Transpacific's tidy neighbour vow

Transpacific officials say they'll be clean and tidy neighbours and are happy to abide by conditions placed on them by councils.

Yesterday was the final day of a two-day joint hearing called to hear Transpacific Industries Group New Zealand's resource consent application to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua District Council to build a waste transfer station on the corner of Te Ngae Rd and Hamiora Place.

Both councils had already approved the proposal with some conditions, mainly concerning odour prevention, windblown rubbish, storm water and flood prevention, pest control and landscaping. However, nine submissions were made to both councils from concerned Ngapuna residents, local iwi and business owners who opposed the building of the transfer station.

Independent resource consent hearings commissioner Bruce Graham chaired the hearing in the Rotorua Convention Centre.

Transpacific said the transfer station would be used for commercial and industrial waste and construction and demolition waste, as well as some kerbside and green waste.

The site would feature a 12.5m high transfer station, weigh bridge, workshop and recycling bins resulting in 120 to 180 additional vehicle movements a day.

It would be open seven days and be surrounded by a 2.4m high chain-link security fence with some landscaping near the front entrance, off Hamiora Place. The exit would be on to Te Ngae Rd/State Highway 30.

Local iwi were concerned the station would interfere with the use of their customary bath on the other side of the road or cause problems with their nearby marae and urupa (cemetery). Hamiora Place property owners were concerned about odours, rubbish dumped after hours, traffic issues and the visual effects on a major route into and out of the city.

Yesterday, it was the turn of the councils to submit evidence.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council consents officer Marlene Bosch said in her report the proposal addressed any possible environmental effects as long as consent conditions were followed. "It is considered that the refuse transfer station will provide positive economic and environmental benefit for the district and the public using the facility."

Rotorua's environmental consents planner Sina Hustedt said the land surrounding the site was zoned Industrial A and the station was best suited for industrial land. "The adverse effects of the proposal on the environment are no more than minor."

Transpacific's consultant resource management planner, Andrea Brabant, told the hearing the company "has every intention of being a good neighbour".

She said evidence from similar sites run by the company did not show any signs of environmental damage or odour problems and was confident Rotorua's would be no different.

Tapiata and Hamiora whanau spokesman John Tapiata said he'd like the project trashed completely. "But if we can't get that, then I'd like the commissioner to call for a full cultural impact assessment, something that's not happened in this process."

The commissioner is expected to make his final ruling within 15 working days from the end of the hearing.