Longburn Freezing Works was constructed in 1890 with additions added up until it’s closure in 1987.
The 20,000 square metre site suffered serious decay, partial demolition and salvage theft, over its 30 years of abandonment before Ward Demolition was engaged for the clearing of the site. Constructed during the thick of the Asbestos Era the structures were severely contaminated, with over 800 tonnes of friable and non-friable materials present throughout.
Another key challenge was the 44-metre-high concrete tower that required demolishing within 5 metres of a live kiwirail train track. Due to the size and complexity of the Job we required a collaborative approach between our Auckland based...