Noise issue a focus for mill

Lumbercube's Gavin Hudson and Elisabeth Jackson at the mill site on Vaughan Rd. The business has received noise complaints from nearby residents.

Noise complaints aimed at a new sawmill operation on Vaughan Rd are still being received by Rotorua Lakes Council.

But council officials say they are happy with measures being put in place by the owners of Lumbercube and are continuing to monitor the site.

Rotorua-based Pedersen Group bought the site after the former Tachikawa mill went into receivership in October 2013 and has installed new plant and milling equipment at the cost of tens of millions of dollars.

Since the mill started operating in late September, the council has received 176 noise complaints as of yesterday.

Pedersen Group chief operating officer Gavin Hudson said the operation was a world-first square log processing plant and the teething problems with the new equipment would be fixed as soon as possible.

He said they were not yet fully operational and had worked hard in the past month to identify and remedy noise pollution issues.

He said the mill operation ran from 7am to 7pm each day and noise outside those times was not caused by Lumbercube.

"We've done a lot of things since last year to reduce the noise coming from the mill. All the reversing beepers on loaders and forklifts have been changed, we have lined the walls of the mill with acoustic insulation and are looking to put a shed over another part of the mill where logs are dropping onto some machinery."

Mr Hudson said about 25 staff were on site at the moment dedicated to reducing noise issues.

"There is still more work to be done, in two stages. By the end of January we should have stage one complete and stage two by the end of February."

By the time the mill is fully operational Lumbercube expects to employ between 160 and 170 staff, mostly locals.

The company had also appointed a community liaison officer as a contact point for any community inquiries, including noise issues.

Council spokesman Neven Hill said council staff were continuing to work closely with Lumbercube and were "pleased with the company's commitment to mitigating the problem and with the work they have done in this regard so far".

"We understand Lumbercube has undertaken further noise reduction work." A site visit was planned for next week, he said.

Lumbercube noise issues:

* 137 complaints late September to December 5

* 39 complaints December 5 to January 13

* Plant still in its commissioning phase

* Noise blamed on "teething issues"

* Mill runs from 7am to 7pm

* Acoustics experts on site working on the noise issues

* Should be fully rectified by the end of February