Decision on CTV rubble mid-year

Bottle Lake Forest since after the earthquakes.

Now the police have completed all investigations relating to the 185 deaths that occurred as a result of the February 2011 earthquake, decisions could be made about the long-term future of the rubble.

A Christchurch City Council spokesman said a decision had yet to be made, but it was investigating another location within the resource recovery park because the existing site was not preferred.

The families of people who lost their lives in the buildings would be consulted, but the council said it was not intended for the material to be reused in any way.

‘‘The council and Crown are considering the most appropriate final placement of the material,’’ the spokesman said.

They were hoping to make a decision by the middle of this year.

CTV Families Group spokesman Professor Maan Alkaisi, whose wife was killed in the building collapse, said the rubble remained significant for the families who had no closure and believed there could still be evidence within it.

‘‘The story will only finish when justice is done, I have not seen a single person who believes justice has been served, including the police themselves. The story doesn’t end like this.

‘‘It has not finished for us, we feel there is no justice, no accountability and no closure and this is why the rubble is still part of the story until we have closure of this case.’’

Alkaisi said the rubble was also key for the families of the four people whose bodies were never recovered.

‘‘There was no trace of them so that rubble is kind of special, it still has some importance and significance.

‘‘I expect [the council] will consult us to have it in a place taking care of all these issues, I think it will always be a special place.’’

There was no known or visible asbestos in the material but there was likely to be trace amounts dispersed throughout, so the material would be ‘‘appropriately handled’’, the council said.

The rubble, mostly reinforced concrete, also came from other buildings, including the Lichfield car park.

Not far from where the rubble is located is more than 835,000 tonnes of timber, steel and concrete from the city’s other earthquake-damaged, demolished buildings.

The material has formed two 25-metre tall hills that the council will eventually turn into a recreation park.