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Coal Plan Upsets Residents

Posted on: Monday, 27 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By COX, Sandra

A major coal stockpile planned east of Westport is upsetting local residents, with one saying she will leave her home if it goes ahead.

Brookdale Mining proposes building and operating a coal stockpiling facility to hold its coal from a mine on the Denniston plateau.

It wants to store up to 90,000 tonnes in a rural area, 7km east of Westport.

The company, the Buller District Council and residents will debate the proposal at an on-site meeting this week.

One resident said that although the stockpile would be 150m from her house, she worried the dust would contaminate her water.

The woman, who did not want to be named, is also concerned at the noise trucks to and from the site will make.

"I feel helpless really ... You pay dear for a property in Westport now and you don't want trucks and goods going all night and the dust flying," she said.

"I've got nothing against anybody starting up a business, but we'll have an option to sell up."

Brookdale Mining Company owner Robert Griffiths said a stockpile was essential to the mining operation, which would create about 50 jobs over its 20-year life.

After 12 years planning, he hoped to open the mine and start development in four weeks.

Action would be taken to limit dust and water run-off.

He denied the residents' water would be tainted as the prevailing wind blew the other way. "Vehicles coming and going will probably be the worst effect, but that's all noise measures. There shouldn't be any effects on the environment."

He expected all the coal would leave the district through the Westport port. "It's definitely got to be a benefit all round. There might be some people who are a bit annoyed about trucks, but we can't avoid that. It's the only way we can do things at this stage."

Griffiths, who lives near the site and already has coal trucks passing his door every day, said he doubted the stockpile would ever reach 90,000 tonnes.

The Buller council has gone back to Brookdale, asking for more information.

A planning consultant for the council, Rebecca Inwood, said a 5m bund would help contain noise and dust and mitigate visual effects. The operation could run around the clock.

Most of the seven immediate neighbours notified opposed the proposal, citing noise, trucking, water quality, construction of soak pits, dust and the area's semi-rural nature.

A company that grows cranberries outdoors 300m away said Brookdale had alleviated its concerns. Cranberries New Zealand Ltd chairman Doug Marsh said the company supported economic development on the West Coast.

Source: Press, The; Christchurch, New Zealand

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