Fonterra rail resource consent approved

Monday, 19 April 2010

Fonterra's resource consent application for additional rail facilities to service its Edendale dairy processing plant has been approved by the Southland District Council's resource management committee.

The application sought consent for a new rail siding and a new rail crossing over State Highway 1, about 650m north of the recently constructed dry goods store, and for 24-hour seven-day-a-week use of these.

The committee granted consent subject to 14 conditions after a hearing was held on March 29 and 30 in Invercargill.

Fonterra representatives had outlined at the hearing the siding and crossing would facilitate greater use of rail for transporting products, and would also significantly reduce the use of the existing southern rail crossing to the Fonterra plant over State Highway 1, in central Edendale.

Eight of the 10 submissions were oppposed to the application, with concerns expressed about potential noise effects, potential adverse effects from changes in road traffic movements which may be brought about by the new rail crossing over the state highway, adverse effects on existing amenity levels, potential adverse effects of vibration from train movements, and adverse effects on property values. The New Zealand Transport Agency, as administrator of State Highway 1, conditionally supported the application.

During the course of the hearing, the committee received expert technical evidence from the company's acoustic consultant on potential noise and vibration effects.

The extensive conditions imposed on the approved consent include detailed monitoring to ensure that all conditions, including conditions relating to noise and vibration, are compiled with fully.

Both the applicant and submitters can appeal to the Environment Court.

Who to contact

If you would like to discuss a matter on this page, feel free to contact us:

Bruce Halligan
P.O. Box 903
Invercargill 9840
Phone: 0800 732 732
Fax: 0800 732 329
emailsdc@southlanddc.govt.nz