Council to decide on organics processing solutions

A milestone for Christchurch’s kerbside organics will occur next week when the Council decides on both the short and long-term processing solutions.

On Wednesday 6 December the Council will consider two reports – one on the future long term solution for processing kerbside organics and the other on the short-term option.

Read the meeting report on the short-term option.

The report, and subsequent discussion, on the long term processing solution will be closed to the public due to commercial sensitivity, but details of the decision will be released afterwards.

The report’s recommended short-term option involves two stages of organics processing.

The first stage would see kerbside organics being processed indoors at the Organics Processing Plant in Bromley. This involves mixing organics with garden waste, shredding the material, then moving the material into the composting tunnels. 

Partially composted material would then be loaded into trucks directly from the tunnels inside the processing hall and transported to Kate Valley Landfill. Once at Kate Valley Landfill, the second phase of processing would occur with material matured in outdoor rows, screened and then sold to the market. This process could be implemented by April 2024.

“This recommendation takes into consideration feedback from the community, the risk of offensive and objectionable odour affecting the local community, and the environmental, financial and other impacts used to assess the options as part of the consultation,” the report says.

The second stage of processing at Kate Valley Landfill couldn’t occur before April 2024 because Waste Management, who operate the site, require a change to their resource consent to allow for the additional daily truck movements to the site.

In the meantime, organics would continue to be processed at the Bromley plant. Work has been underway this month to clear existing material stored outside on-site. The material is being transported to Kate Valley to be used as landfill capping, with work expected to be completed by the end of December.

If the recommended option is approved, it is estimated to cost an additional $276,000 per year. This would be funded through existing budgets, where possible.

The Council meeting on Wednesday 6 December will be live streamed and available to watch online.