Green leader backs Coromandel mill critics

By AINSLEY THOMSON and NZPA

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons will support locals and conservation groups who plan to appeal against the approval of a $30 million sawmill on the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Whangapoua Environmental Protection Society said it would almost certainly challenge Tuesday's decision to grant resource consent for international logging company Blue Mountain Lumber to build a mill at Te Rerenga.

The mill, which will employ about 40 people and is expected to process about 200,000 cubic metres of pine logs each year, will be 3km from Whangapoua Beach - considered one of the most beautiful on the Coromandel.

Locals and environmental groups say the mill and its 30m "smoke stack" will ruin the landscape, which they say is of outstanding value.

They are also concerned about the environmental risks to water and air quality, as well as the danger logging trucks would cause on the narrow, winding Coromandel roads.

Society spokesman Paul Bibby said a decision about whether to proceed with an appeal would be made at a meeting on Monday.

Ms Fitzsimons said she felt sad for the community, who had worked hard to protect the environment.

She questioned whether it was appropriate for the mill to be built in a rural area, saying it was more suited to an industrial zone.

Ms Fitzsimons said it was not appropriate for her to become actively involved, but she would support the actions of people and groups if they decided to fight the decision.

Forest and Bird is also considering an appeal and the Department of Conservation, which opposed the development, said that it was examining the ruling and would make a decision later.

Maori in the area said they feared what the mill might do to shellfish.

Blue Mountain operations manager Matthew Hitchings said he was prepared for legal battles to continue.

"That's fine. That's how the process works and that's what will happen."

He expected legal costs of between $500,000 and $1 million - far more than expected.

"What I think is a pity is that if they looked through the resource consenting processing, the last round of hearings were really good in that we looked at the facts of what the project is all about."

He said a consultant had been used on the project - in planning for three years - and all efforts were made to keep the mill "environmentally appropriate".

Construction of the mill, likely to begin next summer, will take up to 10 months and employ about 60 people.

Once completed, logs will be delivered six days a week and kiln-drying will be round the clock, seven days a week.