Palmerston's landfill site will permanently close to the public and commercial operators at the end of the month in order to receive approximately 30,000 cubic metres of waste threatening local coastal areas.

Project Reclaim is a Waitaki District Council-led effort to amend the effects of decades of illegal dumping at two locations on Beach Road (3km south of Ōamaru) and the long-since closed Hampden landfill, which operated between 1970 and 1996, next to the beach.

Former Hampden landfill site. PHOTO: Supplied

Not only have environmental considerations such as locating landfill sites away from coasts and risks of erosion become increasingly understood over the last 50 years, new containment methods using lined cells can capture 100% of landfill leachate, the council said in a statement

Waste Management and Fulton Hogan will carry out the removal of waste, site remediation and secure storage.

Contractors will construct a new engineered landfill cell at the Palmerston site to contain the remediated waste from the three tips with the leachate to be channelled into a new sewer line and processed to protect the environment.

The Palmerston landfill was due to close in 2027 but the scale and nature of the cell construction requires the date to be brought forward, the statement said.

There were no cost-effective alternative options for a council waste transfer in Palmerston given its under-utilisation and public-pay model.

Typical volumes received were 50-60 black bags delivered via 30 public visits per month and just three semi-regular commercial users.

Operating costs run about $5,000 per month with only around $1,000 recovered in user fees.

The public is advised to make alternative arrangements through commercial operators or by using the nearest equivalent facility in Hampden.

Waihemo Wastebusters in Palmerston offer recycling facilities.

The council will continue to monitor illegal dumping in the area and encourages the community to report dumped rubbish using the Snap, Send, Solve app or by contacting them directly.

The public is reminded to avoid challenging rubbish dumpers directly and put their own safety first, the council said.

Waitaki coastline. PHOTO: Supplied

Read more about the public consultation process - Public sessions to discuss moving waste

Read more about the motivation behind Project Reclaim - Coastal dumping problem to be remedied