Earthquake legislation being misused, say residents

12:48 pm on 15 September 2011

There were angry scenes at a meeting in Christchurch on Wednesday as residents tried to stop a dump for earthquake debris being built in their suburb.

Papanui residents say they were horrifed to learn that a dump in a large section of open land may get the go ahead without any public consultation, using special powers brought in under the Canterbury Earthquake Act.

Ceres Environmental plans to store demolition material from the central city until it is sorted and either taken to the landfill or reused.

Tempers were frayed at the meeting, as a group of about a dozen banner-waving residents presented their case to the local community board and the people behind the proposal.

Papanui resident David Richardson says he has serious concerns about his children's safety if his neighbourhood gets the planned 300 trucks a day coming in and out of the site.

Another local, David Moorhouse, says residents feel the company is taking advantage of the situation to make a fast buck. Mr Moorhouse says the location and type of soil make Papanui an unsuitable site.

However Ceres Environmental says its plan will help speed up the rebuild of central Christchurch.

Project manager Mark Frame says the city's main dump site at Burwood landfill is at bursting point, and his company could process the material more quickly and sustainably at Papanui.

"The faster we can clear the sites and get the CBD cleared, allowing new builds, the faster the city can recover."

Christchurch City Council is to decide whether the project can be considered by a Commissioner under the legislation, or whether it needs to go out for a resource consent.