Four neighbours who have banded together to fight the expansion of the Pryde Rd quarry, near Warrington, were back before a Dunedin City Council hearings committee yesterday, at the resumption of a hearing that began in March.
The quarry's owners, Geoff and Tracey Scurr, of Geoff Scurr Contracting Ltd, presented the committee with a revised draft management plan that would govern the quarry's operation.
The plan had been updated following consultation with neighbours since the March hearing date.
It included new steps designed to address neighbours' concerns, by better protecting them from dust, noise and other aspects of the quarry's operation.
That included restrictions on the frequency with which rock crushing could occur, and moving associated equipment further away from neighbours' homes.
It also included construction of passing bays and other improvements on Pryde Rd, installation of an automatic gate controlling access to the quarry, and a code of conduct for truck drivers and machinery operators.
However, residents Simon Ryan and his wife, Jennifer Ashby, remained concerned the expansion plans threatened their way of life, despite acknowledging the efforts of the quarry owners to address concerns.
Mr Ryan told yesterday's hearing the number of heavy vehicles using Pryde Rd to visit the quarry could also be a threat to the safety of their daughter, who waited for a school bus at the end of the road each weekday morning.
There had already been one near miss, as well as other "incidents", as a result of trucks "barrelling" down State Highway 1 and turning sharply into Pryde Rd, where the school bus stopped, Mr Ryan said.
The couple was also worried about dust and noise from the quarry, and heavy vehicles on Pryde Rd, as well as damage to their property from the construction of passing bays.
They wanted the quarry's existing level of activity to be maintained, but with the extra conditions suggested as part of the owners' application to expand their operation, to make the quarry "bearable" for neighbours.
The Scurrs were seeking a new resource consent to extract 30,000cu m of rock a year on average, but up to 45,000cu m of rock in some years.
Council staff and neighbours were concerned the quarry had been operating beyond an existing 1998 consent, restricting extraction to 5000cu m a year, by taking about 15,000cu m a year.
The Scurrs disputed that, but sought a new consent to ensure they were operating legally and to future-proof the business.
Mrs Scurr told yesterday's hearing the quarry needed to expand in part to recoup the cost of extra work to appease neighbours.
However, she opposed calls for reduced operating hours, saying early starts were needed to meet contractors' requirements.
The Scurrs' proposed hours of operation were 7am-6.30pm on weekdays, and 8am-4pm on a limited number of Saturdays.
Mr Ryan wanted weekday hours of 8.30am-5.30pm, and 9am-2pm when required on Saturdays.
Council planner Darryl Sycamore, responding to submissions, said the Scurrs' management plan addressed a "significant number" of the concerns raised by neighbours.
However, confusion remained between parties over the volume of rock the existing quarry operation was entitled to extract.
His view was the quarry's existing consent allowed 7500cu m of rock to be extracted each year, and increasing that to 30,000cu m on average - and up to 45,000cu m in some years - could have a "significant" impact on neighbours.
Instead, he suggested an upper limit of 30,000cu m a year "or thereabouts", together with reduced hours of 8am-5.30pm on weekdays and 9am-4pm on Saturdays.
Planning consultant Allan Cubitt, appearing for the Scurrs, said the company's proposed hours of operation should be accepted, arguing against enforcing onerous conditions that frustrated the quarry's ability to operate.
"Quarries can only go where the resource is. Lifestyle blocks can go anywhere."
Committee chairman Cr Colin Weatherall adjourned the hearing following yesterday's submissions, with deliberations to be held in private and a written decision released later this month.
