End of an EQ era

It’s the end of an earthquake era; the site that was used to sort through the material from buildings that were damaged or demolished after the earthquakes is being transformed into a recreation area.

Final landscaping plans are being drawn up so that the Burwood Resource Recovery Park can be incorporated into neighbouring Bottle Lake Forest Park by early 2022.

The Burwood Resource Recovery Park was established after the earthquakes to sort through the vast volumes of construction and demolition waste from across Christchurch.

As much of the waste as possible has been recycled but that which could not be re-used remains on the site.

Material from sites where there was a loss of life in the 22 February 2011 earthquakes is also stored at the park but kept separately.

Christchurch City Council plans to engage with quake victims’ families later this year on how the sensitive material will be dealt with long-term.

In the meantime, the majority of the Burwood Resource Recovery Park is being readied for its transition to a recreation site and about 35,000 native plants have already been planted in the area.

“When the landscaping work is completed we will have an additional recreation area that will include walking tracks, mountain bike tracks and areas for bird watching,” Council Solid Waste Manager Ross Trotter says.

“It will offer some great scenic views of the Kaikoura Ranges and the Canterbury foothills, so it will be a good addition to the Bottle Lake Forest Park.”