Private Hokitika dump site used for asbestos

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

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.

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