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Media Release –

Yealands Havelock Quarry In Doubt

The unexpected roading development by PYG Ltd (owned by Peter Yealands) into an area near Havelock, that the Environment Court had insisted in a decision to remain free from roading, has found some favour with a community group previously opposed to the development.

PYG Ltd and another Peter Yealands company, Kaiuma Bay Park Estate, have begun constructing a road to a proposed building site at Blackball near Havelock, on a hillside area identified as sensitive to such development. Fill from the hillside roading construction is being used in the construction of another Yealands project, the new road and bridge across Twidles Island which will reduce the travel distance to his Kaiuma Bay subdivision project.

Friends of Pelorus Estuary had unsuccessfully challenged PYG Ltd's intent to construct a quarry access road and to quarry up to 200,000 cubic metres of rock at Blackball, however following legal advice are now satisfied that Yealands current roading construction in the sensitive zone means an abandonment of the nearby greater quarry project.

"Although using a Marlborough District Council consent allowing the 400 metre hillside road and building site at Blackball, the new roading in the sensitive zone breaks the later consent conditions for the much longer quarry access road, negating that consent," said Friends of Pelorus Estuary chairperson and spokesperson Steffan Browning.

"Our members were very unhappy about the current inappropriate building site roading, but are jubilant that the quarry will not proceed, and a much greater level of native forest will be preserved. One kilometre of quarry access roading, through significant indigenous growth will now not proceed."

Mr Yealands had described himself as a "tree hugger" during the Environment Court proceedings considering the quarry roading and agreed with the Court to consent conditions that would limit forest removal and disallow roading in the 'sensitive' zone.

"Mr Yealands also stated he was putting 200 acres elsewhere into Queen Elizabeth 2nd covenant protection. We note that Mr Yealands had previously removed at least 700m3 of timber from mature indigenous trees from that area behind his Kaiuma Bay farm, which has now been reported to be sold."

The new roading on both sides of SH6 also concerns the Friends of Pelorus Estuary group, as members living at Blackball and the general public were not given opportunity to comment or submit to the application for the new Twidles Island road and bridge crossing the northern branch of the Pelorus River.

"The local knowledge of our members and the public would have helped a superior outcome than that the Marlborough District Council consented, after notifying only DOC and those likely to support the project," said Mr Browning.

"Heads should roll at the highest level of the Marlborough District Council. Lack of public notification, slights of hand, and complicity with non-compliance by big business all seem par for the Council course."

"The intended bridge positioning could be in a much more practical position, with less environmental impact, and if notified, Marlborough ratepayers who will be paying for maintenance, may have had comment regarding the road construction, especially as the Twidles Island road location seriously floods most years."

Inanga spawning season has been noted in the Twidles Island roading and bridge consent as between 1 February and 30 April, with bridge construction prohibited then, and roading culverts placed to allow fish passage.

"At high tide on Saturday I saw an Inanga shoal collected below a culvert placed high and dry above them."

"Already consent conditions appear being breached as tidal waters and Inanga have not been able to traverse the culverts. Unfortunately some wetland area habitat for Inanga has been destroyed by road construction even if the culverts were placed according to the consent."

"Friends of Pelorus Estuary look forward to a greater level of compliance enforcement by the Marlborough District Council, with improved public notification and and genuinely sustainable environmental protection."

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