Rubbish site plans rehearing opens

Press, 13 August 1980, Page 6

Rubbish site plans rehearing opens

A rehearing over the proposed Styx Mill Road rubbish transfer station site made a rapid start last, evening when no new evidence was put forward to support the proposal. A Waimairi County Council planning hearing subcommittee accepted "as read” evidence to the first hearing last November and resubmitted by the five designating authorities — Christchurch City,' Kaiapoi and Riccarton boroughs and Heathcote and Paparua counties. The requirements to designate the 9 ha site, on the north-side of Styx Mill Road and east of Cavendish Road, is being heard by Cr I. Calvert—(chairman), Cr H. M. Tait, and Cr E. L. Bonisch. This. is- the same committee which heard the previous requirement, by the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee, and ruled it to be null and void last February., About 1520 >7 objections were received against the new- The Redwood Action Committee represents I3GI pf these. Thd rehearing is set down for 7 another four sessions, one each day, with the last on Saturday morning. Opening the "first session, Cr Calvert said the committee would take as read any evidence identical to -that given’ at the first hearing and would also accept any new evidence presented to it.

For the designating councils, Mr J. R. Milligan tendered a 150-page booklet of evidence presented previously as the explanation in favour of the . site designation. The booklet would be reprinted. Mr. Milligan told the com;mittee he would not call more evidence. He said he also accepted that all those who objected to the. first designation requirement could be considered as objectors in the rehearing. However, Mr Milligan 'warned that if the issue eventually went before the [Planning Tribunal, the status of. some objectors might be challenged. For the Redwood Action Committee, Mr W. A. Hearn said he had' no objection to previous evidence .being taken as read, proposed by Mr Milligan. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport and the’ Canterbury United Council indicated previous submissions from both bodies should also be taken as read. There were no questions by the hearing committee or objectors on these submissions, or about the evidence supporting the designation, i That evidence -contains statements by 12 local-body; and consultant engineers and a consultant landscape architect. . The booklet sets out rub-

bish-disposal problems In Christchurch, the role of the transfer station in the metropolitan scheme, and details of the proposed site outlay. For the Ministry of Works, the district highways engineer (Mr R. D. Odhams) gave new evidence updating the financial situation over roadworks associated with the proposed site. i The National Roads Board had been unable to provide funds ■ this year for upgrading the Styx Mill Road-main highway junction, as recommended by the district roads council, Mr Odhams said. Further application for the necessary funds in the next financial year was likely. However, the application would be considered on a national priority listing and “against a restricted budget,” he said. In submissions on points! of law, Mr Milligan said the "propriety” of the over-all refuse scheme should not be part of considerations of,the site suitability. He said it was also inappropriate for the way the transfer station may be run to be considered, or for any conditions to be imposed with the designation, as could be done on an application for planning permission. The hearing will resume at 6.30 p.m. today with reports on the requirements by staff of Waimairi County and evidence by objectors.