Photo: DOC/SuppliedFurther work could be required to protect a Bluff beach from old waste such as asbestos, despite tonnes of material already being removed. In August, Ocean Beach re-opened to the public following closure in 2018 due to contamination from a historic landfill. "Significant" amounts of asbestos needed to be removed and up to 30 - 50 years of work was forecast, Suter wrote. DOC operations manager Murihiku John McCarroll said contaminants, including asbestos, were first reported at the beach in 2018 and 1.2 tonnes of material was removed. Located just outside Bluff, Ocean Beach is situated near an old freezing works site which is now home to aquaculture and a distillery.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 16, 2026 00:21 UTC