
The refuse and recycling centre at Lawrie Road, Snells Beach is open until this Thursday (September 30), then will be closed for up to two months while Auckland Council carries out a $2.4 million redevelopment of the site.
The Government-funded overhaul will include a new shop and repair workshop and an education centre at the very rear of the site, together with an upgraded and sealed waste drop-off area. The site will also be made one-way, with a new exit onto Lawrie Road being added at the rear of former landfill and transfer station.
Mahurangi Wastebusters director Matthew Luxon says the Council-led project will make Lawrie Road easier to use for customers and staff, with a more user-friendly drop-off system, several new buildings and improved staff facilities. He says that it proved impossible to safely keep the site open while the works take place, and is sorry for the inconvenience, but thinks the upheaval will be worth it.
“Where the big hooker bins are, all that area has to be rebuilt and paved,” he says. “But the good thing is we’ll be back open for summer, and the site will be a lot better.”
Once the revamp is completed, anyone without rubbish or recycling to drop off, but who wants to visit the new shop or education centre, will be able to use the second Lawrie Road access, avoiding the bin area.
For now, Lawrie Road will open daily from 8.30am until 4pm, but only until this Thursday, September 30, and only for rubbish, green waste and scrap metal, as per Level 3 restrictions. From then on, the site at Rustybrook Road, Wellsford will be open six days a week, Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 2pm, for as long as Lawrie Road remains closed.
Mahurangi Wastebusters is asking people to save up recyclables and reusables until restrictions move down to Level 2 and then take them to Rustybrook.