KEY POINTS:
What's going on at the old Meremere power station site? It's all been tidied up, and all the old boilers seem to have gone, but I can't see any signage to tell us who's taken it over or what it will be used for.
Sarah Hazelton, Pukekohe.
The lease at the Meremere site has been taken over by Nikau Contractors and will be used as a demolition material recycling plant, the first of its kind in the country.
The material to be recycled comes from other Nikau jobs around the country, to ease pressure on landfills. It's seen as an environmentally-friendly disposal option for companies and is part of the Government's zero waste plan.
Material to be recycled includes steel, wood, concrete, bricks, old carpet and glass, as well as material not able to be dealt with at council refuse transfer stations, or rubbish tips as we used to call them.
Nikau plans to start operations this year, as time and money allow. The building has been repaired and rebuilt where required, and the gardens are to be laid out, as shown in the artist's impression.
Nikau has imported a shredder from the US, which, at a capacity of 500 tonnes/hour and a cost of $1.4 million, is New Zealand's largest. The site is zoned heavy industrial, and any noise from the shredder will be less than that made by the old power station. Catchment filters have been installed, at a much greater capacity than that required by law, so that any chemical accident can be easily handled.
Once the material has been through the shredder, it is used as backfill or remedial work on other sites, or sold on for similar purposes. Shredded wood is used in garden mulch and for landscaping.
Over 5000 tonnes of scrap steel have been taken out of the old power house, including structural steel, plant, and the old boiler housing.
The project will employ 30 staff and use a fleet of new trucks to deliver material to the plant.
Even though the Tainui Group are the landowners, and Genesis Energy still hold the head lease, Nikau plans to spend $10 million during the period of its lease, which expires in 2017.
Who has right of way when using the traffic lights at the junction of Nelson and Union Sts when coming from the motorway offramp? I am always in the middle lane from the motorway, which has a slight curve to get to Nelson St, and I follow the line of the curve. Is this lane for Union St traffic or motorway traffic? I have been abused and threatened by people coming from Union when I am coming from the motorway, which makes me think I must be in their lane.
Shannon Tindal, Auckland.
The person who has right of way is the person who has the green light.
From observation, and I think this is what you mean, any traffic coming from Union St while you are exiting either of the motorways would seem to be running a red light. If you are following the line from your motorway lane to the relevant Nelson St lane, you should be safe. But drivers are unpredictable, so always take care.
