Earlier this month, the Dunedin City Council granted NZ Auto Parts Ltd consent to establish a car-wrecking yard on land to the south of the Taieri Aerodrome in Carncross St.
The consent was not publicly notified — correspondence from council showed the site was zoned industrial, which was "intended to provide for a range of activities that are not appropriate for other zones".
Otago Aero Club president Colin Chalmers said the club was most concerned about the visual pollution.
"Everyone knows what car-wrecking yards look like — they’re an eyesore.
"I think the proposed location is a stupid place to put it."
Homeowners near Silverstream had "paid a premium" for the view, and having a car-wrecking yard would ruin this, Mr Chalmers said.
"They also quite often have fires at car-wrecking yards, so we don’t want that at the end of the runway.
"I know we have to have car-wrecking yards, but surely they could be tucked away somewhere else.
"You will have walking and cycling tracks going right past this car-wrecking yard."
Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms said the proposal should have at least gone out for public comment.
"There are a number of affected parties here.
"There’s also the sensitive nature of the site and the risk of pollution.
"You’ve got quite an important recreational area at the other side of Silverstream ... There will be a considerable amount of community anxiety about this and the council should have anticipated that."
The prime concern was the loss of visual amenity and the environmental impact, Mr Simms said.
"They’re going to store wrecked cars just on the ground; it’s inevitable that engine oil and transmission oil will leach into the ground and over time leach into Silverstream.
"It’s not a major flood hazard, but it has flooded there before. It’s inevitable with wrecked cars that you would get some pretty nasty stuff in them.
"There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of mitigation measures.
"If it had been a notified consent we could have addressed these issues."
Consent documents for the proposed car-wrecking yard showed the council’s transportation planner "noted that the applicant is proposing to metal the internal site access, manoeuvring, loading and parking areas and on this basis is satisfied that the adverse effects of the activity on the transportation network will be no more than minor, subject to compliance with the recommended conditions of consent".
A council spokesman said industrial zoning rules did not distinguish between a car-dismantling business and other permitted industrial activities.
"In planning terms, the zoning means the presence of a car dismantler is not unusual or unexpected.
"Regarding mitigation measures, the planner’s report also discussed the triggers, which were earthworks for vehicle access and being close to a buried pipe; the surface type where vehicles move; and buildings in a flood-hazard zone."
NZ Auto Parts Ltd has been contacted for comment.
