Almost all the material removed from Queens Wharf West has been recovered for recycling, as City of Newcastle's demolition project moves into a critical next phase.
Twenty-eight tonnes of material have been removed so far, with 19 tonnes of wood, brick, concrete, plasterboard, and PVC coming from the internal strip-out and knock down of awnings and balconies.
Another nine tonnes of scrap metal was separated and sent to a local sustainable steel manufacturer to be smelted back into virgin or pure metal, depending on its quality and type.
Approximately 98% of the material removed so far has been recycled, far exceeding the NSW EPA average recycling rate of 80% across construction and demolition projects.
Weeks of work inside, around and below Queens Wharf West to strip out the building and remove, redundant services and external structures like balconies and awnings has been completed since demolition started in July.
With the main structure set to start coming down next week, City of Newcastle Project Manager Darryn Costanzo said it's a complex demolition project given site conditions.
"It's a site that's built up over the water with services running underneath the suspended substructure, which means we're timing a lot of the work we're doing with the tides and weather," Mr Costanzo said.
"Much of the power, gas, and water that Queens Wharf Hotel and the surrounding public spaces rely on are fed from the building we're demolishing, which means we're taking extra care to maintain those services for the Hotel and the community.
"This section of the promenade is one of the busiest for walkers and cyclists, who have been great so far in following changing signage and detours to keep them safe.
"With those and more complexities to consider, we're very pleased with our progress so far, and to deliver such strong recycling results has been a great outcome."
City of Newcastle Executive Director City Infrastructure, David Witherdin said strong recycling results show the Queens Wharf project's commitment to sustainability and resource recovery.
"A 98% recycling rate at this stage of the project is an excellent result and shows what's possible when sustainability is prioritised from the outset," Mr Witherdin said.
"These results reflect City of Newcastle's commitment to sustainable construction practices and show we can be an industry leader in the space.
"Our approach to recycling is helping us meet a key goal we set out at the start of the project around environmental sustainability, which is something that 97% of the community told us was important to them when we asked about the future of Queens Wharf."
More details on what comes next for Queens Wharf West are expected in the coming months, with a decision on the long-term future of the site expected in the 2027.
