Even before the Top Tip Reuse Shop at Hampden's resource recovery park opened last night, people were leaving items for it.
Consequently, it has opened well stocked with a huge variety of items, enough to furnish a home inside and out, from the kitchen to the wardrobes and toys for the children.
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton officiated at the opening ceremony, releasing pigeons provided by Ray Gibb, of Oamaru, to mark the end of a project which resulted in spending about $15,000, not counting all the voluntary labour, to build the 135sq m shed for the shop.
The community has sub-contracted to run the resource recovery park, and the shop is a natural extension of recycling efforts.
Hampden Community Energy chairman Dugald MacTavish said yesterday profits from the shop would go towards community projects once the building was paid for.
The shop would initially open the same hours as the resource recovery park - 9am to noon on Wednesdays and Sundays.
It would be staffed by volunteers on a roster basis.
Mr MacTavish said the venture had been a community initiative from its concept to building the kitset shed for the shop.
''Many people have given freely of their time and energy to help secure and complete the shed,'' he said.
Initially, the community worked to retain its transfer station at the resource recovery park, applying for funds to buy the kitset, working out a suitable design, building the shed then setting it up with a management.
''We are running the shop as not-for-profit and funds raised are all being returned to the community,'' he said.
