Old Masterton hospital demolition on track

The demolition of the old Masterton hospital is progressing well, with over half the buildings on site removed and 240,000kg of material salvaged.

Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), which manages the property on behalf of the Crown, is overseeing the large and complex demolition.

LINZ Project and Hazard Management Delivery Team Manager Matt Bradley says 15 of the 26 buildings have been deconstructed.

“We’re over halfway through the demolition of the old hospital and on track to clear the site by mid-2022.”

Mr Bradley says the demolition has taken a while due to extensive salvage efforts.

“Preventing as much waste to landfill has been a priority for us from the start.

“Anything that can be salvaged, from timber, through to metal and concrete, even the kitchen sink, has been carefully removed to be repurposed or recycled.

“This commitment has so far seen 240,000kg of material salvaged, roughly equivalent to the household waste generated by 600 New Zealanders each year.

“Most of this was from saving native timber, metal, ceramics and cabinetry removed from the buildings. We expect this will continue to increase as the next phase of the demolition will see more concrete salvaged.”

Mr Bradley says the site will be monitored over the holiday period while demolition work is on hold until the new year.

Some of the significant structures yet to come down include the old Nightingale ward, nurses’ home, and three-storey ward.

The former hospital is one of around 900 properties including former prisons, schools, houses, and other hospitals that are managed and maintained by LINZ and earmarked for future Treaty settlements.