Buildings set to be removed from Campbell Island
Removal will reduce the island’s human footprint. Michael Fox reports. Several old buildings are to be cleared from Campbell Island, a UN World Heritage site, in a bid to reduce the island’s human footprint.
It will be a major logistical feat involving working crews, helicopters and a navy vessel as restrictions prevent the buildings being dismantled and burnt and could extend to all unused buildings on the island.
Three buildings – an old hut built for the Coastwatchers during World War II, Aurora House, which formerly housed a camera in its roof to photograph the sky, and the MetService’s old hydrogen production shed – are to be removed next year.
The nine buildings occupy an area of about five hectares.
MetService network operations manager Steve Knowles said they wanted to reduce the visual footprint of the base, located at the entrance to the dramatic Perseverance Harbour, and remove the unused buildings before they started to fall into disrepair.
‘‘It’s time to reduce what we don’t need,’’ he said.
The hydrogen production shed, in particular, was in an exposed area and needed to be removed.
‘‘By clearing that out earlier rather than later it’s going to minimise the risk that next year we’re going to show up and the whole thing’s blown apart . . . It’s ready to go.’’
The buildings would be cut into sections, flat packed, airlifted to a ship, stored in a container and then taken back to the mainland for disposal.
Fires are not permitted on the island which is a nature reserve, having been granted World Heritage status by the UN in 1998. Mr Knowles said the hydrogen generation shed, lovingly dubbed the ‘‘Bomb Shed’’, was used to generate the hydrogen to fill the weather balloons which they would release twice daily.
‘‘The bomb had a habit of rather vigorous reactions and for a young Met officer it was quite an eye-opener, especially the first time it happened,’’ he said.
Department of Conservation southern islands operations manager Brent Beaven said the MetService base had been decommissioned for 10 years and many of the huts were sitting there unused and were falling into disrepair.
MetService volunteer Ross Carroll, who lived on the island for a year in 1986, said the buildings all had some historical significance though he understood why they needed to go.
‘‘I just consider myself bloody fortunate that I was able to spend some time here.’’ Campbell Island. Inset, Steve Knowles, from MetService.