Project Reclaim takes another step towards protecting the Waitaki coastline this week, as the liner is laid at the former Palmerston landfill.

The project aims to remove material from the former Hampden landfill site, as well as older tip 
sites along Beach Road.

The construction of a lined cell to receive the waste has been ongoing at the former Palmerston landfill for the past several months, and the cell is now shaped and compacted.

The cell will be connected to the wastewater network allowing a safe and environmentally sustainable way for runoff to be removed.

Once the cell is ready to receive material, work will begin at sites along the coastline.

In the past, coastal sites have been used as municipal landfill or unofficial tip sites.

Coastal erosion in the Waitaki District has begun to encroach and place these sites at risk, with the potential for an environmental disaster if decades of waste material is released into the Pacific Ocean.

Waitaki District Council’s Project Reclaim aims to prevent this, while also ensuring that the waste material is stored in a safe and environmentally responsible way.