A long-established Cambridge quarry has acknowledged concerns from neighbours who say it’s breaching its resource consent conditions by exceeding permitted truck movements.
Trucks queue up to go into the Aspin Road quarry before 7am. Photo: Supplied.
Waipā District Council issued one abatement and two infringement notices to the quarry operator in August and is investigating a new complaint.
Neighbour Maree Blakey says she is at her wits’ end. She has shut down her bed and breakfast business, claiming the quarry regularly exceeds 20 truck movements a day and operates outside its approved hours. Dust from the quarry’s unsealed driveway has also made it impossible to continue hosting guests, she said.
Quarry operator Will Hjorth said there had been some unintended breaches – two for excess movements and a third for a truck entering the quarry before 7am.
“Unfortunately, the demand for sand on the northern side of Cambridge has exceeded the limits permitted under our existing consent,” he said.
“To address this situation, we have engaged a locally based planning consultant to assist in preparing a revised resource consent application.
This revised consent will ultimately result in a reduction in traffic movements over the long term.”
Hjorth acknowledged neighbours’ concerns and said he would engage with them as part of the new resource consent.
“Our aim is to work collaboratively to address any issues and ensure that their concerns are properly considered.”
Wayne Allan
Sandy King, another concerned resident, says road safety is a growing issue on the 100km/h stretch, especially when trucks and trailers exit the quarry while other vehicles are waiting to enter.
“I am concerned as we now have a lot more traffic on the road,” she said. “The road has changed dramatically from when the council first granted the consent for the quarry.”
Waipā District Council’s District Growth and Regulatory Services group manager Wayne Allan confirmed the notices had been issued.
The quarry company has operated the sand and pumice quarry since 2005 as a permitted activity.
In 2009, the council granted land use consent for the quarry to expand operations with a sand washing and screening plant for a cleanfill operation. The consent was opposed by the Fencourt Community Incorporated Society.
The society warned truck movements could exceed 60 per day, a claim dismissed at the time by Hjorth.
The quarry has no expiry date and is consented to extract up to 60,000 cubic metres of sand and pumice annually. It is one of 25 active quarries in Waipā. Another on Newcombe Road is under appeal.
Waikato Regional Council has also granted water and land use permits, which expire in 2044 and 2029 respectively, for the site on Aspin Road.
“Council staff are continuing to monitor the situation,” said Allan.
The Te Miro district was predominantly rural when the quarry began operations 20 years ago but lifestyle blocks have since been developed.
Mike Pettit
King says traffic volumes have grown significantly, and the road – used by school buses and cyclists for training and racing – is now much busier.
Residents approached then councillor and mayoral candidate Mike Pettit, who lives about three kilometres away, seeking help. He referred them to council staff, who issued the breach notices.
The quarry’s approved operating hours are Monday to Friday, 7am–5pm, and Saturday, 7am–noon. But Blakey said trucks often park outside her property before opening hours due to the lack of a designated parking bay.
Council staff acknowledged that increased construction activity in the area may be contributing to higher truck volumes, though a roading engineer told Blakey the surge was likely temporary.
Aspin Road quarry. Photo: Supplied
