"This operation, whilst operating a similar type of operation [to Tachikawa], is using new machinery and there are several teething issues with the noise being generated by this machinery," an agenda report stated.
"Council noise and planning teams are working closely with the owner, who is being very proactive and has employed an acoustic consultant who will ... assess the issues relevant to the operation of the plant and the District Plan requirements," the report said.
One Lynmore resident, who spoke on the condition he was not named, described the noise as a "banging, crashing and a whining sound".
He said it was constant throughout the day and could be heard "clear as day" from outside his house.
The man said he initially put it down to teething problems but several weeks down the track he wanted something done about it.
At the meeting, councillor Charles Sturt said the issue should be a priority as he had heard from people in Ngapuna and Lynmore who told him "the constant din is driving people up the wall".
However, Mr Sturt said the new mill was a win-win for the city with the site providing more jobs for locals and adding significantly to the economy.
"We have to also be mindful they have invested a lot of money into the project and we have to thank them for coming here to redevelop the site," he said.
The council's chief operating officer Dave Foster told the meeting Lumbercube management had been "quite co-operative" and the matter was of high priority for both them and the council.
"We have been meeting regularly with them," Mr Foster said.
"Most of the complaints are regarding logs falling into feeder units dropping a short distance as they go through testing of their site."
Pedersen Group chief operating officer Gavin Hudson told the Rotorua Daily Post that the operation was a world-first square log processing plant and the teething problems with the new equipment would be fixed as soon as possible.
"We are a good corporate citizen. We are privately owned and we employ a lot of people in the area and a lot of them live in Rotorua," said Mr Hudson.
When the mill was fully operational, the company expected to be employing 160 to 170 workers, he said.
"We've only been here for nine weeks producing product. We are deep in the commissioning phase and there is still construction going on on-site. We are not the finished goods."
Mr Hudson said he understood the public's concerns and the company had engaged noise-control experts Marshall Day Acoustics to mitigate the noise issues.
He said the company had given the council a letter explaining the process and what Lumbercube was doing, which would be passed on to anyone who complained about the noise.
"We have invited the council into our business, they have visited here a number of times and we are updating them weekly on what we are doing," said Mr Hudson.
"Bear in mind we have a start-up business going on and now we have to deal with some issues that have come up, and noise is one of them.
"We will fix it. We have a very good idea of where we will need to focus our energies, and it's the logs and how they move through the process.
"We will be compliant to the District Plan and we want it done as soon as possible," Mr Hudson said.
The company has also appointed a community liaison officer as a contact point for any community inquiries.
Council compliance solutions manager Neven Hill told the Rotorua Daily Post most people who complained understood the issues after having them explained.
"They [Lumbercube] are doing the right thing and are doing as much as they can," said Mr Hill.
"As this is a first in New Zealand, there have been teething problems and we understand this.
"They have been working closely with us which has been great. Most complainants acknowledge this and understand it will be a temporary problem."
- Additional reporting Rebecca Malcolm
Lumbercube noise issues
- 137 complaints received since late September.
- Plant is currently in a commissioning phase.
- Noise blamed on "teething issues".
- Runs from 7.30am to 7.30pm.
- Acoustics experts have been called in.
