North Canterbury News: July 16, 2021
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NEWS<br />
2 The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>July</strong> 15, <strong>2021</strong><br />
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2386026a<br />
Decision may be appealed<br />
Taggart Earthmoving may appeal the<br />
decision by Commissioners to decline<br />
its application to quarry at the<br />
Rangiora Racecourse.<br />
Chiefexecutive officer Paul Taggart<br />
said in astatement to the <strong>North</strong><br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>,that Taggart engaged<br />
several air discharge, noise, traffic,<br />
flooding,and groundwater experts to<br />
prepare and present its applications to<br />
the Commissioners and considered it<br />
had addressed all of the<br />
environmental and community<br />
concerns that were required to allow<br />
the consents to be granted.<br />
‘‘Groundwater was highlighted as<br />
the main reason for declining our<br />
application and with this in mind we<br />
may decide to changeour strategy and<br />
appeal the Commissioners’ decision.’’<br />
Risk to groundwater paramount in decision<br />
From Page 1<br />
The issues associated with Section21of<br />
the 2020Racing Industry Act were not<br />
resolved or even consideredduring the<br />
hearing processotherthan noting the<br />
applicant still had aresponsibility to have<br />
approval, he says.The land is owned by<br />
the Rangiora Harness Racing Cluband the<br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> JockeyClub.However, under<br />
Section 21 of the Racing Industry Act the<br />
clubs do not have the authority to sell,<br />
lease or allowanencumbrance on their<br />
land.<br />
‘‘Approval would stillhave been<br />
required from the respective Racing<br />
Codes and their obligationsand<br />
responsibilities under the Racing Industry<br />
Act wouldmake giving approval very<br />
difficult, if not impossible.’’<br />
The decision was released last Friday<br />
with commission chairPaulRogers and<br />
commissioner JohnEseli, saying the<br />
potential risks to groundwater<br />
contamination,and contamination of<br />
drinking watersupplies downgradient of<br />
the sitewere unacceptable.<br />
‘‘If these risks eventuateweare<br />
concerned about the consequences,<br />
particularly for the Rangiora backup<br />
community supplyoptions.<br />
‘‘We find that thefocusofthe proposal<br />
and conditionsshould be strongly on<br />
prevention of contamination of<br />
groundwater in thishighly sensitive<br />
environment,’’ the commissionerssay.<br />
The applicant hadn’t clearly<br />
demonstrated the ability to adequately<br />
manageexcavation depth relative to realtime<br />
groundwater levelsatthe site, or<br />
provide sufficient information on<br />
forecasted groundwater levels,and the<br />
management of activitiesinresponseto<br />
the levels.<br />
The commissioners in their reserved<br />
decision said they were not satisfied<br />
evidence theyconsidered sufficiently<br />
www.tiw.co.nz 03 313 0408<br />
308 Flaxton Road, Rangiora<br />
The decision had made the company’s<br />
future in Rangiora ‘‘uncertain’’,and<br />
some tough decisions now hadtobe<br />
made if it wasunable to obtain an<br />
alternativelocal gravel supply at an<br />
affordable price.<br />
Mr Taggart said potentially gravel<br />
may have to be imported in to the<br />
Waimakariri District from<br />
Christchurch.<br />
Thiswould require up to 180,000<br />
more heavy traffic movements in and<br />
out of Rangiora to supply the<br />
equivalent volumeofgravel that could<br />
have been extracted from the<br />
racecourse site.<br />
Thiswould put significant strain on<br />
the local roadinginfrastructure, and<br />
cause huge disturbance to the local<br />
community.<br />
Discussing apoint .. Taggart Earthmoving Limited chief executive, Paul Taggart (right),<br />
with Waimakariri District councillor Paul Williams, during an open information day held by<br />
the company to discuss its proposed quarrying applications, prior to the hearing.<br />
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP<br />
demonstrated the proposal, inclusive of<br />
conditions,would safeguard the life<br />
supporting capacity of water,orthat<br />
adverse effects on groundwater and<br />
drinking water would be avoided,<br />
remediedormitigated to theextent<br />
required to support the granting the<br />
consent.<br />
Jim Gerard,chair of the Rangiora<br />
AshleyCommunity Board,describes the<br />
result as ‘‘a victory for people power’’.<br />
In his 37 years involved in the Rangiora<br />
community he could not recall an issue<br />
where the community had put so much<br />
intoopposingaproposal they believed was<br />
wrong.<br />
‘‘Their strong efforts, and that of the<br />
RangioraAshley CommunityBoard, in<br />
opposition, and the efforts and inputthe<br />
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‘‘Ourapplication would have<br />
reduced the impact on the roading<br />
network, minimised the carbon<br />
footprint by transporting gravel<br />
locally, andcreated morejobs for the<br />
town. However the opposite may now<br />
happen,’’ Mr Taggart said.<br />
The company was aware gravel from<br />
the Ashley River was becoming scarce<br />
and decided that the Rangiora<br />
Racecourse would be agood option to<br />
continue to providegravel at an<br />
affordable price to Rangiora and the<br />
surrounding area.<br />
The company considered the local<br />
community and environment before<br />
making the applications,putting strict<br />
conditions on itself to ensure it could<br />
continue to work in harmony with local<br />
residents and the wider community.<br />
community put into the hearing, hasseen<br />
an outcome thatsurelysees people power<br />
and commonsense prevail,’’hesays. ‘‘It<br />
shouldbeaclearsign to the parties<br />
involved in the application not to appeal<br />
this decision. Their community simply<br />
does not support aquarry on the<br />
racecourse,’’ he says.<br />
Another opponent, Sue Johnson, says<br />
the decision was fantastic news. ‘‘It was a<br />
ludicrous application anywayand if it was<br />
approved it would have set aprecedent for<br />
companies to put quarries anywhere,’’she<br />
says. The decision showed that ‘‘the little<br />
persondoes have rights anddemocracy<br />
does work.’’ She is not planning on<br />
celebrating the result just yet. ‘‘We are not<br />
over the line yet because they stillhave<br />
a15 working day right of appeal,’’ Sue says.<br />
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