Willowbank Quarry

An independent commissioner has been appointed to hear this matter - David McMahon, of Resource Management Group Ltd (RMG).

Please refer to Minute 1 issued by the commissioner on 14 July 2021, providing an update on the current status of this matter and advising the next steps.

Resource Management Act 1991

Notification of Application for a Resource Consent under Section 95A(7) & (8)

Name of applicant: Willowbank Trustee Limited

Council reference: RC7695 - LU0055/20

The applicant proposes: To continue ongoing operation and maintenance of the Willowbank Quarry until 31 December 2025 at 264b Paremata-Haywards Road / 355 Murphys Road (Lot 1 DP 86208, Lot 2 DP 426235, Part Section 113 Pauatahanui AG RES, and Lot 4 DP 407801).

Landuse consent is sought to continue to supply material for both Transmission Gully and other projects in the local area, including flood protection works, roading projects and smaller site developments, in order to meet identified demand for aggregates.

The key aspects of the land use component of the proposal include:

• The quarry site will be operated from Monday to Saturday, between the hours of 6.30am and 7.30pm in the summer months, and 7am to 5pm in the winter months.
• Heavy vehicle movements to and from the site will only take place between 10am and 3pm from Monday to Friday. These hours are proposed in order to avoid peak traffic times along State Highway 58.
• Truck movements will be 64 ‘in’ and 64 ‘out’ during these operating hours. This equates to an average of two trucks using the access track every five minutes between 10am and 3pm, Monday to Friday.
• Approximately four staff will be onsite to operate the quarry during operating hours. Light vehicles used to transport workers to and from the quarry will access the site off Murphy’s Road (at 85 Murphys Road – which is part of the wider subject site).
• Excavation will be carried out by heavy machinery typically utilised in quarrying activities – including bulldozers, excavators, compactors, a scraper fleet, an articulated dump truck fleet, a road truck fleet, graders, drill rigs, elevated work platforms and water carts.
• The excavation of rock material will at times require blasting within the quarry. Any blasting will be undertaken in accordance with appropriate procedures, including the notification of neighbouring properties. Crushing and screening will take place within the quarry site.
• Reinstatement of the quarry, including relevant ecological mitigation will generally include hydroseeding of excavated faces and the reconstruction/re-establishment of streams, wetlands and associated vegetation.
• Primary access to the quarry (i.e. for heavy trucks) will be via the intersection with Paremata-Haywards Road/ State Highway 58.

Resource Consent is required for the proposal as it is not provided for as a Permitted Activity in the Rural Zone in the Porirua City District Plan (the District Plan). The proposal is considered to be a Discretionary Activity pursuant to Rule D4.1.4 of the District Plan.

The application may be inspected at the Porirua City Council, Administration Building, Customer Service Centre (ground floor), Cobham Court, Porirua, between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm, or on the Porirua City Council website – www.poriruacity.govt.nz. Please contact Ellen Seumanufagai on 04 237 1494 if you have any questions about the application.

Any person may make a submission on the application, but a person who is a trade competitor of the applicant may do so only if that person is directly affected by an effect of the activity to which the application relates that—

(a) adversely affects the environment; and

(b) does not relate to trade competition or the effects of trade competition.

Submissions must be received no later than 5pm Thursday 6 May 2021.

You may make a written or electronic submission.  The submission must be on Form 13.  Copies of this form are available from the Council’s Customer Service Centre at 16 Cobham Court or here: Form 13.

You can also make an online submission here.

Email submissions can be sent to submissions@poriruacity.govt.nz.  Please include “Submission on RC7695 - LU0055/20 – Willowbank Quarry” in the subject line.

Written submissions can be sent to:

Chief Executive
Porirua City Council
PO Box 50218
Porirua 5240

Or handed in at:

Porirua City Customer Services Centre
16 Cobham Court
Porirua

A copy of your submission must also be served as soon as reasonably practicable on the applicant, whose address for service is:

Willowbank Trustee Limited
c/- Beca Limited
PO Box 3942
Wellington 6140
Attn: Aimee Brown

or emailed to: aimee.brown2@beca.com

Please include your name and contact details and let us know if you would like to attend a hearing to speak in support of your submission.

Submissions must be received no later than 5pm Thursday 6 May 2021.

All information provided as part of the submissions process will be publicly available. You can request that certain details are withheld for privacy reasons.