Work to protect Bluff’s Ocean Beach begins

Work to contain the contaminated contents of an historic landfill is underway at Bluff’s Ocean Beach, the New Zealand’s Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai said.

The beach has been off limits to public since 2018 when contaminants including asbestos were found on the beach.

An asbestos removal company has since cleared about 1.2 tonnes of contaminated material from the beach.

DOC Operations Manager Murihiku, John McCarroll, said that the risk of public exposure is considered extremely low, but ongoing public and environmental risk is not acceptable, and further erosion will deteriorate the landfill – so there is a need to act.

This next phase is to prevent any future contamination of the site and allow public access to be restored.

“DOC and Invercargill City Council (ICC) are collaborating to install a rock seawall between the landfill and the beach,” said McCarroll.

“First, waste will be excavated and sorted, reclaimable clean material will be used within the site and the rest will be removed for disposal at an authorized class A landfill. Up to 6,500 ton of rocks will then be used to build a 90 m long wall to prevent future erosion and secure this significant heritage site for the Bluff area.”

The coastal protection wall and landfill removal cost is around $3.5m and is being funded by DOC, ICC and Ministry for the Environment (MfE).

The work is being carried out under guidance of the Ocean Beach Landfill Working Party which includes representatives from Environment Southland and Te Ao Mārama inc who represent Murihiku tangata whenua for resource management purposes.