Work is under way on the new Area B site, which will take rubbish for the next 30 years for Hastings and Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland
Work is under way on the new Area B site, which will take rubbish for the next 30 years for Hastings and Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland
A large extension project at Hawke’s Bay’s biggest landfill has been brought forward about six months, following an influx of waste being delivered to the tip in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Ōmarunui Landfill is located about 5km outside of Taradale and receives rubbish from both Napier and Hastings districts.
After Cyclone Gabrielle hit the region in February the tip was inundated with flood-related waste, as work got under way to clean up the region.
Roughly 113,000 tonnes of waste was dumped in the 12 months to June 30, about 21,000 tonnes more than the year prior (or an increase of almost 20 per cent).
Development work under way at Ōmarunui Landfill. Photo / Warren Buckland
The main site where waste is dumped at the landfill is known as Area D, but that site is nearly full and has been in operation since 2006.
Work is under way on a new dumping site - Area B - which will take rubbish for the next 30 years. It is located in a neighbouring valley within the wider 179ha Ōmarunui Landfill property and is a vital project for the landfill’s future.
Hastings District Council waste and data services manager Martin Jarvis confirmed the council was now working toward an earlier opening date for that new site, following the impact of the cyclone.
“We are aiming to open stage 1 of Area B to take refuse between April and June 2025 – six months earlier than planned,” Jarvis said.
“This is very much weather dependent due to the nature of the construction work involved.”
The layout of the landfill, including the proposed expansion site Area B.
He said a recent survey suggested the existing Area D would be full by mid-2026.
“It is important that Area B is constructed by mid-2025 so we can create a 12-month overlap with Area D still operating and able to take waste.
“This is to ensure we always have enough capacity to handle the variabilities in waste generation and unforeseen events such as Gabrielle.”
Meanwhile, to help take pressure off the existing Area D, a formerly closed portion of the landfill (Area A) has been reopened and “has mainly received shredded flood waste as it compacts well and takes up less space”.
That area will continue to be used for another four or five months.
The 179-hectare Ōmarunui Landfill is located about 5 kilometres west of Taradale.
The valley being developed (Area B) is on the eastern side of Ōmarunui Landfill (the Taradale side) and still needs to undergo significant development.
That includes installing a special lining to stop leachate (contaminated liquid) escaping, and also installing technology to turn methane into electricity.
The project will also feature a new education building which will be used by the likes of local schools.
About $20 million has been budgeted from 2022 to 2030 for the large project. Ōmarunui Landfill is jointly owned by Hastings and Napier councils.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
