Quarry fear rocks rural community
Horokiwi Quarries has been issued with an abatement notice by Porirua City Council after concerns it may have been carrying out earthworks without consent.
Neighbours of a site in the hills between Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay became concerned after seeing several drilling platforms and a drill rigger at farmland west of Whenua Tapu cemetery.
Horokiwi Quarries project manager Alan Peacock said no drilling had occurred, but the company had been doing due diligence work over the past six months on a property of about 300 hectares before deciding whether to buy it for a potential quarry site.
‘‘They’ve only been up there looking at the drilling sites.’’
Porirua City Council general manager of planning and regulatory services James Jefferson said the abatement notice had been issued to Horokiwi Quarries, a drilling company, and the landowner to ‘‘reinforce’’ the council’s instruction that all test drilling cease until resource consent had been obtained.
The operators had agreed to comply, he said.
The land was in a rural zone, which meant test drilling and associated earthworks, along with any possible future quarry activities, were considered discretionary activities that needed resource consent.
No resource consent had yet been sought, and he was unable to say whether one would be publicly notified.
A spokeswoman for neighbourhood group Stop the Quarry said residents had ‘‘all been on tenterhooks’’ after noticing initial drilling sites on farmland above properties on Coroglen Rise.
The Western Hills between Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay form part of the Taupo¯ Swamp catchment, with all water sources from these hills flowing down to the Taupo¯ Swamp wetlands and stream, then out to Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour.
A quarry ‘‘could spell disaster for this sensitive area’’, along with concerns over roading access and dust.
‘‘During the excavation process, dust and other toxic materials can spread from the site towards neighbouring areas including homes, schools, shops, farms and parks.
‘‘A quarry [could] bring a number of other direct impacts, including noise associated with blasting, vibrations, constant truck movements and on-site machinery.’’
Peacock said it was still early days for the site, but added that developing infrastructure around the Wellington region would need material.
For example, when Wellington City Council was considering expanding the Kiwi Point quarry late last year, it emphasised demand around the region was forecast to increase.
The council estimated aggregate production for the region from Kiwi Point, Belmont and Horokiwi quarries could increase from 1.8 million tonnes a year in 2015 to 2.5m tonnes by 2031.
Jefferson said a quarry was not considered as part of the Northern Growth Area Structure Plan, and would be inconsistent with the council’s intended use for the land, which was for housing.
‘‘There are also landscape and catchment protection overlays within the NGA. Rural zone land does surround parts of the NGA Structure Plan, so quarrying may be considered, depending on where the proposal is.
‘‘It’s not appropriate to comment on potential concerns, as we have not yet been engaged by the applicant, and any such application will be subject to a judicial process and council must remain impartial.’’