Demolition dump site transformed into recreational space for the public

A Christchurch site once used to sort through the material from buildings damaged or demolished after the earthquakes now has a new use lease of life.

A new recreation area for the public to enjoy will open at the old Burwood Resource Recovery Park site on Monday.

“When you look at the Burwood Resource Recovery Park site now it is hard to believe that not that many years ago it was full of construction and demolition waste from across the city,” Christchurch City Council resource recovery manager Ross Trotter said.

“The remedial work and landscaping that has been done over the past couple of years has completely transformed the site and it is now ready to be incorporated into Bottle Lake Forest Park.”

READ MORE:
* Rubble from buildings where people died in 2011 quake will ‘not be reused in any way’
* Christchurch’s rubble mountain: the end of an earthquake-demolition dump
* Christchurch’s earthquake rubble dump extended for another three years

The recovery park was established after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes as the city needed somewhere to sort through the vast volumes of construction and demolition waste.

As much waste was recycled as possible, but some could not be reused and remained on site. It had been compacted, covered in soil and planted over to create a park-like environment with walking and mountainbike tracks and areas for birdwatching.

More than 100,000 native plants had been added.

“The plants are obviously quite young at the moment but as they get more established this area will blend more seamlessly into the Bottle Lake Forest Park,” Trotter said.

“I really encourage people to come and explore this new recreational area.”