the receipt and resource processing of mixed materials from the demolition of commercial and residential buildings.
In recognition of the critical and urgent need for the facilities, statutory powers under the CER Act were exercised to ensure that the operations would be legally authorised.
The recovery has generated higher-than-expected waste volumes, and the reduced capacity of the current cell at Burwood Resource Recovery Park means additional waste areas to dispose of residual earthquake waste are required. In addition to the higher waste volumes the reduced capacity is due to the lower than expected recovery of reusable material and the closure of a waste area due to a fire in 2015.
It is not environmentally or economically viable for the waste to be taken offsite to Kate Valley. It would decrease the life of Kate Valley and increase number of truck journeys to and from Kate Valley.
The recovery park and landfill operations are currently projected to continue until December 2021.
Resource consents permitting Burwood Resource Recovery Park to continue existing activities beyond September 2017 and to extend the existing landfill area have recently been approved. The extension will provide capacity for 12 months of permanent disposal. Consultation on the resource consent applications with the community indicated a strong opposition to a new waste cell at Site G, and a preference for the use of Site B (due to proximity to residential areas and potential impacts on recreational access in the area) – see plan below.
Storage and processing of waste material currently occurs at Site B.
Despite the community's clear preference for Site B, Burwood Resource Recovery Park Ltd and Christchurch City Council could not seek resource consent for permanent disposal of earthquake waste at Site B as it was currently prohibited under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan.
The ongoing operation of Burwood Landfill is critical to enable disposal of earthquake waste and therefore the resource consent applications lodged in December for the (current) Site A extension and Site G continued to be processed and were granted.However, Burwood Resource Recovery Park Ltd, Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury recognised the need for communities to recover following the earthquakes and ensure that community wellbeing is also restored.
Alternative statutory processes which would have enabled amendments to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and proposed Canterbury Regional Air Plan were lengthy.
Therefore, Environment Canterbury approached the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery to request that the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and proposed Canterbury Regional Air Plan be amended through the powers contained in Section 27 of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act to allow for further disposal of earthquake waste at Site B.
Environment Canterbury worked with Burwood Resource Recovery Park Ltd and Christchurch City Council to draft the amendments.
Burwood Resource Recovery Park Ltd has agreed that Site G will not be not be used if Site B can be used for the permanent disposal of earthquake waste.
The Minister agreed and the additional area for the disposal of earthquake waste at Burwood Resource Recovery Park has been publicly notified in The Press (9 April 2016).
Notwithstanding the Section 27 public notification, a resource consent will be required. A successful resource application would contain monitoring and compliance conditions.
The public notice#
Publication: The Press
Date published: 9 April 2016
Public notice: Amendments to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and the proposed Canterbury Air Regional Plan in relation to Burwood Landfill
Pursuant to section 27(1)(a) of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011, the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery gives the following notice:
The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan is amended from the publication of this notice on 9 April 2016 by:
- Amending Policy 9.4.7
- Deleting Rule 9.5.13 and replacing it with a new Rule 9.5.13
- Deleting Rule 9.5.14 and replacing it with a new Rule 9.5.14
- Deleting Map 9.2 and replacing it with a new Map 9.2
These amendments apply within the Specific Purpose (Burwood Resource Recovery Park and Burwood Landfill) Zone shown on Map 9.2 and:
- Expand the Burwood Landfill Special Purpose Site to include the Recovery Park site to the north to enable its use for the permanent disposal of earthquake related residual demolition waste, liquefaction silt or infrastructure waste as a controlled activity.
- Provide for excavation, site remediation, stormwater discharges and other consequential discharges of contaminants onto or into land in circumstances where contaminants may enter water as a controlled activity.
The proposed Canterbury Air Regional Plan is amended from the publication of this notice on 9 April 2016 by:
- Inserting a new controlled activity Rule 7.58A
- Inserting a new Map 14.1 – Burwood Landfill Special Purpose Site.
These amendments apply within the Burwood Landfill Special Purpose Site shown on Map 14.1 and provide for the discharge of contaminants to air from the handling and disposal of earthquake waste, liquefaction silt or infrastructure waste, and earthworks associated with landfill construction and rehabilitation, as a controlled activity.
The full text of the amendments can be viewed on the Environment Canterbury website (www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp and www.ecan.govt.nz/airplan).
HON GERRY BROWNLEE
Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Authority