Fletcher Building subsidiary Burnham 2020 Ltd wants to turn 361.9ha of farmland into a quarry about 500m from the camp. It has applied to Environment Canterbury for resource consents.
The proposed quarry will be operated by Fletcher Building subsidiary Winstone Aggregates.
In its submission to ECan, the New Zealand Defence Force said if noise was not managed by the quarry, it would disrupt personnel and other Burnham residents.
“NZDF is concerned that noise generated by any proposed quarry nighttime operations could disrupt residents and staff sleeping in barracks,” it said in the submission.
It also wants assurances about the quarry’s potential effects on water sources and transport routes, and how dust will be managed.
“NZDF seeks that the resource consents if granted, include appropriate measures and conditions to mitigate potential effects on the camp. Otherwise, NZDF requests that the application be declined.”
If approved, the company will turn a dairy farm on the intersection of Grange and Aylesbury Rds, which it bought in 2021, into an aggregate quarry, 40ha at a time. It intends to return it to farmland afterwards.
The defence force is one of 22 submitters, including nearby residents, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the Ministry of Education, and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The organisations raised concerns they would like addressed, while the residents are all opposing the application.
FENZ wants clarification about the amount of water available on site for firefighting, while the Ministry of Education wants dust, traffic and any other effects on Burnham School managed.
NZTA was concerned about the quarry’s traffic management plan not having restrictions on which roads trucks would use.
Nearby residents are opposing the quarry for its size, dust, effects on underground water, increase in traffic and noise, and the impacts on rural lifestyle.
Fletcher Building declined to answer questions from Selwyn Times.
All the company would say was: “We’re currently working through the submissions received and will actively engage with submitters to better understand and address their concerns. This includes the Defence Force and FENZ.”
A date for a hearing is yet to be set.
