Environmentalists are worried about the proximity of the industrial site to the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote River. Photo / John Spurdle
Environmentalists are worried about the proximity of the industrial site to the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote River. Photo / John Spurdle
Environmentalists are concerned about the impact of a Woolston industrial site on the Ōpāwaho-Heathcote River.
The site has also been causing a stir among nearby residents for non-compliance with noise and height restrictions.
Construction on the site has been ongoing for about two years, with shipping container stacks added in July this year.
“There are a number of impacts, obviously, and the first one, I’d say, is rather than a naturalised riverbank we’ve got a narrow corridor between the river and the industrial site,” said Ōpāwaho River Network chairwoman Annabelle Hasselman.
An earth bund was installed about six months ago along the length of the river boundary.
This is a temporary ridge of compacted earth constructed to create areas where any run-off from the site cannot go directly into the river.
No one can agree on its height, with site landowner Richard Peebles saying it is about 1.5m, and Kennaway River Reserve Community Work Group manager Mick Igram putting it at 5.5m in places.
Ingram said his group, which carries out planting along the river, was anxious because the bund was too big.
“I’ve got a copy of the resource consent that was put through and the wording was that they were going to make a little mound, about ... 1.15m high and it was going to be tapered to match the topography of the land,” he said.
Ōpāwaho River Network chairwoman Annabelle Hasselman alongside the Woolston industrial site. Photo / John Spurdle
Ingram noted in some places the bund was about 7m from the river when it should be 10m.
“The wording in the consent says it must be 10m back from the surveyed river edge, well the river edge might have been surveyed in 1863 or something ... but at the moment, that’s not where the river’s edge is.”
Both Ingram and Avon-Heathcote Estuary Trust chairman Kit Doudney are concerned a new earth bund had the potential to become a source of sediment in a high rainfall event.
Said Hasselman: “One of the key contaminants of the Ōpāwaho is sediment and this is very concerning that there’s this large uncovered bund just right on the riverbank.”
Peebles said work was still going and when the earth bund was finished, it would be about 2m high. There was also a sediment fence built to stop dirt from running into the river, but Peebles could not say if it covered the entire bund.
He said the uncovered dirt was intended to be planted on, but there was no estimate as he worked through various processes with the city council.
Hasselman was also concerned the proximity of the site to the river meant there was “less space available for nature and wildlife to survive as well as people to enjoy and recreate within”.
Doudney said they were hoping any developments beside the river would not come up to the boundary and respect some of the beauty of the area.
“We’re pretty disappointed with the current stacking of containers very close to the river’s edge and we feel as though it’s an intrusion into the river’s wellbeing,” he said.
“We would have hoped for tree growth and all sorts of natural vegetation that close to the river and we’d consider helping the landowners with any restoration.”
Hasselman said not enough had been done to preserve the landscape so far and any planting would take years to establish.
The bund under construction on October 4. Photo / Annabelle Hasselman
“At the scale of that development with the containers, you’re going to need large trees to mitigate that.”
Said Doudney: “I would say we are concerned that not enough thought has gone into the natural environment.”
Peebles said he understood the visual impact on residents whose views had changed from a “rural grassland effectively” to an “industrial park”.
However, the city council had zoned it as industrial in 2016 and he noted the ecological impacts in that location had been envisioned.
“I didn’t apply for the zoning, I bought it as industrial land and used it for what the intended use was so container parks and logistics storage is a permitted activity,” he said.
“At the end of the day there will be a bund, an acoustic fence, a 30m landscape strip with a pathway, so after five to seven years theoretically you won’t see anything.”
Another issue Hasselman recognised was noise, something residents were also concerned about as they reported a constant drone and loud bangs from the industrial activity.
“It was a quiet riverside area ... now there’s noise pollution, construction and it definitely has the potential to disturb wildlife and the habitat along the river,” Hasselman said.
The shipping containers are stacked about six high, breaking the 11m height restriction that sits on part of the site and obscuring the Port Hills.
Doudney lives in the area and said he was shocked at what he saw as he cycled past.
Said Hasselman: “As residents of Christchurch, we value that view and the Port Hills provide a sense of place and belonging and they’re unique to our environment and communities.”
People who live, work and recreate in the area were now presented with the “wall of shipping containers ... which is a really stark intrusion and contrast to the panoramic views and the river.”
A city council spokesperson said the investigation into the site was still ongoing but they expected to have an update soon.
