A section of the Ngaruroro River six months after Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Warren Buckland
More gravel should be extracted from Hawke’s Bay rivers to meet growing demand, including for the Hawke’s Bay Expressway four-laning project, a quarry advocate says.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) sets allocations on how much gravel can be taken from rivers in the region.
They allow excess gravel to be removed from rivers to reduce flood risk and also provide a vital resource for the likes of roading.
The limits also ensure enough gravel is left behind to avoid erosion around bridges and roads, and also prevent negative changes to rivers.
Aggregate and Quarry Association (AQA) chief executive Wayne Scott has questioned the accuracy of the regional council’s data for setting its allocations, and believes more gravel should be extracted.
The AQA estimated the entire Hawke’s Bay Expressway upgrade - to begin construction in November - would require 600,000 tonnes of aggregate.
Scott said if more locally sourced aggregates, including gravel, were not made available close to the project, then aggregates would likely need to come from out of the area, which would increase the cost.
“The problem we have in Hawke’s Bay is there have been these floods, there have been these build-ups in the rivers ... and at the same time we have seen significant reductions in allocation of gravel extraction from rivers,” he claimed.
“And it has come at a time when demand in Hawke’s Bay is growing all the time.
“The feeling in our sector up there is that there is a lot of gravel build-up in the rivers.”
n HBRC spokeswoman said its current allocation was similar to previous years.
She said 1.7 million cubic metres of gravel had been allocated for extraction between July 2025 and June 2026 across the Tūtaekurī, Ngaruroro, Waipawa, Tukituki, Makaretu, Mangaonuku and Tukipo rivers.
The spokeswoman said their data for setting gravel allocations was updated every three years using a licensed surveyor, who assessed rivers at a “design gradeline” or bed level.
They also took on board surveys completed by industry groups, she said.
“Areas where the survey data is above the design level, it’s considered a surplus area - gravel can be extracted.
“If it’s below the design level, it’s a deficit area - no extraction is allowed.”
She said their data had been updated since the Cyclone Gabrielle floods in February 2023.
However, she said the council was now trialling new methods with LiDar technology to better assess gravel build-up.
The AQA supported modern technology such as LiDar being used to provide the best-available data.
The HBRC spokeswoman said setting limits was important to “protect the health of the rivers in the long term”.
That includes avoiding damage to roads and bridges from scour and erosion, avoiding negative changes to a river’s shape, making sure there is enough gravel to move downstream, and also avoiding “riverbed degradation”, which can make a river channel unstable or erode the berms and weaken flood protection.
Holcim plans to expand its Hastings quarry, and has bought an 18ha vineyard next to its Mere Rd operation alongside the Ngaruroro River, which it wants to convert into a land-based quarry extracting rock, gravel and sand.
“The expansion supports long-term aggregate supply needs for the region, following changes to regional river management that have reduced access to river-based materials,” Holcim said this year.
Meanwhile, the High Court has temporarily blocked a 29ha land-based quarry linked to company Tupore, at Maraekakaho near the Ngaruroro River, after objections from iwi.
Extracted gravel from Hawke’s Bay rivers is mainly used for civil works, such as making roads. Extractors such as quarries can apply to the council to take gravel from those seven rivers.
Extractors can also make a private resource consent application to take gravel from other rivers.
The AQA wants aggregate consents to be attached to major roading projects, such as the Hawke’s Bay Expressway upgrade, to avoid shortages.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi principal project manager for the project, Jacob Laird, acknowledged supply concerns for roading aggregates in the region.
He said his project team had explored options to directly secure aggregates.
“[However] it was determined that regionally-based contractors and suppliers are best positioned to manage this.”
NZTA has established a Hawke’s Bay Expressway Supplier Panel with a mix of suppliers.
“Whilst NZTA is not sourcing aggregates directly, it is anticipated that contractors will be sourcing roading aggregates from suppliers within the Hawke’s Bay region.”
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.