AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

3 March 2006

New era in reuse and recycling for Auckland city signalled with resource recovery park

Auckland is a step further towards using waste as a resource and meeting the council's aim for zero waste to landfill with the identification of a possible site for a resource recovery park in Onehunga.

"Each year Auckland city residents and businesses send 380,000 tonnes of waste to landfill. So much of this can be salvaged if we help people to do this - and the development of a resource recovery park is the best way to provide the necessary facilities to make that happen," says Councillor Neil Abel, chairperson of Auckland City's Works and Services Committee.

The proposed resource recovery park could be built at a 10.3ha site off Galway Street in Onehunga. The site is currently owned by Auckland City and zoned as business 6, which makes it suitable for resource recovery activities.

Councillor Abel says that resource recovery parks are essentially 'one stop shops' that provide a range of services - such as facilities to dismantle, repair and re-sell reusable items - that help the city reduce waste to landfill and utilise waste as a resource.

He says that the development of a resource recovery park on the isthmus will provide a myriad of benefits for Auckland over and above the reduction of waste to landfill.

"The great thing about resource recovery parks is that they also encourage opportunities such as research and development, job creation and education."

Councillor Abel says that the project will build upon other innovative Auckland City initiatives to reduce waste to landfill including the current project to redevelop Waiheke Island's waste transfer station as a resource recovery park.

He says that the Waiheke Island project has gone through very fruitful public consultation with building work likely to start in the middle of the year.

The committee has asked council officers to report back on options for the Onehunga site.

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