Fonterra has the go-ahead to expand its milk processing plant at Studholme.
The dairy giant was granted eight consents by the Canterbury Regional Council and Waimate District Council.
The consents allowed Fonterra to undertake actions which included earthworks, to disturb, occupy, and discharge contaminants to the coastal marine area and discharge domestic wastewater to land from staff and visitor facilities.
The lapse date for all consents was 10 years and 35-year durations were recommended for all consents.
Fonterra would have to undertake further consultations with Waihao Runanga and other relevant parties as noted in the conditions set down.
Reaction to the successful consents was mixed.
Mayor Craig Rowley said if Fonterra did complete the expansion, it would mean a job boost in the area of anywhere between 75 and 100 positions.
"Obviously, we're very pleased the consents have gone through with the conditions.
"We look forward to getting a lot of the fulltime workers at the factory living in the Waimate District.''
Fonterra's chief operating officer global operations Robert Spurway said the company would review the response from Environment Canterbury (ECan) over the coming weeks to ensure that, should South Canterbury milk volumes grow in the years ahead, Fonterra was well placed to respond quickly with investment in manufacturing capacity.
"This is one of a number of consents Fonterra holds around the country that allow us to be more responsive to growth in regional milk volumes.''
Wise Response, a submitter on the plan, was disheartened by the news.
Spokesman Dugald MacTavish said the dairy expansion made no sense.
Six witnesses for Wise Response had shown that continued expansion of the intensive dairying model was living on borrowed time and was not good for business or for stable healthy communities, he said.
Wise Response would be taking advice as to legal merit of an appeal to the Environment Court.
Another submitter, Coal Action Network Aotearoa was appalled the consents were granted.
Spokeswoman Rosemary Penwarden said to allow expansion and give Fonterra a 10-year grace period to expand its factory was a poor choice.
She said the argument that the expansion would be good economically was short-sighted and in the long run it would mean little.
