Engineering
Introduction
This report was prepared as a review of the likely resource consents needed for a proposed project to build a quarry in the Nelson Region of New Zealand. (See appendix-figure 1) Issues reviewed include explaining the necessary contacts, the expected environmental impacts and some possible ways to mitigate environmental problems. Ultramafic rocks and pounamu areas. can be found at the eastern boundary of the Nelson Region. (See appendix-figure 2) Barker Christie, Robson, and Graham (2006, p. 23) reported that gravel sand and rock for building are located in every region including Nelson Region. Other mineral resources in the Nelson Region include hard rock gold, lead-zinc, molybdenum, platinum, and chromium that have a “resource potential valued at greater than $1 billion.” (See appendix-table 1) Nickel, rare earth metals, copper, titanium alluvial gold are available with a “resource potential valued at less than $1 billion. (See appendix-table 1) Less than 300 Mt of sub-bituminous coal has been identified in the Nelson Region (See appendix-table 2). Pockets of dolomite, magnesite, and silica sand have been located in the Nelson Region (See appendix-figure 3) The metallic and non-metallic resources in Nelson Region are possible monetary recourses for the region.
A quarry located on Kanuka Hill would have economic advantages. (See appendix-figure 4) The project would offer some jobs to local residents and economic advantages to some of the small businesses like local petrol stations. The region could also experience economic benefits from the sale of the products retrieved from the quarry. On the other hand negative impacts to the environment need to be weighed very carefully. New Zealand’s Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 (with revisions added in 2009 and 2013) is the country’s main document that describes the guidelines to follow for environmental protection. The goal of resource management is to use sustainable strategies and techniques. The RMA points out that everyone needs to be involved in the environmental impacts where they live. Residents have a responsibility to offer concerns, questions and perhaps even solutions to a proposed project. Industries and businesses are required to submit applications after a certain period of researching and consulting with appropriate entities. The RMA must be followed so the project will be legal; therefore the Auckland Council will need to be contacted as early as possible for advice and for the guidelines on resource consents.
Contacts: agencies, groups, and government departments
Twelve regional councils oversee the management of New Zealand’s environment. The regional councils are tasked with managing public resources that cannot be privately owned such as the shoreline, the atmosphere, the waterways and the soils. The two levels of councils under the regional category are city and district. A total of sixty-eight city and district councils are charged with managing noise, land use changes, impact on historical sites and native plants. “Five unitary authorities” have responsibilities that overlap with the regional and district councils. (Ministry, 2013, p. 6) If the building of the quarry is deemed to be of national significance than the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) will be the agency will take on the responsibilities that local councils would otherwise perform for a proposed project. The Environmental Court may also be involved in proposals that have national significance.
The RMA of 1991 (amended in 2009 and 2013) requires the management of the natural resources of New Zealand to be done in a responsible manner. The council offers written guidelines and the council staff can provide the types of resource consents needed for the specific location of the proposed site. The local government of Jananka must be consulted. The farmers and residents in Nelson region that could be affected by a quarry operating in the region all need to be consulted before preparing an application. A Marae of the indigenous Maori is located about 6 kilometres from the site PA Road bridge in the southwest direction so Maori organizations must also be consulted. The RMA makes sustainable management of natural resources a law. Sustainability means that the environment should be handled should not be negatively impacted and should be maintained in good condition for future generations. The Resource Management Act (RMA) makes sustainable resource management a responsibility of government, communities and individuals.
Issues that need to be addressed to meet requirements of Act 1991
RMA Part 1 Interpretation and application (2) Interpretation states that the mean for ‘mineral’ and ‘mining’ are the same as in the Crown Minerals Act 1991. The Crown Minerals Act of 1991 2(1) defines mineral 2(1 mineral) defines mining in this section 2(1 mining a-c)
RMA 1991 354 “Crown’s existing rights to resources to continue” explains the circumstances under which the mineral resources are still covered by the Crown Minerals Act 1991. The definitions and regulations in the Crown Minerals Act 1991 must be used because they are the basis of the interpretation of minerals and mining for RMA 1991.
RMA 1991 61Access arrangements in respect of Crown land and land in common marine and coastal area” This section applies because stripping the area of vegetation may cause runoff into the coastal area.
RMA 1991 Part 10 Subdivision and reclamations 218(2) Is the land or is it not subject to the Land Transfer Act 1952. This knowledge will clarify how the land will be treated under RMA 7(4A-4D).Also if the land is subject to the Land Transfer Act 1952 because under Section 224 the land will need to be surveyed if it is subject to the Land Transfer Act 1952 because Section 11(1)(a) requires that no person may subdivide land unless it is “allowed by a national environmental standard resource consent and a survey plan.”
RMA 1991 Section 88 Schedule 4 lists the information an application must contain before the council will accept it for processing.
Permissions: Resource Consents
Resource consents are documents for permissions that are not covered by the district plan. Consent authorities include the Regional Councils under the charge of the Auckland Council but local or district councils should be contacted first. (Ministry, 2013, p. 11) Building a quarry in a region and district will require resource consents for land use, discharge permit, water permit or be awarded a certificate of compliance. A certificate of compliance is the type of consent awarded to a project that does not need resource consent, but in the case of a quarry that is highly unlikely. A proposed project must receive all the necessary resource consents in order to proceed. There are many environmental reasons that the proposed quarry would require several resource consents during the construction and the operation. Individuals, groups and the council are permitted to request more information and the company proposing the quarry must comply and share the information desired.
Environmental Impacts of Construction and Operation
The proposed quarry site on Kanuka Hill in the Nelson Region will require the evaluation of the environmental impact on the air, water, rivers and the soil. The noise level in the area would be higher due to increased transportation and the operation of heavy machinery. Other impacts are discussed below.
- Water Quality
The proposed site is on the Kanuka Hill which is higher above sea level than the surrounding area. The runoff of rainwater and industrial use water could reach the Kanuka stream to the southwest. The Kanuka Stream is especially important because it is the source of the water supply for Inanga Township. The water line for the township starts near the Pa Road Bridge from there it is sent to the town. Water must also be safe for the livestock (sheep and dairy cows) to drink. Storm water from the site would also wash down PA Road where it could negatively impact the market gardens. The market gardens are bordered on the west by Wharf Road and on the south by the WaiToiToi River. Pollutants entering the Kanuka Stream would wash into the WAiToiToi River. The highways would act like a conduit for water runoff onto the PA Road to Wharf Road and might reach the WaiToiToi River.
- Aquatic and bird populations
A small wetland area would lie partially on the proposed quarry site and stretch to the south west to the Kanuka Stream. The aquatic life is typical for wetlands and includes small fish and frogs. The aquatic life would not survive the stress on the system. In the summer the wet area to the northeast dries up and the wetland that exists all year around would probably do the same from the stress, soil runoff, dust and could be ruined if an access road was built nearby. The bird population would move to another place because the habitat would no longer be suitable for nesting or foraging for food.
- Transportation
Increased transportation and the operation of the site would cause increased air pollution which would be a detriment to the health of the people in Jananka Township. Crops are also negatively affected by air pollution so the Maize crop and the market gardens. Dust from the building and operation would cause problems for plants because photosynthesis cannot take place efficiently when plants are covered with dust. Sheep and dairy cows in the area could be negatively impact by polluted runoff into their drinking sites and decreased air quality. A parking lot would need to be built for employees and visitors to the quarry. One or two lanes of wide access roads would be needed for access to the site from PA Road. Heavy equipment would be moved on to the site during construction and then the minerals mined would be moved off the site after they were dug out of the ground. This would further disturb the soil and plant life and add to erosion problems.
- Geology
Soil at the site measures approximately three meters from the surface before reaching solid rock. Disturbance of the soil would immediately increase the rate of erosion when the pasture crop, plants and trees are removed to make digging possible. A problem with vibrations could be experienced when the geological layer of solid rock is broken and shattered for transport.
Managing the Negative Impacts
Managing the negative impacts could prove to be costly. Ensuring water quality reaching drinking water standards would probably require a treatment facility so water entering the environment would not negatively impact the Kanuka Stream. The WaiToiToi River would also be protected if the water met safety standards. Other animals such as the sheep and dairy cows would be ensured safe water to drink.
Traffic on the road headed back and forth from the quarry could be expected to pass rigid pollution and noise tests before gaining permission for use. In order for the traffic and speed laws to be consistently followed more traffic police would be necessary for the area. Followi ng the traffic laws would decrease the noise and the pollution from the transportation of the quarry products. The trucks carrying the products could be carefully covered with tarp to cut down on dust.
The wetland could not be saved due to its being inside the proposed site. Barriers or fences could be erected along highways and access roads to block farm animals from entering the traffic. A barrier of sound proof materials could be erected to buffer the noise from the quarry’s operation. Or a grove of trees and bushes could be planted at the outer borders of the site as a buffer.
Conclusion
Resource consents for water quality, aquatic and plant life, change of land use, and air quality could be applicable. Water quality could be negatively impacted which would not be acceptable in the Kanuka Stream because it is a drinking water source. Noise pollution would be of great concern; the amount of noise during the building and operating of the quarry would be high from the heavy machinery. The noise level would also increase due to the type and amount of increased traffic. The operation of the quarry might cause unwanted vibrations. On the other hand the economic benefits might be large enough to build structures necessary to mitigate the negative environmental impacts. The appropriate governmental agencies need to be contacted at the very beginning of the planning process. All stakeholders including local residents and the Maori need to be consulted. The potential quarry management must expect questions from many sources in the community and be willing to share answers and data.
Barker (et al., 2013, p. 31) have demonstrated that the Nelson Region has a “significant potential for mineral resources. The economic benefits could mean economic growth for the region. The mineral industry point of view identifies the mineral resource value and the positive economic impact of developing the mineral resources. The public needs to be educated on the mineral resources value of the Nelson Region. Government agencies, public organization and individuals also need to be accepted as serious consultants for the proposed plan. This will require educating the public about what mineral resources are available and how the quarry will be of an economic benefit. The minerals industry can be expected to prove the reliability of environmentally sustainable technologies and strategies for extraction of minerals. The proposed quarry management should be expected to have a closure plan designed to rehabilitate the site with the mining is finished.
References
Barker, R.G.; Christie, A.B.; Robson, R.N.; Graham, I.J. (2006): “Recognising the mineral resource potential of New Zealand: A regional initiative,” Proceedings of the 38th annual conference 2006, New Zealand Branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. pp. 3-12. [Accessed 7 Sept 2013]
Barker, R.G., Christie, A.B.; Robson, R.N.; Graham, I.J.” (2006): Regional policies and mineral resource potential of New Zealand,” [online] GNS Science, GNS Science report 2006/25 Available at <http://data.gns.cri.nz/paperdata/paper.jsp?id=121739> [Accessed 9 Sept 2013]
GNS Science / TE PU AO, (2010). “Minerals: Growing the New Zealand minerals industry,” [online] GNS Science, Available at <http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Our-Science/Energy-Resources/Minerals/Research> [Accessed 9 Sept 2013]
Ministry for the Environment (Manatū Mō Te Taiao). (2013). “An Everyday Guide to the Resource Management Act Series 1.1: Getting in on the Act,” MFE, [online] Available at <http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/rma/everyday/overview/> [Accessed 7 Sept 2013]
Appendices
Appendix-Figure 1 Nelson Region of New Zealand with reference to the land (left) and the to the seas (right)
Appendix-Figure 2 Sites of ultramafic rocks and pounamu areas. Nelson Region is at the northwest corner.
Appendix-Figure 3 Sites of non-metallic minerals. Nelson Region has dolomite, magnesite, and silica sand. (Barker et al., 2013, p. 15)
http://www.kanukalodge.co.nz/location.html (two top maps)
Appendix-Figure 4 Proposed quarry site. (Class handout, 2013)
Appendix-Table 1 Metals available in New Zealand. Metals in the Nelson Region are marked column ten. . (Barker et al., 2013, p. 14)
Appendix-Table 2 Coal available in New Zealand. Coal located in the Nelson Region is marked column ten. (Barker et al., 2013, p. 16)
RMA 1991- #76 (4A-4D)
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM233685.html?search=sw_096be8ed80c0ffa2_exotic+mature+trees_25_se&p=1
(4A)A rule may prohibit or restrict the felling, trimming, damaging, or removal of a tree or trees on a single urban environment allotment only if, in a schedule to the plan,—
- (a)the tree or trees are described; and
- (b)the allotment is specifically identified by street address or legal description of the land, or both.
(4B)A rule may prohibit or restrict the felling, trimming, damaging, or removal of trees on 2 or more urban environment allotments only if—
- (a)the allotments are adjacent to each other; and
- (b)the trees on the allotments together form a group of trees; and
- (c)in a schedule to the plan,—
- (i)the group of trees is described; and
- (ii)the allotments are specifically identified by street address or legal description of the land, or both.
(4C)In subsections (4A) and (4B),—
group of trees means a cluster, grove, or line of trees
urban environment allotment or allotment means an allotment within the meaning of section 218—
- (a)that is no greater than 4 000 m2; and
- (b)that is connected to a reticulated water supply system and a reticulated sewerage system; and
- (c)on which there is a building used for industrial or commercial purposes or as a dwellinghouse; and
- (d)that is not reserve (within the meaning of section 2(1) of the Reserves Act 1977) or subject to a conservation management plan or conservation management strategy prepared in accordance with theConservation Act 1987 or the Reserves Act 1977.
(4D)To avoid doubt, subsections (4A) and (4B) apply—
- (a)regardless of whether the tree, trees, or group of trees is, or the allotment or allotments are, also identified on a map in the plan; and
- (b)regardless of whether the allotment or allotments are also clad with bush or other vegetation.
