Alarm at housing plans for quarry

Three Kings scoria quarry. Photo / APN

A Three Kings community group leader says up to 1800 residences are planned on and around the area's quarry and he predicts big problems if that many are built.

Garry Bryant, president of the Three Kings United Group, said the scale of the scheme to redevelop Winstone Aggregates' quarry and surrounding land into a new inner-city housing estate would surprise locals.

"I have seen the plans and I think the community will be aghast at the proposed scale of the development and the poor - or no - restoration of a link to Big King from Mt Eden Rd," he said after a meeting with Winstone Aggregates general manager Bernie Chote last month.

But a spokesperson at parent company Fletcher Building said only 1200 to 1500 places were envisaged, plans were subject to approval and the community would have the chance to give feedback on February 1.

"Fletcher Building is already a partner in the provision of innovative housing solutions in other parts of Auckland, such as Stonefields," the spokesperson said.

Elyse LaFace, Winstone environmental co-ordinator, sent out invitations to the meeting on Saturday to examine the plans.

"Join us to view preliminary designs for the development and discuss the proposed scheme with our experts," the invitation says.

Mr Bryant said 1200 to 1800 residences might be built, up to six levels high. The quarry would be partly filled in and the residences spread out from there on to a playing field and land below a carpark.

"There would be between 3300 and 5000 extra people."

He said he was concerned about traffic because plans showed the main access to the housing estate would be off the relatively quiet Grahame Breed Drive, which runs off Mt Eden Rd.

Winstone Aggregates' Three Kings Quarry:

* Auckland's largest scoria quarry, more than 34m deep.

* Operating for more than 80 years.

* To be partly filled in and redeveloped.

* The Three Kings open day is at 10am-2pm on Saturday, February 1, at the Lynfield Room, Fickling Convention Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd.