Operations at the Burwood Landfill will continue until 2026 after Environment Canterbury (ECan) granted a two-year extension. The new resource consent now expires on 30 June 2026, extending the previous expiration date from 30 June 2024.

Resource Recovery Manager Dr. Alec McNeil explained that Site C, originally expected to close in 2024, still has capacity due to lower-than-expected soil volumes delivered. “We had anticipated we’d need to close Site C by 2024 when it was expected to have reached capacity, but soil volumes delivered to the site have been lower than predicted, so there’s enough room for another two years of operation,” said Dr. McNeil.

Dr. McNeil emphasized that there are currently no other soil disposal sites in the Christchurch area to fill the gap if Burwood Landfill closes. “Continuing operations here means we don’t need to travel outside of Christchurch to other disposal sites, which cuts costly transport distances and provides time for the industry to open new landfill sites.”

Established by Transwaste Canterbury to process earthquake waste from the city’s demolished buildings, Burwood Resource Recovery Park has been progressively closing since 2019, with only the 9.62ha Site C remaining open. The small section of the landfill is used to dispose of soils containing low levels of contaminants, with no hazardous material accepted.

“Continuing at Site C until it reaches capacity is the best and most economical option,” Dr. McNeil said. He assured local residents that apart from the change to the resource consent, all operations would remain the same without new excavations or an increase in size. “We’re adding material to the existing site area.”

The Council has stated it will not seek a further extension once the consent expires in June 2026. Upon closure, the site will be incorporated into the neighbouring Bottle Lake Forest Park.