However, issues about road-widening — urged on the Grey District Council by the Department of Conservation for the road to the Paparoa Track, but narrowing the quarry access — have yet to be resolved.
The council this week received a fresh geological assessment of issues with the quarry site.
Quarry consultant Keri Harrison said one was the fact it was accessible to the public, although the width of access road had been compromised by the Grey district widening of Blackball-Roa Rd immediately below the quarry.
There had been movement in the quarry, which risked public safety on the access road but also the public road below.
"Because this is a quarry site we have a duty to leave it in a safe condition," she said.
"If we don’t address it I believe in the future it could fail."
Cr Peter Ewen asked if the district council had flagged it was going to encroach on the quarry access way.
Ms Harrison said it appeared some communication with the district council before the road-widening had been "lost in translation", while Doc had probably been consulted.
Cr Ewen said that was a major concern and similar to the situation in which the regional council had recently been billed $90,000 by the Westland District Council for a beach access project when no formal agreement had yet been found.
"I would have thought it would be [communication] 101 for any council to talk to the other one."
Ms Harrison said the Grey District Council had admitted "some liability" for the effect of the road-widening and was prepared to do some remedial work.
Cr Laura Coll-McLaughlin asked if Doc was going to contribute financially.
Council chief executive Heather Mabin said she had discussed the matter with Doc western South Island operations director Mark Davies.
"In my initial discussion he admitted that they needed to accept liability in this, in that they asked the GDC to improve the road that impacted on our access way."
However, that did not extend to a financial contribution.
Ms Harrison said initial assessment of the cost to remove overhanging rock assessed as a threat to the road below put it at $20,000.
Brendon McMahon - Local Democracy Reporter
