The New Zealand Defence Force is sending more personnel and vehicles to boost Department of Conversation efforts to clean up the Fox River rubbish spill.
An old landfill spewed out around 5500 tonnes of rubbish along the pristine coastline and riverbed after a severe storm three months ago.
Medical waste, needles and asbestos have been found among the rubbish which poured out of an old landfill three months ago. (Source: Other)
Six more vehicles went to the West Coast from Burnham Military Camp yesterday, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour said.
The vehicles included two Pinzgauer light operational all-terrain vehicles and two HX60 medium and heavy operational vehicles (MHOVs), which can move up to six tonnes of material at a time.
One of the MHOVs is fitted with a loader crane and the other a self-recovery winch.
The army has arrived on the West Coast to help with the mammoth clean-up effort. (Source: Other)
The vehicles would help transport, Department of Conservation (DOC) staff and volunteers to work sites along Fox River and pick up bags of rubbish filled by the volunteers, Rear Admiral Gilmour said.
Forty-five additional NZDF personnel will arrive on 22 July to work with DOC staff and volunteers until mid-August.
Helicopter support will start in late July to help remove bags of rubbish from remote locations.
Volunteers are trying to clean up decades of rubbish after a huge storm washed a landfill down a world heritage site on the West Coast. (Source: Other)
Altogether, the NZDF is deploying, in phases, up to 70 personnel, vehicles and aircraft to support the clean-up efforts.
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