Media Release

8 March 2010
Kumeu-based resource recovery plant gets approval

Rodney District Council has approved an application by Winstone Aggregates to develop a resource recovery centre at the former Laminex particle board factory site at Kumeu.

The application for the Access Road recycling plant has been approved on a non-notified basis.

“The activity involves delivery of commercial, industrial and demolition material such as wood, gib board and cardboard to the site, which will then be treated for recycling,” explains RDC’s Director of Customer Service Lloyd Barton.

“It does not involve any concrete crushing.”

Mr Barton says Council’s decision for the application to be non-notified was made in line with the existing District Plan.

“The effects of the resource recovery centre have been assessed as being the same or less than the effects associated with the previous use of the site,” he explained. “The new facility will use the existing buildings on site and will have significantly less truck movements than previously.”

The particle board factory, which previously occupied the site, operated 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The consent application for the new facility is for it to operate from 7am – 6pm seven days a week as the standard operating hours. Outside of these hours, there are expected to only be a small number of traffic movements.

Mr Barton added that noise levels for the new recycling centre are within the levels permitted in the District Plan. Air quality management systems at the site will control dust emitted from the plant.

“The site is well screened by an existing landscape buffer. Council has imposed consents requiring the buffer be retained, so the visual effect on the surrounding area will be minor.”

While Council took into account the various issues raised by Kumeu residents, the decision was based on the matters it must use to assess applications under the Resource Management Act.

Essentially this means it should consider whether the proposed use would generate effects that are judged to be more than minor when considered against the existing environment – including the permitted use of the site for particle board manufacture.

“The new recycling plant falls within environmental standards set out in the District Plan.”

Mr Barton says RDC took into account many factors when considering the application and various conditions have been imposed within the consent to avoid the potential for adverse effects of the new plant on the local community.

ENDS

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