More than 120 residents waded into the Ettrick Hall to express their concerns about the proposed quarry at the Millers Flat gold mine. Organised by local community leader Lucy McConway, the turnout exceeded expectations, as she had anticipated only 50 attendees.
The key issues raised during the standing-room-only discussion focused on the impact of the project on the town’s infrastructure and safety.
Most notably, residents expressed alarm over the proposed daily movement of 100 heavy trucks through Millers Flat, fearing the strain on the village’s main road and iconic bridge. The potential damage to the town’s historic bridge, coupled with the disruption to daily life, and concerns about dust and quality of life, has become a significant point of contention.
Another major concern was the lack of transparency from Hawkeswood Mining, the company behind the proposal, particularly regarding the request for non-notifiable consent for the quarry. Many in the crowd questioned the company’s communication with the public and called for more openness in the decision-making process.
Ms McConway, while acknowledging the diverse opinions shared during the meeting, said it was a ‘‘good discussion,’’ with both sides presenting their views. Hawkeswood Mining, in response, promised to increase transparency and engage more directly with the community moving forward.
The meeting was attended by Hawkeswood Mining owner Andrew Hawkeswood and mine operator Simon Johnstone, as well as Teviot Valley Community Board members, which made her feel the community was being listened to, she said.
Beaumont Station owner Richard Hore expressed the need for roads in the community to have proper gravel.
For the 28,000ha station one of the biggest problems had been access and safety on the road.
He said the community was struggling and the valley needed development, which needed proper gravel.
‘‘It’s got the horticulture, it’s got farming, it’s got dairy, and we need good, solid aggregate,’’ he said.
Mr Hawkeswood said the reason the company applied for 100 truck movements a day in its consent application was because it was a nice round number.
After the meeting, last night he said they planned to reduce the number of movements in the consent.
‘‘I certainly believe that we’d struggle to sell five trucks a day.’’
Mr Hawkeswood said the idea for the quarry at the mine came after Hawkeswood Mining was approached by several roading companies and the Central Otago District Council to see if metal could be supplied for roads.
A lot of the capping metals for the area comes from Earnscleugh (about 60km away) which put pressure on the taxpayers to cart the metal, he said.
Mr Hawkeswood questioned why there was no public backlash about another proposed quarry in the area (Millers Flat Alluvial Gold Mine).
‘‘Nobody’s jumping up and down about that guy, that’s really weird,’’ he said.
