Transfer stations upgraded

Christchurch waste and refuse transfer stations at Sockburn and Bromley have new metal ceilings and roofs as part of a 40-year renovation and upgrade managed by Citycare Property.

The work at the Parkhouse Road and Metro Place transfer stations was challenging as members of the public continued to use the waste facilities from 7.30am to 4.30pm each day and stringent health and safety planning was needed to keep the workers partitioned from users as they dropped off their rubbish, Project Manager Mike Okey says.

Much of the work was undertaken through the night when the Christchurch City Council EcoDrop facilities were closed.

All the work took place at heights so the safety of the team was paramount, Mike says.

The state of the waste transfer stations building environment had to be considered as a health risk, with 40 years of grime needing to be water blasted off the old ceiling and roof before the team could begin tackling the initial demolition, Mike says.

As part of the renovations, the old sky lights were dismantled and replaced with new, energy efficient LED lighting.

Once the new ceilings and roofs were in place, innovative solutions were sought for the age-old problem of seagulls making the transfer stations their homes, as bird guano rusts the roof and nests can also cause damage, Mike says.

So he researched three inventive bird deterrent devices.

The first is a sensor-activated water sprinkler which disturbs the birds when they settle on the roof. This was trialled at Metro Place transfer station and found to be effective.

Another device is a recorded sound of panicking seagulls screaming and squawking which is activated on a timer to scare the birds off.

Thirdly, a series of laser lights on a timer is another deterrent being trialled, similar to what is used in orchards and other large buildings, Mike says.