Community wins battle against new landfill
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
A community leader is relieved a proposed landfill near Oxford, in North Canterbury, won't go ahead.
‘‘We are pleased and relieved for the community that the proposal to create a landfill in the existing Woodstock Quarry site has been declined,’’ Thomas Robson (pictured), the Oxford-Ohoka Community Board deputy chairperson, says.
‘‘There was overwhelming community opposition to this proposal due to the unsuitability of the site and the potential damage to the environment.
‘‘This was evident by the huge number of submissions against the proposal, and the amount of negative feedback the community board received.’’
The board was among those who submitted against the proposal, citing traffic, fire safety, dust, operational logistics and amenity effects.
Hearing Commissioners declined an application from Woodstock Quarries Ltd to create a landfill and expand an existing quarry site last week, concluding the applicant provided ‘‘insufficient information’’.
The Oxford-Ohoka Community Board was among those who submitted against the proposal.
Woodstock Quarries Ltd submitted resource consent applications in 2021 with Environment Canterbury (ECan) and the Waimakariri District Council to develop a landfill at 513 Trigg Rd, View Hill, near Oxford.
ECan consent planning manager Aurora Grant said the commissioners concluded the project posed ‘‘unacceptable risk to nationally and regionally significant biodiversity and cultural values’’.
‘‘The decision is consistent with the Environment Canterbury officer’s recommendation, and the position of the Oxford-Ohoka Community Board and Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga.’’
During the consent process, opponents questioned the need for another landfill when the Kate Valley Landfill near Waipara, in North Canterbury had capacity and the Burwood Resource Recovery Park landfill in Christchurch was closed in 2019 due to a lack of use.
In its submission, the Oxford-Ohoka Community Board raised concerns about traffic, fire safety, dust, operational logistics and amenity effects.
In all, 397 submissions were received, with 395 in opposition.
The hearing process took more than 12 months, with 11 joint witness statements, Grant said.
Protestors interrupted a hearing in the Oxford Town Hall in July last year and were verbally abusive towards staff and commissioners.
ECan was forced to temporarily suspend the hearing, which resumed in Oxford the following month
The applicant and submitters can appeal the decision to the Environment Court within 15 working days of receiving the decision.
Woodstock Quarries Ltd director Darryn Shepherd declined to comment.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Kalle
"Sports and travelling run in the family, and that's kind of what's led me to come to New Zealand."
"I grew up in a small town in Finland. My dad was involved with sports all his life, he was a shot putter, discus thrower, powerlifter, we traveled quite a bit when I was a kid. He never mentioned much of the rugby days. He just said he broke both of his shin bones playing rugby, so he said, ‘never play the sport, It's crazy.’
I started playing when I was 18. I played my first cap for the Finnish national team in 2014, we won the Finnish championship with my club. Rugby is not a big thing in Finland.
I moved here to play rugby in 2017. The club that wanted me to come over was Methven Rugby Club. They got me here and they were like, ‘what do you do for work? I’d just finished chef school in Finland. ‘We'll get you a job at Mount Hutt as a chef, you can do that while you play rugby with us.’ I said, ‘Perfect. Yeah, I'm in’.
I've always loved food. My mum was an amazing cook, and still is. When I was studying tourism I worked in some hotels in Finland, and I saw how the chef's worked. I just loved the kitchen vibe and I was like, Yeah, that’d be something I'd love to do.
I've had more of a culinary journey In New Zealand than in Finland. I started at Mount Hutt, after that I worked at The Dubliner in Methven. I worked as a senior pizza chef at Sal’s for maybe six months then worked as chef de partie at Cellar Door. At Eliza's Manor, I worked myself up to a junior sous chef. Then the opportunity came to work my first head chef job at Moon Under Water.
We're privileged to have a busy atmosphere, we can try new things and get a bit creative. There are no TV’s, just come here with your family or with your mates, play board games, to socialise.
I really want to drive the local food and ingredients through the menu. We don't mind spending more for quality ingredients as long as it's supporting New Zealand businesses. We just love to use local. And it's pub food, but I feel like it's elevated.
I play club rugby here for the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand and I still play regularly for the Finnish national team, whenever they can fly me over to play."
- Kalle
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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