Road Metals has been granted a staged increase in the number of trucks allowed to enter and exit its Wards Rd quarry near Rolleston.

The company can now have an average of 600 daily truck movements, up from 350.

From July 1, 2030, the limit will increase to 725, and from July 1, 2034, it can rise to 850.

The consent was granted without public notification, with commissioner Tim Harris determining the effects would be less than minor.

The Rolleston Quarry Community Liaison Group was told about the application at its annual meeting in May but had no opportunity to give feedback because the consent was non-notified.

The group was established when the quarry was consented in 2013 to improve communication between residents and quarry management.

Group chair Mark Alexander’s personal view was the effects would not be minor for residents living along the roads used by quarry trucks.

“I’m surprised that level of traffic increase was judged less than minor because it won’t be for the residents,” he said.

But Road Metals chief financial officer Dan Francis said residents would not notice the increase in trucks.

“If you didn’t run an article, nobody would know,” he said.

Francis said the company had previously needed to send trucks to other quarries because it had reached its daily limit.

“Those trucks still go past; they just pick up gravel from a different quarry.”

Francis said the company sometimes exceeded its maximum truck movements, and the new consent would allow it to operate within the permitted limit.

Alexander said he supported the company being compliant but said it did not need to be such a big increase.

Francis said the council decided to process the application without public notification not Road Metals.

“It actually speaks volumes that it has gone non-notified because it actually means we are doing a good job with the Selwyn District Council.”

The consent decision said traffic on Wards Rd was forecast to increase by between 44% and 62% overall, with additional quarry traffic accounting for about 10% to 12% of that increase.

On Walkers Rd, quarry traffic would account for about 6% to 7% of the projected increase.

The consent conditions could require Road Metals to contribute towards future upgrades of the Walkers, Wards and Kerrs roads intersection, based on its share of traffic.

Kerrs Rd could see quarry-related heavy vehicle movements rise from about 50 to 120 a day.

Overall, the council concluded traffic effects would be no more than minor, subject to conditions covering maintenance, driver behaviour and contributions towards future road improvements.

Alongside the increase in trucks, the quarry was also granted an increase in its open area from 9.4ha to 17ha.

The consent decision said the larger open area would not increase the quarry’s overall footprint.