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A $6.4 million construction and demolition materials recycling plant is coming to Cambridge.
The project, co-funded by the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund ($2.57m) and Waikato-based company ResourceCo Ltd ($3.85m) will process up to 187,200 tonnes of waste annually and create up to 19 local jobs by 2026.
According to ResourceCo, the project will be New Zealand’s first dedicated construction and demolition plant.
ResourceCo director Henry Fullerton-Smith said the facility would provide a sustainable alternative for construction companies, developers, and homeowners across Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.
“Physically, the facility will be approximately 75 metres long by 16 metres wide.
“In terms of throughput, the plant is designed to process up to 187,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste annually, the equivalent of around 6800 truckloads per year.”
Waikato-based ResourceCohas been awarded $2.57 million from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund for a dedicated construction and demolition recycling plant.
Fullerton-Smith said the project would create 14 full-time jobs, growing to 19 roles by 2026.
“It also includes partnerships to support youth education and career pathways, such as Smart Waikato Trust’s Secondary School Employer Partnerships programme.”
Smart Waikato relationships manager Sally Birch said ResourceCo was one of hundreds of businesses it partnered with.
“It’s exciting that New Zealand’s first [dedicated] construction and demo recycling plant will be on our back doorstep and we’re looking forward to the opportunities it will bring to the local community.”
Birch said the partnership could give students a sense of the sustainable careers available in the region.
The council’s district growth and regulatory group manager, Wayne Allan, said property at 3831 Cambridge Rd is being developed as a building material recycling plant and has a resource consent to operate as such.
Allan said the council has not contributed financially to the project.
When asked what the plant’s construction could mean for the district, Allan said the council was not in a position to comment because it was the “regulatory authority”.
A Waipā District Council spokesperson said the construction site was rural-zoned land.
“We are aware of complaints particularly regarding noise and vibration during the preparatory work.
”We have been working closely with the consent holder and several of the surrounding residents to resolve these concerns."
Group manager of district growth and regulatory services, Wayne Allan. Photo/Supplied
According to consent documents, the plant will operate from 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 7am to noon on Saturdays.
The resource consent included conditions regarding noise management, dust and odour management and an emergency response plan for hazardous substances.
The resource consent documents said the council could, within 12 months, review how the plant was mitigating any adverse effects regarding traffic, noise, dust, odour, hazardous substances and stormwater.
Waikato Regional Council resource use director Brent Sinclair said the project was granted regional council consent in September 2024.
“The feedback from the industry is that there is a lack of facilities to help support resource recovery. This facility will help to address that.”
Sinclair said construction and demolition accounted for 17% of Waikato and Bay of Plenty landfill waste.
Fullerton-Smith said the site entrance and exit had been upgraded to ensure safe access to the existing roading network and to accommodate the weight and volume of heavy vehicles.
“Engagement with local iwi, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, has also been positive, with two hui held on-site to date.
“ResourceCo is working towards a memorandum of understanding that reflects shared values around environmental care, skills training and youth development, alongside progressing a cultural impact assessment.”
Construction and Demolition Resource Recovery Plant in numbers
- 2900 tonnes of metals sold to scrap metal dealers
- 2600 tonnes of plastics reused by local recycling partners
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
