The effects of building a cement plant in the Waiareka Valley ranged from acceptable to unacceptable in contrasting arguments put to the Environment Court.
The Waiareka Valley Preservation Society argued the effects were unacceptable, because of the size of the plant proposed by Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd, and it should not be built.
Holcim, the Waitaki District Council and the Otago Regional Council argued they were acceptable and resource consents should be granted for the plant.
The society's legal counsel, Royden Somerville, on Friday asked the court to decline resource consents granted for the plant last year by the Otago Regional and Waitaki District Councils.
"The scale of the proposed cement plant means that it is inappropriate on this site unless that scale could be modified for its absorption into the landscape," he said.
The proposal would cause cumulative effects of an unacceptable scale in a rural zone, Mr Somerville said.
The Waitaki district plan allowed for the plant through a "cement policy area", which was originally put in place in the 1980s.
But Mr Somerville said the site was not the last remaining site for a cement plant of this size - the society had suggested an alternative at Pukeuri.
Holcim counsel Mark Christensen said the proposal was even more appropriate because it was a cement plant in a cement policy area.
The area reflected community expectations for development of the land.
"This site is one of three instances in the country where the district plan provisions specifically provide for cement manufacturing," he said.
The others were Westport and Whangarei.
Holcim had considered 18 alternatives for a new plant throughout New Zealand and the valley site was preferred for practical, operational, environ-mental and consenting reasons.
Mr Christensen did not accept that evidence from the Waitaha people established the plant site and quarries as sacred, but said it was a "valued landscape".
The starting point was Ngai Tahu, which spoke for Waitaha in a collective sense.
"Holcim wants to work with all parts of the community, including Ngai Tahu and those with Waitaha [descent]."
It would be entirely inappropriate at this late stage to accept a veto now lodged by "a small but sincere group of Maori" (Waitaha), Mr Christensen said.
Counsel for the two councils, Alastair Logan, said cement manufacture was provided for in the Waitaki district plan on the site designated as the "cement policy area".
