44 | Nelson City Council: Class 3 Landfill REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Karen Phelps Improved landfill a community asset The work included the construction of a new box culvert bridge to provide reliable all-weather access as well as the installation of a new weighbridge. “Our new resource consent gives us around 30 years of capacity, which is a really good outcome for the community.” A major redevelopment project at the Eves Valley landfill is helping to secure long-term waste capacity for the Nelson Tasman region while also reducing disposal costs for developers and contractors. The Class 3 landfill project, overseen by the Nelson Tasman Regional Landfill Business Unit (NTRLBU), has involved extensive upgrades to the Eves Valley site, including improved access, stormwater management, and the creation of a dedicated disposal area for contaminated inorganic material, such as soil, asphalt and aggregates. The NTRLBU is a joint committee formed by Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council to oversee regional landfill operations after the two councils agreed to combine landfill assets in 2017. General manager of regional services, Nathan Clarke, says the project was driven by the need to ease pressure on the York Valley landfill after waste from Tasman started being redirected there following the mothballing of Eves Valley. “York Valley’s resource consent expires in 2034, so we needed to look at ways to extend the life of that landfill, as well as providing a sustainable long-term solution for Class 3 material,” he says. Around 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes of Class 3 material had been entering the landfill system annually, and Nathan says diverting that waste stream to Eves Valley made sense operationally and environmentally. “Our new resource consent gives us around 30 years of capacity, which is a really good outcome for the community,” he says. The redevelopment has been carried out in several stages. Stage 1, which was completed during 2023 and 2024, involved rebuilding the main access road to the Eves Valley landfill. Previously, access relied on crossing a ford, which could become impassable during heavy rain events. The work included construction of a new box culvert bridge to provide reliable all-weather access as well as installation of a new weighbridge. The work was undertaken by Fulton Hogan, while ATEC completed the weighbridge component. Nathan says the resilience of the new infrastructure was tested during the 2025 Tasman floods. “Some people questioned whether we had overdesigned the box culvert, but during the flood event the entire capacity was utilised and it performed perfectly,” Nathan says, “That proved the sizing was correct and showed the value of investing in resilient infrastructure.” Stage 2 of the project, completed in late 2025, focused on environmental improvements across the landfill site. This included reconfiguring stormwater controls, re-contouring sections of the landfill to better direct runoff into stormwater ponds, and upgrading leachate management systems. A new leachate pump building, replacement pumps and pipework, and a landfill gas engine were also installed as part of the work. Stage 3 is now underway following approval earlier this year for additional landfill capacity. The current works involve developing a dedicated acceptance area for Class 3 waste and constructing final access roads within the site. The work is being carried out by Mike Edridge Contracting, which has operated as the landfill’s maintenance and operations contractor since July 2024. Nathan says one of the project’s most important outcomes has been reducing disposal costs for contaminated material. “At one point, landfill fees were around $250 per tonne, which meant people were stockpiling material instead of disposing of it properly,” he says. “By reducing the fee to around $95 per tonne, it has become much more affordable for developers to complete projects and dispose of material responsibly.” He says that reduction will support growth and affordability across the region. “We worked with a range of contractors, and they did a great job, and we hope this project will look after our environment and the needs of our community.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=