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Across Aotearoa, more than 460 closed dump sites remain scattered across the landscape, many built before modern environmental safeguards were in place. In Coastal Waitaki, South Island, two illegal dump sites and the Hampden Closed Landfill were at risk of slipping into the sea, posing a significant environmental threat. Thanks to the efforts of WM New Zealand, these sites have now been successfully remediated, ensuring long-term environmental protection.
In 2022, the Waitaki District Council launched Project Reclaim, a major remediation initiative in partnership with WM New Zealand and Fulton Hogan. Together, they tackled the enormous task of addressing these high-risk sites, which collectively contained approximately 32,000 tonnes of waste requiring safe removal and disposal.
The project’s success was underpinned by a carefully planned remediation strategy, including the construction of a fully lined disposal cell at Palmerston Landfill. This state-of-the-art facility incorporates modern leachate collection systems and environmental monitoring, ensuring compliance with Class 1 landfill standards.
Throughout the remediation process, the project team took extensive measures to mitigate environmental impact. This included the careful capture and relocation of the resident protected tussock skink population from the site. Early consultation with nearby residents was also a key priority to maintain transparency and community goodwill.
The waste removal programme was a highly coordinated operation, with truck movements scheduled every 15 minutes during working hours to ensure efficiency. A waste sorting system was also implemented to recover recyclable materials, reducing the volume of waste requiring disposal.
With the intermediate cap of the site now complete and the final cap scheduled for this year, Dunedin-based Senior Project Manager Richard Hyndman reflects on the project's success. “The WM team has received great feedback throughout, particularly regarding professionalism and safety, and we have a very happy customer in the Waitaki District Council.”
A time-lapse video captured over several months showcases the excavation, site levelling, and installation of the landfill’s advanced lining systems. This footage highlights the scale and precision of the work undertaken to transform these high-risk sites into a secure, environmentally sound solution.
Congratulations to the entire team for their dedication and expertise in delivering this essential remediation project.
Special thanks to Richard Hyndman for compiling and sharing the time-lapse video.
The Waitaki District Council Annual Plan identified landfill and dumping issues as a key issue
Community engagement begins and the RFP is advised
Professional services design Beach Road, Hampden, and Palmerston
Palmerston landfill closed to the public and the site works begin – shown in the video – to create a cell to receive remediated material from Beach Rd and Hampden sites
Hampden Closed Landfill site removed and remediated
Beach Road sites removed and remediated
Project Reclaim completed with the successful remediation of all three sites
