The Environment Court will tomorrow resume sitting in Oamaru to finish hearing appeals against a proposal by Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd to build a $400 million cement plant in the Waiareka Valley near Weston.
The court has already spent 20 days spread over a total of six weeks from March 9 hearing submissions and evidence on the proposal.
The Otago Regional Council and Waitaki District Council granted 46 resource consents for the plan in February last year, but these have been appealed by Holcim itself, seeking to clarify conditions, the Waitaki Valley Preservation Society and other interested parties.
Tomorrow, the court resumes at 10am to complete the hearing.
It will hear evidence from society witnesses, planner David Whitney and economist Rodney Jones, before legal counsel deliver closing submissions.
The court is likely to reserve its decision.
Once a decision is delivered, Holcim will carry out a detailed feasibility study of the project which will result in its New Zealand board of directors making a recommendation on whether or not to build the plant.
That recommendation will go to Holcim's parent board in Switzerland for a final decision, at the earliest at the end of this year.
