Quarry hearing set for April
A hearing date has been set to consider a resource consent to establish and operate a sand quarry on the outskirts of Cambridge.
RS Sand is proposing the quarry at 77 Newcombe Road, southeast of Cambridge, which would extract up to 400,000 tonnes of sand a year, depending on demand, for around 25 years. The quarry would operate from 7am to 5pm weekdays, and between 7 and noon on Saturdays.
Independent commissioners have been appointed to jointly hear the application on behalf of Waipā District Council and Waikato Regional Council. The hearing will be held at the Council Chambers in Te Awamutu from Wednesday, April 2 to Friday, April 4 commencing at 9.30am, and will be livestreamed.
Group manager district growth and regulatory services Wayne Allan said Auckland-based planning consultant Richard Blakey would chair the hearing panel. Waikato local Tim Manukau and Marlborough-based environmental scientist Dr Ngaire Phillips are the other two members of the panel.
Allan said Waipā District Council appointed an independent planner to assess the application given the community concerns, and to assure all parties of a robust and independent process.
The planner recommended the application be publicly notified as it raised environmental and planning issues that needed careful consideration. The major issue of concern was the number of quarry trucks potentially travelling through Cambridge, and further assessment of their impact was needed, he said.
An independent peer review of the transportation effects concluded that further assessment was also needed of the safety impacts on people walking and cycling in Cambridge.
Waipā District Council received 350 submissions on the quarry application. Eight of these were in support, five were neutral and the rest were against. 44 submitters have stated that they wish to be heard at the hearing.
The hearing panel will hear evidence from the applicant and submitters at the hearing before deciding whether consent should be granted.
All information relating to the application and the hearing can be found on our website: waipadc.govt.nz/sandquarry-consent
