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Building volunteers restore Abilities Group workstations destroyed by fire

The recycling plant was completely destroyed by fire in April. Photo: Supplied/RNZ Volunteers have spent part of the weekend building workstations for an Auckland recycling plant that burnt down earlier this year. The Abilities Group recycling plant in Wairau Valley was completely destroyed, after catching fire in April. Almost 120 workers with disabilities were employed there, helping sort and process e-recycling, including batteries, phones, laptops and televisions. New Zealand Certified Builders were at the current Abilities site on Saturday, building workstations to be used to process recycling. Chair Nick Farrelly said they reached out to North Shore members to help the Abilities Group. "In Auckland, it's really hard to find a charity that everyone agrees with and can see that it's a great thing," Farrelly said. "There are so many people doing great things that it can be hard just to choose one, but this was one that everybody can relate to. "These people are doing a great job in that recycling community and we certainly do realise that, in the building industry, we can probably be a little bit better, and we can send our stuff to these guys, who actually do it properly." The materials for the work stations were donated by Mitre 10 and Hirepool. About 30 builders constructed 20 workstations for the Abilities Group. Photo: Supplied/RNZ Farrelly said about 30 builders constructed 20 workstations for Abilities staff to stand or sit at, as they carry out the recycling. "It's just workstations that can actually be [configured] in any way and when they do move out, they can take them with them," he said. Farrelly wanted to give a shoutout to those working at Abilities. "These are pretty special people," he said. "You go around there and it's just so rewarding, they really do warm the cockles of your stomach up. "They're just so happy go lucky, happy that you're helping them sort of people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.