Hutt City Council will make essential repairs to a small area at the closed Wainuiomata landfill on Coast Rd by topping it with excess soil from another council project.

The job is needed because a dip in the surface at the old landfill has formed. Fixing it now will prevent rainwater pooling and soaking into the old waste which can create poisonous water called leachate. The long-term costs addressing that can be significant.

By reusing surplus soil Council will save an estimated $30,000 to $50,000. It also cuts fuel use and emissions because the soil does not need to be hauled further afield.

The work will be carried out on the Stage 3 section of the landfill (see attached map) which was operational from 1979 till 2012.

Council's Environment & Sustainability Director Alison Geddes says the work is needed to protect the landfill.

“Using this excess soil to repair the old landfill cap makes sense on every level. It keeps the site safe, protects the environment from increased leachate, and saves money we would otherwise spend trucking soil long distances.

“We’re taking the opportunity to do essential maintenance in a smart, efficient way that supports our long-term responsibilities to the community.”

The soil will be moved to the landfill from 24 November. The work will take about three months to complete.

Truck movements will avoid school drop off and pick up times and most days will see around five trips. On occasions there may be more, depending on material availability.

Engineers will monitor the site throughout the work.

The closed landfill sits well back from homes in a bush-clad valley, so noise and dust will be contained on site.

Once finished, the area will be greener, safer, and better protected against weather, helping Council meet its long-term environmental obligations.

This work is completely separate from the private cleanfill application currently under consideration on Coast Rd. The old landfill sits well away from that site and the two projects are unrelated.

Here is a memo (https://hccpublicdocs.azurewebsites.net/api/download/587890ba7b2542ef8532867346c3a343/_extcomms/953cf9611141316a344599f46341977fdca97) from Tonkin & Taylor with more information.

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