Quarry case before panel

After two years of worry and thousands of dollars in legal fees, residents in a small Canterbury town are ready to face down a large corporation planning a new quarry on their doorsteps.

Fulton Hogan wants to develop a

170-hectare parcel of land on the edge of Templeton, near Christchurch, to replace another nearby that is at the end of its life.

But homeowners, horse trainers, local businesses and even religious groups are worried the quarry – with potentially 1200 trucks rolling in and out each day for the next 40 years, noise and potential health effects from dust if it opens in 2022 – will shatter their quiet rural existence.

From today, they will have the chance to make their objections to three independent commissioners appointed by Environment Canterbury to oversee a resource consent hearing.

For Jolene Eagar, part of a group from the Templeton Residents’ Association (TRA) leading the fight against the quarry, it has been a challenging two years.

Simply understanding the process has been an intimidating experience. Fulton Hogan’s application has 651 pages and 40 documents of supporting evidence.

‘‘They have done this sort of thing so many times, they have used so many experts, and we have never dealt with anything like this as a community,’’ Eagar said.

The community has rallied around their cause, raising almost $40,000 to pay for legal advice and experts.

Chief among their concerns are the increase in traffic and worries about safety from the quarry’s trucks, with a forecast

600 entering and 600 leaving the Dawsons Rd site each day. The other worries are the effect of dust on health and water quality, and what it might do to the wider landscape and property values.

Eagar said the TRA was not against

Construction company Fulton Hogan is planning a 170-hectare quarry on the outskirts of Templeton.

quarries in general. Fulton Hogan’s bosses argue they are committed to being good neighbours and have promised to reduce the impacts of noise, traffic and air pollution, while a section of the southern motorway will help reduce the effects of traffic.

They will also make improvements, including options for a walking track, planting a natural landscape park and introducing native flora and fauna to protective earth banks.

Of the 454 submissions, 354 oppose the quarry.

Another opponent is the Samadhi Buddhist Vihara – a Buddhist Temple and Meditation Centre metres from the proposed site on a spot chosen for its ‘‘serene environment and visual amenity’’ .

The quarry would shatter the silence needed as monks and visitors search for ‘‘inner peace’’, and make meditation impossible, its submission says.

The quarry would also be a stone’s throw from a planned new council cemetery and sports complex.

The hearing will be held in three weeklong sessions between today and December 13.

Commissioners will then have 15 working days to make a decision, followed by another 15 days for either side to appeal to the Environment Court.

‘‘. . . we have never dealt with anything like this as a community.’’

Jolene Eagar