North Canterbury residents vow to fight landfill proposal
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
About 100 people gathered at a community meeting to "fight" a proposal to create a landfill in North Canterbury.
Christchurch company Protranz Earthmoving Ltd wants to establish a landfill at its quarry at White Rock, near North Loburn, north of Rangiora.
Community meeting organiser Mike McCaleb said he was thrilled with the turnout at the Ashley Rugby Club rooms on Tuesday evening, where people expressed their opposition to the proposed landfill.
‘‘Better to have all these people to fight this thing with me, than to fight it alone from White Rock.’’
Residents at the meeting raised concerns about the risks to groundwater and the Karetu River, which a dozen households rely on for drinking and stock water.
McCaleb said he believed the quarry was unstable due to the limestone and porous rock, and the underground springs.
The prospect of more trucks driving up and down the road was also a concern, he said.
The group has set up a website to oppose the landfill [whiterock.org.nz] and was seeking environmental engineers and experts to help them.
Protranz was not invited to speak at Tuesday’s meeting.
The company recently invited neighbours to visit the site with its engineering consultants WSP.
‘‘Around 75 people showed up and it got a bit heated and unruly, so we didn’t want a repeat of that,’’ McCaleb said.
Protranz Earthmoving Ltd is seeking to restore the Whiterock Quarry, at 150 and 174 Quarry Rd, Loburn, to near its previous landform, by filling it with managed fill.
The proposed class 3 landfill would accept ‘‘inert and sorted construction and demolition waste, and contaminated soil material’’, a leaflet produced by the company says.
It would not accept uncontrolled construction and demolition waste, or municipal solid or green waste.
Protranz general manager Shaun Coakley acknowledged the concerns voiced by residents.
"I want to reassure the community that comprehensive site investigations have occurred and various technical reports will be completed, addressing factors such as stability and ground/underground (groundwater seepage) conditions."
The reports would be available as part of the consenting process.
He said the resource consent applications were being prepared to lodge with Environment Canterbury and the Waimakariri District Council.
The company proposed establishing ‘‘a relatively small" managed fill landfill 500,000 cubic metres.
He said the design exceeded best practice for the inert type of fill accepted, and there would be environmental and contingency measures.
Truck movements would be relatively low, with an average of one truck every 20 to 25 minutes, he said.
The Whiterock Quarry dates back to the 1950s.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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