Editorial: Search for peace in mill saga

Katie Holland.

As I posted the latest Lumbercube update on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page yesterday, I hesitated as I tried to come up with a noun to describe the ongoing issues around noise.

I went for Lumbercube noise "saga", after checking the dictionary definition: "a long, involved story, account, or series of incidents".

It has been a series of incidents, in this case more than 700 noise complaints to the Rotorua Lakes Council since September.

It's a story we first reported in December and the concerns have escalated, with a group of residents even setting up a Facebook page to fight the noise.

There was a reprieve during Easter, but full production resumed at the mill yesterday morning.

By lunchtime the council had received another eight complaints and announced it would meet with mill representatives today.

What has surprised and slightly saddened me about this "saga" has been the arguments on the issue on social media.

The residents who have spoken out about the noise have been abused, dismissed and told to stop their whinging.

A comment yesterday was typical: "People should stop complaing (sic) and get over it."

They argue the residents knew it was an industrial area when they moved in, knew there was a mill there (Tachikawa, before Lumbercube took over.)

Yet residents try to explain the noise is "different" now, that they didn't have any problems with the "gentle hum" of Tachikawa, but the continuous "jarring thumping" of Lumbercube is another matter.

The critics also argue the mill is creating jobs for Rotorua people. The implication being the whingers are threatening jobs.

Yet nowhere have I seen calls for the mill to close, just for the noise to be sorted out.

To its credit, Lumbercube has spent at least $1.5 million trying to do just that, presumably it wants this issue resolved just as much as its neighbours do.

A compromise must be found that balances the competing interests.

The undoubted economic benefit of the mill versus the rights of the residents to a decent quality of life.

Which doesn't mean a noise-free life but one that they, you and I could reasonably live with.

Hopefully today's meeting will be another step towards resolution ... it's time this saga was put to bed.