If OnTrack did not designate the 4.6km railway line, closed in 1997, with the tracks lifted in 1999, to rail bulk cement to the port of Timaru, then Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd could not construct and operate the plant, the society's legal counsel, Dr Joan Forret, told a Waitaki District Council hearing yesterday.
Independent commissioner Allan Cubitt is considering a notice from NZ Railways Ltd (OnTrack) to designate the branch line, which was not carried over when the Waitaki district plan was reviewed in 1993.
At the start of the hearing, Mr Cubitt warned submitters to focus on issues related to reopening the branch line, not the cement plant, which had been granted resource consents by the Otago Regional and Waitaki District Councils, now appealed to the Environment Court.
However, Dr Forret said the cumulative environmental effects of the cement plant and reopening the railway line must be considered, because the cement plant could not proceed without the branch line designation.
Two conditions in the councils' resource consents stipulated the plant could not be built and operated until the designation was in place and all bulk cement had to be transported by rail to a port.
If the branch line was not reopened, Holcim could not use trucks to transport bulk cement.
"Without rail, there can be no cement plant," she said.
Wellington-based traffic engineer Tim Kelly said reopening the branch line would affect traffic safety, pedestrian safety and delay vehicles.
He recommended full red flashing lights, warning bells and automatic barrier arms at all level crossings and fencing the branch line through Weston between the Main St and Essex St crossings.
Acoustics consultant Nigel Lloyd said several houses were within tens of metres of the line and would clearly experience a "significant change in circumstances" from the trains.
Mr Lloyd suggested conditions be imposed on OnTrack setting daytime noise limits, protection against night-time use, level crossing warning alarms operating at night and the issue of construction noise.
Planning consultant William Whitney said Weston's residential amenity values had led to substantial residential growth in recent years.
Those values experienced by Weston residents would be adversely affected by reopening the branch line which would cause vibration, noise, visual and privacy effects.
Weston cement plant lead project engineer Stuart Ward said Holcim said the use of rail was "a primary consideration" in selecting the Weston site.
Holcim received many comments from people that they considered rail was a necessity to avoid large numbers of truck movements and no-one raised the issue of the designation, he said.
Holcim's legal counsel Peter Christensen said the Waiareka to Weston branch line was important to Holcim in its decision to plan for a cement plant 3km west of Weston.
If the designation was not confirmed, making the branch line available, Holcim would have to rethink its distribution for the cement, most likely using a fleet of trucks.
"Cement transport by rail is the preferable option for operational and environmental reasons," he said.
Holcim: Day 2
- NZ Railways Ltd (OnTrack) as a requiring authority has requested the Waitaki District Council to designate in its district plan the 4.6km branch railway line from Waiareka to Weston. The rail line was lifted in 1999.
- It is now needed to construct Holcim's proposed $300 million cement plant and transport cement to Timaru's port by 2 trains a day Monday to Friday, 1 on Saturday.
- 218 submissions were received, 204 in opposition.
- The process: Independent commissioner Allan Cubitt will make a recommendation to OnTrack, which will make the final decision. That decision can be appealed to the Environment Court.
