Bexley filling poses delay

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 1

Bexley filling poses delay

It could take 12 to 15 years to bring future recreation land at Bexley up to required drainage and development levels at present filling rates, the Christchurch City Council’s works and traffic committee was told yesterday. Councillors said that a special study should be done to determine possible ways of staging the work on former tip land north of the Estuary Drain. In 1981, the council agreed to keep further general refuse away from that land. Filling of the land will be done with demolition material.

A recreation plan has shown how the 50ha area might be developed, but about 820,000 cu m of fill will be required before the work can be done. Of that, 170,000 cu m would be topsoil.

The cost of buying the topsoil at today’s prices would be more than $2.5 million. If all available demolition and general excavation material in the Christchurch city area were taken only to the former tip at the present rate of supply for such material, filling would take more than 12 years, said a report from the streetworks engineer, Mr B. H. Scott.