Creating sustainable options and outcomes to meet the Communities current and future needs
Upgrades needed
Queenstown Lakes District Council has recognised the need for upgrades to the Wakatipu and Wānaka Waste Transfer Facilities and has committed to the construction of a new Wānaka Refuse Transfer Station (RTS) alongside investigating a Material Recycling Facility (MRF) for the District. Rubix has been commissioned to undertake the management of the concept design for the Wānaka RTS and feasibility study for Queenstown RTS, and to determine a consenting and procurement strategy to deliver the Wānaka RTS.
Site complexities and project challenges
With the current central lakes waste transfer facilities coming to the end of their natural life and usefulness it has been necessary to undertake a review of modern practice and operational principles to conceptualise what new community services might look like. Rubix, alongside the QLDC, have identified that suitable site locations pose the biggest challenge, as does the stakeholder management that results from the site selection process. Many of the challenges presented in the concept and feasibility stages have resulted from constrained sites or access to suitable sites. Rubix in conjunction with the project team has helped present options that refine this process to best fit the project deliverables and support complementary waste minimisation activities.
Points of interest
- The project will be required to deliver new facilities in and around existing facilities so a great degree of coordination and planning is required.
- The MRF would be a first for the District and would help divert recyclable material from waste, a process which is currently largely done by hand in the Central Lakes at present.
- As we are partnering with QLDC to deliver these projects, our team has had to embed themselves in the Council offices and learn the councils internal IT, accounting and reporting systems. This has presented quite a challenge to our project managers as they have to manage two inboxes now!
