Asbestos removal at Godley Head to start
Date: 11 April 2008
Parts of Godley Head WW II Coastal Defence Battery will be temporarily closed to the public, while material containing asbestos is removed.
The contractors will be on site from Monday 14 April, with asbestos clean-up work to start a few days later. The work should take about two months to finish.
Area Manager, Bryan Jensen, said that individual areas will be closed off by fences, and warning signs put up while asbestos is being removed.
"We may have to close some tracks temporarily or re-route them around some of the sites but this will be done on a site-by-site basis as the work progresses."
"Most of the work is occurring in the main building compound. There should be little overall disruption to access and recreational use of Godley Head and we will be doing our best to keep the public informed as we go," said Mr Jensen.
Dust and air testing for asbestos fibres has shown there is no danger to the public while these materials remain in place.
"The asbestos has been on site for 60 years and tests have proved that it is not dangerous in-situ. But it is deteriorating and we'd rather deal with it now before it does become a problem," said Mr Jensen.
The danger of people being exposed to fibres may arise as the sites are disturbed to complete the clean up work. Each site will be fenced and warning signs put up to exclude the public from these areas.
"Because of the historic value of the site, and the health risk associated with asbestos we are using contractors experienced in this type of work and we will be doing a thorough job," said Mr Jensen.
"The contractors we have chosen - Coast Central Construction of Tauranga - are very professional and the most experienced with asbestos removal in the country."
Built in 1939 to defend Lyttelton Harbour against enemy ships, the Godley Head WWII coastal defence battery is one of the most complete coastal defences left in the country.
Godley Head is visited by about 60,000 people each year, for walking and mountain-biking through the reserve.