The council said the incident happened while a customer delivered a large quantity of batteries.
“While helping the customer to place the batteries into the battery collection bin, a staff member saw one of the batteries ignite,” the council said.
“The fire resulted in several battery components being thrown into the air, forcing the customer to quickly move their vehicle away from the collection area.”
Battery parts flew into the air during a fire at Tasman recovery centre. Photo / Tasman District Council
Staff responded promptly, and the incident was safely brought under control, they said.
The council said it “highlighted key safety concerns” and outlined why they could no longer receive batteries at their Service Centres.
They said the circumstances surrounding the battery failure were being “reviewed” to identify opportunities for improving battery handling and fire risk management procedures.
They said people with unwanted batteries should take them to their closest Resource Recovery Centre in Richmond, Māriri, Murchison, Collingwood or Tākaka to use specially designed battery disposal bins.
In March, Auckland Council had recorded at least 35 battery-related fires across its rubbish trucks and recycling facilities since the start of last year.
That included one in Lynfield, where the truck had to dump its burning load on the street.