Principal raises health concerns over South Wairarapa quarry

Students from Featherston's St Teresa's School working on a creek restoration project, funded by Greater Wellington Regional Council. Photo / Supplied

A quarry in South Wairarapa would create a health risk and lessen the attraction of the town, a Featherston principal has told council.

Jennifer Muth represented the St Teresa's Primary School board at a South Wairarapa District Council meeting in Martinborough yesterday.

A PJ Warren quarry near Kahutara, South Wairarapa. The firm has launched a resource consent for another site near Featherston. Photo / Supplied

She was one of three Featherston locals addressing councillors on the controversial resource consent for rock crushing.

In August, Greater Wellington Regional Council approved a 10-year consent application by PJ Warren Earthmoving to extract rock from a 32ha plot on the outskirts of the town.

The company then applied to SWDC for a consent to crush rocks on the site.

St Teresa's, an integrated Catholic school with a roll of 98, is the closest of Featherston's primary schools to the Underhill Rd site.

Muth said the application would put sports activities at the school and nearby Sports Hub at risk due to increased traffic from heavy goods vehicles.

She also said the dust and noise could prove harmful, and lessen the attraction of the school and town.

"The potential for that dust to impact our school, our students, our staff, is of huge concern.

"It's already difficult to recruit teachers in Featherston. If you add a health risk, you're facing not being able to staff the schools."

She said a GWRC-backed project to restore wildlife to the nearby Donald's Creek could also suffer.

Sharon Garrett, a hypnotherapist whose home office is close to the site, also spoke at the meeting.

"The deep state of relaxation needed would be impossible to achieve due to the vibration and constant noise of a rock crusher".

Garrett said other businesses on Underhill Rd would be similarly impacted.

Responding to the public submissions, South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen said councillors could not direct staff on the matter.

Beijen said the application's status meant it was "not appropriate for councillors to make requests of officers".

"This is an entirely operational matter with officers exercising the delegated powers given to them under RMA [resource management] legislation."

PJ Warren Earthmoving was approached for comment.

Director Peter Warren reiterated his stance that he did not want to comment publicly during the consent process.

The consent remains on hold after SWDC requested more information from the company.