Private Hokitika dump site used for asbestos
From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:
A site just north of Hokitika is being used to dispose of demolition material, including asbestos, from a fire damaged former Greymouth school, the West Coast Regional Council has confirmed.
The old Greymouth Intermediate School has been struck by two fires, the latest in June, with a 1960s brick classroom block and 1970s-era fibro-lite clad buildings either gutted or very badly damaged.
Hokitika contractor Henry Adams started demolition on Tuesday for the owners, Mawhera Incorporation.
After the regional council became aware demolition had started it visited the school site, given the risk of hazardous material and how it might be disposed of, council consents and compliance manager Colin Helem said.
The contractor had confirmed demolition material was being carted to their authorised disposal site near Hokitika.
"The site is authorised to receive material that may be contaminated with waste containing asbestos," Helem said.
Henry Adams had held a consent since 2017 to dispose of approved demolition material at a Keoghans Rd site, near Hau Hau Creek and just north of Hokitika.
The site had previously been mined by the contractor.
Helem said a council compliance officer visited that site and established the operation to dispose of demolition material there was compliant with the consent.
"It has been inspected and there is no issue there."
Helem noted the demolition was likely to be complex due to the fire damage masking the type of material in the structure, including the presence of asbestos.
It meant the contractor would wet down material as it was being removed, he said.
The former school site has appeared increasingly neglected since Greymouth High School sold its Karoro Learning Centre about 2015 to private provider Frontline.
Frontline closed and vacated the site in July 2017 and tenure of the old school then reverted to Mawhera as the landowner.
* Public interest journalism is funded by NZ on Air
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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