Bikers help with exposed landfill clean-up

A team of about 25 volunteers turned up yesterday (Thursday 27.2) to start the massive task of cleaning up rubbish from an old Gore landfill, exposed during the recent floods.

The clean-up was organised by the Hokonui Mountain Bike Club with help from Gore District Council contractor K2 Kontracting and Council staff.

GDC Transport Manager Peter Standring said it was a fantastic turn out.

“We had teams working different sections of the Waikaka Stream, with one going upstream from the Ontario Street bridge and another working downstream from the Gore dog park, just north of Hamilton Park.”

The volunteers managed to pick up three small truckloads of rubbish in three hours.

“We got about half of what’s there, there’s certainly a lot more rubbish than we expected.

“There’s a lot of plastic and rags, much of it wrapped around trees,” Mr Standring said.

Club members were keen to finish the job and plan to have another session next Thursday.

The Council is due to start containment work on the scoured out stream banks early next week. A plan has been approved by Environment Southland to dig out the banks, batter it off then layer rock, clay and geotextile on top, Mr Standring said.

Anyone wanting to help with next week’s clean up should contact the mountain bike club via its Facebook page – Hokonui Bikers