Mill declines to meet residents

Eastside Residents' Association chairman Ra Daniels. Photo / Stephen Parker

Lumbercube's new management team will not take up an invitation to speak directly to members of the Eastside Residents Association about noise issues in Rotorua's eastern suburbs.

Yesterday, the Rotorua Daily Post reported the Lumbercube mill's parent company, the Pedersen Group, had been bought out by Auckland-based investment company Maui Capital.

[Lumbercube] shows a lack of understanding and community commitment that they won't agree to meet with our association.

Ra Daniels, Eastside Residents Association chairman

The Vaughan Rd mill has been the subject of thousands of noise complaints since it opened in September last year and on Monday it presented the Rotorua Lakes Council with a noise mitigation plan that should be in place by July 21.

The council said it was going through the details of the plan and would be releasing it to the public mid next week.

Members of the Eastside Residents Association had been asking for a meeting with Lumbercube management but that invitation had been declined in a statement titled "Response to request for public meetings from the Eastside Residents Association".

"Council has requested that feedback re noise issues be formalised which is why they've set up a system to receive and document residents' concerns," said the Lumbercube statement, which has been posted on the Rotorua Lakes Council website.

"Lumbercube is continuing to adhere to this protocol and communication outside the agreed process is not considered helpful in allowing Lumbercube or council expedite the process.

"Lumbercube is satisfied that the Rotorua Lakes Council has a well documented register of the communities [sic] feedback re noise issues which is an accurate reflection of the greater communities concerns.

"In order to achieve all interested parties desire for the fastest possible resolution Lumbercube's focus must remain on action, which is why Lumbercube respectfully declines to attend public meetings at this stage."

Eastside Residents Association chairman Ra Daniels said it was a disappointing response "and shows a lack of understanding and community commitment that they won't agree to meet with our association".

Mr Daniels said the association had more than 200 members.

"And they want us to follow up with actions that would properly address the noise issues. Once we know more from the council next week, we will then be in a position to know what matters need to be addressed.

"We hoped with the change of ownership the directors of the company would be more forthcoming discussing matters with us in the future," Mr Daniels said.

In a previous statement, Lumbercube management said they had spent more than $2.3 million so far on noise mitigation measures.