Hearing committee approves sand quarry resource consents
An Environment Waikato hearing committee has approved resource consents for a new sand quarry operation and associated clean filling activities near Tuakau in the Franklin district.
Perry Aggregates NZ Ltd is proposing to establish the quarry off Friedlander Rd, Tuakau.
The company applied to Environment Waikato for some of the resource consents needed for the proposed quarry last year. The consents related to earthworks, water takes and discharges, and floodwater diversion.
The company also applied to Franklin District Council for the land use resource consent to undertake the sand quarry operation and associated activities.
A hearing committee appointed by Environment Waikato and a hearing commissioner appointed by Franklin District Council considered the applications at a joint hearing in Pukekohe from December 4-6 last year.
The information below relates only to Environment Waikato’s hearing committee decision – please contact Franklin District Council for information about the decision made by its commissioner regarding the land use consent for the quarry.
Environment Waikato’s hearing committee was charged with determining whether the quarry operation and associated clean filling activities would:
alter the way floodwater behaved
result in any soil contamination
impact on water quality in the Waikato River.
After carefully considering all the evidence, the committee determined the proposal would have negligible adverse effects as long as resource consent conditions were met.
It noted there were conditions in place to ensure imported fill came from clean sources and would have no impact on water quality in the Waikato River. It also noted the company would be required to undertake regular soil sampling to ensure no soil contamination occurred.
One of the resource consent conditions was that an environmental protection plan to enhance wetland ecological values be extended to include a larger area of existing kahikatea stands than was initially proposed.
Given this and other mitigation measures, the committee determined the overall environmental effects of the proposed activities would be no more than minor, were not contrary to any plan, policies or objectives and were consistent with the Resource Management Act.