From:
To: Hearinas
CC:
Subject: Notifications Consent Submission: Group 592 Date: Friday, 27 November 2020 1:44:49 PM
Attachments: Section-4-Submission-on-Resource-Consent-ADDIication-Taqaart-Earthmovina-Limited.Ddf
Group ID: 592
Consent name: Taggart Earthmoving Limited
Consent number: CRC204106, CRC204107, CRC204143, CRC211629, RC205104
Name: Jenny Chalmers; Shirley and Tony France
Care of: Jenny Chalmers
Mailing address 1:
Mailing address 2:
Suburb:
Town/City:
Post-code:
Country:
Mobile phone:
Work phone:
Home phone:
Email:
Contact by email: Yes
Is a trade competitor: No
Directly affected: Yes
Consent support/hearing details
• CRC204106: oppose I NOT to be heard I will NOT consider joint hearing • CRC204107: oppose I NOT to be heard I will NOT consider joint hearing • CRC204143: oppose I NOT to be heard I will NOT consider joint hearing • CRC211629: oppose I NOT to be heard I will NOT consider joint hearing • RC205104: oppose I NOT to be heard I will NOT consider joint hearing
Reasons comment: See attached document
Consent comment: We believe that the impact to our local community is so serious that the consent application should not be granted at all. Submission on Resource Consent Application
4. The reasons for making our submission:
Economic Impact:
• There may be perceived economic benefits for two businesses - Taggart Earthmoving Limited (Taggart) and the Rangiora Racecourse (Racecourse). Yet this 'benefit' may only:
o create a small number of permanent jobs, and
o pointlessly prolong the life of the Racecourse which in fact is in terminal decline. "... in 2020 the sport of kings is a long way from its glory days as punters age and numbers visiting tracks dwindle." Out-racing a changing world. (2020, July 18). Stuff. Out-racing a changing world I
Stuff.co.nz
• The other activities such as the Sunday market could easily find another suitable location, and be welcomed, if the Racecourse were not sustainable without the quarry.
• The Racecourse's economic contribution to the community is minimal. The land could be utilised in a much more productive way without a quarry. One obvious example would be the provision of recreational facilities forthis side of Rangiora.
• Perhaps the best outcome, however, would be the realisation of a significant piece of land for an affordable housing project. This would meet pressing needs in the wider community as well as making real, local and regional council goals together with government directives. Such a proposal would be of vastly greater economic and social benefit than the interests of one private earthmoving company.
Local Community:
• The directly impacted area of West Rangiora operates harmoniously as a blended community with a mix of residential housing, schools, pre-schools, retail, a major Retirement Village (Charles Upham) and a number of recreational areas including parks, playgrounds and walkways.
• The operation of the quarry would restrict existing and well-established community activities. For example, Arlington Experience has become an extremely popular local community hub. The Five Stags would be significantly impacted - sitting outside with doors open would become increasingly restricted due to the noise and dust pollution that would
arise.
• The clubs and activities currently using the Racecourse area would be negatively affected by the intrusiveness of the quarry on all fronts. We would question whether a number of these would want to continue to use what would be an increasingly ugly and unhealthy facility.
• People's use of their garden, walkways, existing parks and public areas would be impacted negatively by noise and dust.
Page 1 of 5 Businesses and Working from Home:
• Forthe rapidly growing number of people working out of home, the underlying impact of ongoing noise and air pollution will have a negative effect on the ability to either run our businesses or perform effectively for our employers.
• This will have a greater detrimental economic impact than the so-called positive impact the Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) indicates for Taggart and the Racecourse.
Noise:
• The proposed hours of operation extend from 7am until 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am until 3pm on a Saturday. This is relentless.
• Noise pollution from the quarry equipment, heavy machinery and a truck movement every approximately two minutes (up to 250 movements per day) would mean that there is a constant increase in noise pollution in what is currently a very quiet and peaceful residential
area.
• For a number of residents, particularly the elderly, infirm, the very young and those especially sensitive to noise, it would be difficult to 'escape' from the constant monotony of sound from the quarry and trucks in operation. This impacts negatively on mental health and well-being.
• Residents not at home during the business week will still find themselves subject to noise due to the extended hours of operation including Saturdays, when they rightfully should be
able to relax.
• This will mean for our community that there will only be brief respite from the noise, late on Saturday afternoon and on a Sunday.
The Reality of Living in this Area:
• On and off for many years we've lived with the background noise of construction, experienced the effect of heavy vehicles coming and going and dealt with dust as West Rangiora has rapidly developed. We have tolerated this because it has been temporary. Nevertheless, we're well aware that this does have an impact on the area, irrespective of how 'well' or otherwise developers have claimed they would minimise impacts. If the quarry were to go ahead, there would be no respite. This is grossly unjust.
• The peace and quiet of this area has been and continues to be attractive to existing residents and those looking to move into the area. There is no pressing community need here that justifies taking that away from us.
Ai r:
• There is no doubt that dust pollution from quarries poses various health risks to its workers as well as tothe surrounding communities. It's also clearthatthere is a disturbing lack of agreement across our various agencies - Councils, ECAN, Health providers, Government and the industry as to the true level of risk. Air pollution is proving to be a highly controversial topic, expensive to resolve and the affect on our health is concerning to us all.
• Especially on days when there is a Norwester blowing, our experience in the area has been that the resulting dust is already a reality, a nuisance and irritant. So, at minimum dust arising from the quarry would be a major issue, and one that could well attract litigation.
Page 2 of 5 Water:
• The potential for groundwater to be contaminated cannot be underestimated. This could have devastating consequences for us and for our local habitat. Even though "These potential effects are addressed by a suite Of operational measures designed to avoid, remedy and mitigate them" (Page \\\ of the AEE) is promised, by the time these so-called operational measures have been truly tested, the damage is done.
• We note too that if avoidance and mitigation is truly possible, then remedies would not be needed. It seems that the proposers are already in effect admittingthat their promises are impossible to keep. As a community why should we be asked to take such a risk and place our trust in organisations whose motivation is solely commercial.
Wider Landscape:
• An aesthetically appealing landscape is part of the attraction for residents who choose to live in this area. A quarry and its operation (trucks etc) would be an eyesore and spoil the look and feel of this area. By its very nature the quarry would create visual pollution and be a scar on the landscape. Remediated land is never restored to its original state and this will adversely affect its value.
• Recent felling of trees on the Rakahura track and the ensuing damaging publicity indicate the high value that locals place on this area and the importance of being able to enjoy the natural beauty of a landscape. Mass tree felling blindsides visitors to North Canterbury walking track. (2020, August 5). Stuff. Mass tree felling blindsides visitors to North Canterbury walking track I Stuff.co.nz
Roading and Safety:
• The Lehmans road location has been increasingly utilised by people out walking, dog walking running and cycling. Locals also use it as access down to the river and for the Rakahuri track. Effectively this part of the road closest to the growing residential areas would no longer be safe or viable for such activities due to the significant increase in vehicle movements with trucks travelling the road every two minutes.
• Intensified truck activity would also increase the traffic safety risk at the roads intersecting with River Road, including Lehmans and Westbelt. The tolerance levels may be within existing guidelines as of today. However, no consideration has been given to the ongoing growth in traffic (foot, bike and vehicle) projected over the next 15 years.
• The significant daily increase in traffic movements by heavy vehicles would come at an infrastructure cost to the existing roading. This will materially increase wear and tear on the roads. Again, these sort of costs over the next 15 years should be factored into the overall economic cost/benefit of this proposal. Ratepayers should not be subsidising private commercial venture infrastructure-impact costs.
Property Values:
• As detailed above there are significant negative impacts the proposed quarry would bring. This would detrimentally impact real estate values and the ability of residents to sell properties. This would eventually affect the Council's rate take and create a negative economic impact affecting the wider Rangiora community.
Page 3 of 5 Voice of the Community:
• The petition presented to the Council in July received over 5000 signatures against the quarry proposal. This represents 20+% of the overall population of Rangiora. Of those directly affected by the proposal (living or working in West Rangiora), the percentage would be considerably higher.
• The Rangiora/Ashley community Board has already come out publicly against the quarry proposal. Their opposition is a representative voice which should carry much weight.
The Rangiora-Ashley Community Board will be voicing their opposition to Taggart Earthmoving Ltd's proposed quarry at the Rangiora Racecourse following a unanimous vote at last weeks' meeting.
'£[-he Board are 100 percent behind the community's views on this proposal," said
Community Board Chair, Jim Gerard.
"We're disappointed that both the Rangiora Racecourse and Taggart Earthmoving think
that the middle of the racecourse so close to residential homes is an appropriate location
for this activity."
Waimakariri District Council. (2020). Community Board to Voice Opposition Against Quarry Proposal. Community Board to Voice Opposition Against Quarrv Proposal I
Waimakariri District Council
• The petition and board response are clear examples of our local community making their views crystal clear against the quarry proposal.
Learnings from other Quarry Developments
• Impacts and learnings from other quarries are telling- potential problems that were raised by the local community at the outset have been borne out in practice elsewhere. The Yaldhurst quarry dust issue is a disappointing example of this. To begin with on paper, such developments were supposedly going to have met acceptable tolerance levels. But as was feared, issues have arisen for people who've lived in that vicinity.
Environment Canterbury Regional Council. Working together to resolve quarry dust issues. https://www.ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2017/working-together-to-
resolve-quarrv-dust-issues
• The controversial Fulton Hogan quarry in Templeton is a salutary example of a company being granted consent and then attempting to re-litigate in their favourto make their operating conditions more advantageous commercially. This is to the detriment of the local population who are already unhappy with the quarry even getting the go-ahead let alone then having to potentially lose some of their limited protections.
Bolger, D (2020, July 16). Fulton Hogan appeals conditions over operating new quarry. Star
News. https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-districts/star-selwvn/fulton-hogan-appeals-
conditions-over-operating-new-quarry
• Noise, Air, Water- Claims are made within the AEE that these will all either be within tolerance levels or any potential adverse effects can be mitigated. However, we've seen what's happened in practice with these other quarry developments. Impacts are always greater than 'expected' by which time it's too late for the residents. They're in the position where they have little choice but to somehow deal with the effects or move.
• Simply put, residential areas are not suitable for quarries.
Page 4 of 5 Overall Impact on our Community
• The effect of the pandemic has shown us the increasing importance of home and local community with more of us spending time at home, working in our gardens and socialising, playing and staying locally. This environmental aesthetic has been critical to our physical and mental health and wellbeing.
• We have made an active choice to live and invest in a community that provides us with all those opportunities. We wish the same for people moving into the area. The proposed quarry will shatter that lifestyle and put unnecessary and unwanted restrictions on how we live our daily lives. There a much better options that will provide benefit for this area and our community than this industrial quarry and we are confident that the various Councils involved will think similarly.
• The Racecourse fraternity is today in a position to make a lasting contribution to the community and should cease this opportunity now. Turn closure into a new beginning, of aesthetic, social and economic worth for North Canterbury.
• Te hauora o te tangata must outweigh the financial interests of one company and a Racecourse, neither needed nor viable.
Page 5 of 5