Bexley tip filling slows

Press, 7 September 1982, Page 6

Bexley tip filling slows

The Bexley tip should be able to take rubbish south of the Estuary Drain until August, 1984, at present dumping rates, the Christchurch City Council’s resource recovery committee was told yesterday. The council was still committed to restricting-further L dumping to that side of the drain, said Cr D. C. Close. Before delays in gaining planning approval for the Waimairi Beach metropolitan landfill site, the Labourdominated council had hoped to have the controversial Bexley tip closed next year. Dumping, south of the drain will at least keep rubbish away from residential areas. ’" Cr Close said that the former council had wanted to close the tip sooner than

1986, and it was “outrageous" of Cr M. J. Glubb to suggest that Labour’s stand on. a 1983 closing could be interpreted; as a dishonest, vote-getting promise that the party had known would not work. One reason that the Bexley dump can stay open longer . south of the drain is that less rubbish than expected is coming to the tip. More refuse could find its way to Bexley if the Waimairi District Council's Johns Road tip is closed because of the bird-strike problem it causes for Christchurch Airport. Half the western refuse station’s rubbish is taken to the city tip. That amount — 7200 cu m in the last year — is much less than the 30,000 cu m originally predicted from the station.

Waimairi and Heathcote County landfills are also lasting longer than expected. As

well, a heavier compactor now used at the city tip has made more room for rubbish there. - The Bexley Landfill Action Committee had asked the council to clarify speculation that dumping north of the drain might have to be reconsidered .if the tip could not be closed by the end of 1983. That question’ prompted a new report on the likely life of the tip if that dumping restriction were retained. Compost Mr Peter Brown, a Christchurch accountant and composting enthusiast, made another bid to have the council consider the benefits ’of

large-scale composting of mixed, unshredded rubbish at transfer stations. For some years, Mr Brown has been doing experiments at Canterbury tips, trying to convince local bodies that composting should be a regular part of rubbish disposal. He has suggested that a beach landfill site is not needed, since’ rubbish could be directed'to I.2ha areas of heaps or silos at metropolitan transfer stations, and much of the rubbish could be dealth with by composting it. He .said ’’ that the smell nuisance would be minimal. The smell of an efficient plant “would probably be less than that of a brewery.”

The'committee' will study Mr Brown’s request for an investigation of the compost; ing proposal.