Peel Forest landfill

Peel Forest landfill remediation receives boost from new Government fund

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The historical Peel Forest landfill remediation has been boosted thanks to $6 million of government funding.

The money, which comes from the Ministry for the Environment’s Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund, will fund half of the $12 million work required to remove the contents of the closed landfill and transport it for safe storage at managed landfill sites.

We worked closely with Timaru District Council to prepare the application and will continue to support them as they manage and fund the rest of the remediation project.

Flooding exposes rubbish and debris

Timaru District Council is responsible for the site, which was used as a municipal landfill from 1962 to 2004 and received waste from the local and surrounding settlements.

In 2019, flooding of the Rangitata/Rakitata River eroded the riverbank by the closed landfill, resulting in the failure of the cliff face, exposing rubbish and debris.

Temporary mitigation works were carried out at the time, however, the dynamic nature of braided rivers meant that a long-term solution had to be in place to protect the environment.

Nationally significant area

The Rangitata River is identified as a Land of National Significance and a Site of Special Wildlife Significance.

The Lower Rangitata is one of the largest braided rivers in Canterbury and supports threatened species such as the wrybill/ngutu parore, black-fronted tern/tara piroe, Caspian tern/taranui, and black-billed gull/tarāpuka, as well as being an important habitat for indigenous fish species.

Further information about the landfill fund

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