Almost all the 347 submissions received by Waipā District Council oppose a planned sand quarry on the southern outskirts of Cambridge – but there are two surprises.
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce is not one of them, but New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is.
The already formed entrance from Newcombe Rd, less than 200m from the intersection with Tīrau Rd, could become an on ramp for quarry trucks. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The chamber, which represents 400 businesses, says it does not oppose the RS Sand Ltd application to establish and operate a sand quarry in Newcombe Rd but wants the resulting truck traffic kept out of Cambridge township.
It is appealing for on-off ramps to allow trucks to go straight on or off Waikato Expressway into and out of Newcombe Rd.
NZTA – which has resisted calls for additional on and off ramps south of Cambridge – says the application should be denied because the impacts on the state highway and its infrastructure have not been sufficiently addressed.
Cambridge News 14 November 2024
The government roading agency is responsible for the stretch of road from the intersection of Tīrau and Newcombe roads onto SH1.
Tirau Road off ramp goes south.
Principal planner Mike Wood said sightlines at the intersection were unacceptable for the volume of heavy vehicles proposed.
“Heavy vehicles leaving Newcombe Road turning left will also have an impact on the through traffic on Tīrau Road given that sand quarry heavy vehicles will be accelerating from the ‘Stop’ control at the Newcombe Rd intersection.”
That would slow down other traffic heading from Tīrau Rd, past the golf course and onto SH1, he says in the submission.
NZTA have consistently said it will not consider installing on-off ramps near Newcombe Rd because it considered the interchange at Hautapu, was sufficient to service Cambridge for decades when the Expressway opened in 2015.
It says a state highway should not be used to take traffic off and on local roads to bypass the towns.
Wendy Robinson
Waipā Plan and Growth manager Wendy Robinson said of the 347 submissions made, eight supported the quarry proposal, five were neutral and the rest were against.
Five of the submissions were from organisations – Fish and Game, Waikato Sustainability Society, NZ Forest and Bird, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce and NZTA.
A sixth submission came from Waikato Sustainability Society, a group formed by neighbour Rhys Powell, a mining expert who maintains the project would have huge health, environmental and cultural problems if allowed to go ahead.
Fish and Game oppose it because the Karāpiro Stream is a trout spawning waterway and supports eels, kākahi freshwater mussels and carp.
Forest and Bird are concerned about the impacts of silica discharge on local biodiversity, particularly the long tail bat which are listed in and around the proposed site.
The already formed road leading up to the Waikato Expressway from Newcombe Rd which could become an on ramp. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The already formed road alongside Waikato Expressway leading up from Newcombe Rd which could become an on ramp. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Waikato Regional Council received 257 submissions opposing the quarry, five in support and two neutral.
While building on off ramps at Newcombe Rd appears an easy solution – a formed road already runs up towards the expressway – NZTA would have to buy land owned by Glenys Miller under the Public Works Act.
Miller featured in The News last month saying she did not support plans for a quarry next door to her and had made a submission to both the district and regional councils.
Glenys Miller in the garden she reestablished at her Newcombe Rd property. Behind her, where the pine trees are, is the planned quarry site. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
The chamber’s support of the quarry is echoed by Windsor Park Leasing, a company owned by racing legend Nelson Schick which owns property across the road on SH1 which it plans to develop into a quarry.
Both parties submitted it did not support the trucks going through Cambridge township and wanted on off ramps built to counter that.
“Haulage companies have indicated a preference for travelling through Cambridge due to shorter travel distances and lower operating costs. This could significantly increase the number of trucks in residential areas, posing safety risks to pedestrians, cyclists, and school zones,” says the chamber.
“This anticipated influx of heavy vehicles through Cambridge could degrade the town’s pedestrian-friendly character and pose noise, safety, and pollution concerns, not to mention costly damage to our roading networks.”
The chamber argues NZTA’s opposition to the extra ramps because of its proximity to Hautapu was in contradiction to other areas in Te Puke and Papamoa East.
The agency recently opened an interchange especially for the Rangiuru Business Park – about 4kms and 6kms from other SH2 ramps.
And a new Papamoa East interchange has gone in 6kms from an earlier one, the chamber says.
Cambridge resident Ray Talbot, a retired chartered professional engineer, said in his submission there would be serious safety concerns if trucks were allowed to enter and exit the quarry via Newcombe and Tīrau roads. Echoing NZTA’s concerns, Talbot said the unavailability of sight distance for truck drivers and other road users was critical.
The submissions are being collated at both the district and regional councils – 44 from Waipā would like to be heard and 34 from the regional council – and a hearing panel appointed for a hearing early next year.
See: Not on my doorstep
The intersection of Newcombe and Tīrau roads which submitters say does not provide enough sight for truck drivers. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
