Residents near a major Whangarei quarry fear they will be subjected to noise, dust and ugly terrain if the quarrying company is allowed to dump excess earth by their properties.
Otaika Quarry operator GBC Winstone is asking for a change to Whangarei's district plan that would potentially allow them to dump truckloads of topsoil, vegetation and unwanted rock on a 40ha piece of farmland, east of the existing quarry.
This material is called overburden and the quarry-owned grazing site - dubbed Peagram Block - is a direct neighbour of more than 25 properties on and near Raumanga's Smeaton Dr.
Mia Barton-Boots, on behalf of the Southern Whangarei Action Group, said residents' concerns were around pollution, important sites to Maori and noise.
Residents had been given the impression GBC had bought the block to provide a "buffer" between the quarry and residents but now wanted to expand operations onto the site, she said.