Winery application denied

Thornbury Vineyards in Marlborough has been declined resource consent to operate an 1800-tonne winery in the Waihopai Valley, due to concerns over water availability.

But director of the Tauranga-based wine company, Bruce McCutcheon, said he would appeal the decision of commissioner Michael Briggs.

Water was the only thing standing in the consent's way "and we think there are other ways we can satisfy the council", he said. "The water in that valley is unknown. I think that is half the problem."

Sam and Amanda Weaver, who live 1.5km from the proposed site near the Waihopai Valley spy base, called the application ill-planned and rushed.

In her submission at a hearing in November, Mrs Weaver said the winery Thornbury proposed was "a large-scale industrial operation".

She identified more traffic, an intrusion on the rural landscape and a shortage of electricity supply as some of the reasons to deny consent.

The Weavers, who are wine industry members, said they wanted to see Marlborough's wine industry succeed, but did not want the traffic, lights and noise from a nearly 2000-tonne winery impacting on the rural environment.

Mrs Weaver claimed Thornbury had underestimated the water it would need to operate, and the 3 million litres she deemed it would actually require would put pressure on the water resource over an extended period of time.

At a second hearing in December, Mr Briggs said visual impact, traffic and noise levels would not warrant declining consent. But he ruled that Thornbury's application for 15m3 of water a day, one-third of that from a neighbour's water right, caused concern.

- NZPA