Drury South

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked questions relating to Drury South. The questions and their answers are broken into 4 subject areas - the Project, the requests for Plan Changes and MUL Shift, the quarry and lastly project specifics.

The project - question 1-4

The planning process - questions 5-13

The quarry - questions 14-19

The specifics of the project - questions 20 - 31

On the Project

• 1 What is the Drury South project and where is it located?
  The Drury South project is a concept for the establishment of a 223 Ha (net) industrial zone for ‘land extensive’ business activities.  These activities include construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade and distribution activities. 
  
  The project is located in the Drury basin, to the east of the Southern Motorway (SH1), between Drury interchange in the north, and Ramarama interchange in the south.  The Drury Quarry is located at the base of the Hunua foothills on the eastern edge of the project.

• 2 How big is the area, and who owns the land?
  The overall project area is approximately 361 ha.  Almost one-third of that is utilised for public open space, stormwater treatment and management and roads.  The project area is anticipated to provide direct employment for approximately 6,900 people when fully developed (around 2025-30). The Stevenson Group owns approximately 60% of the land. The balance is owned by other private parties.  

• 3 Why a new industrial area?   
  In 2007 the former Papakura District Council (PDC) adopted its Economic Development Strategy which recommended the establishment of a construction cluster and logistics hub in the district. This was to build on the area’s natural resources, such as the aggregate quarries, and to provide further local opportunities for business and employment.
  
  Analysis from the former Auckland Regional Council confirmed that there is a regional shortage of industrial land. At the same time, analysis undertaken as part of the Papakura District’s Economic Development Strategy process identified that one of the area’s strengths is in the existing construction industries – activities like the Winstone and Stevenson quarries, pre-cast concrete and concrete pipe manufacture at Hunua (Red Hill), and the Firth block-work plant in the Quarry Zone at Drury South.   
  
  There are synergies between industrial and quarry activities.  The Drury South basin also presents a relatively large and flat area of land that is well located for industrial activity including locational factors such as, close motorway access, availability of high voltage power, high pressure gas, telecommunications and water supply.  Furthermore, there is an opportunity to direct the Drury Quarry truck routes through the proposed industrial land, thereby limiting the need to travel through rural-residential areas.

• 4 How many jobs will the Drury South project create and where will the workforce come from?
  It is estimated that this area would ultimately accommodate businesses which would directly employ approximately 6,900 people and induce a further 12,200 jobs in the Auckland region (overall direct and indirect employment estimated at approximately 19,100 jobs).
  
  The potential work force will come from across the Auckland region, but is expected to be primarily focused on Papakura, Franklin and neighbouring Manukau.  These workers can get to the area by different modes of transport, with improved roading connections, public transport (including via train to Drury), and extended cycleway connections.  The mode of transport used depends on where workers live and how soon public transport options are provided.

The planning process

• 5 How can Stevenson propose to change the zone on land that they don’t own?
  Under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) a plan change can be requested by any party. The Council needs to decide whether to adopt the plan change as a Council plan change or accept it as a private plan change.

• 6 What needs to happen to change the land from rural to industrial?
  Under the RMA Stevenson Group has prepared a private request to change both the existing Papakura and Franklin District Plans, now administered by the Auckland Council.  This involves seeking to introduce new provisions into the two District Plans, including but not limited to, the introduction of a new structure plan, the rezoning of land and amendments to objectives, policies and rules.
  
  Auckland Council will also need to change the current location of the Metropolitan Urban Limit in the Auckland Regional Policy Statement and identify a new Industrial Air Quality Management Area in the Auckland Regional Plan: Air, Land and Water.  
  
  A Network Discharge Consent application will also be required and Notices of Requirement for certain primary roads and the stormwater management / public open space areas may also be required.   Later, further applications for consents under the district plans for subdivision and development and under the various relevant regional plans for earthworks and other development processes will be required to give effect to the project.

• 7 How does this fit with the Auckland Spatial Plan?
  There are references in the Auckland Plan Discussion Document “Auckland Unleashed” released in March 2011 to a lack of industrial land to cater for future economic and employment growth.  The need to identify, zone, develop and make available a significant amount of additional “greenfield” industrial land is acknowledged in the document.  It identifies that Drury South, amongst other areas, is being considered through statutory and non statutory processes as a means to address this shortfall.

• 8 When was the request for District plan changes lodged?
  The initial request was lodged with Auckland Council on 3 May 2011.

• 9 What happens next?
  The lodgement is the beginning of a formal process under the Resource Management Act 1991(RMA). The diagram below shows the steps a plan change process must follow, these are statutory and not tailored to this plan change request.

• 10 When will the plan changes be publicly notified?
  The decision to notify the plan changes is one for Auckland Council, and as such we do not have a fixed date for when that might occur.  Given that Council needs to assess the request and report to its Committees, it is estimated it will be around the third quarter of 2011.

• 11 How will I find out and how can I have my say?
  As with all notified Resource Management processes in Auckland, the details will be notified in the Public Notices section of the New Zealand Herald.  Auckland Council will also write to parties identified as potentially affected. Once the request is publicly notified a date by which formal submissions can be made will be set – this is the opportunity to make a submission.   As mentioned above, it is estimated that the period for submissions to Council will occur during the third quarter of 2011. As with any plan change process, the Council is required to prepare and publicly notify a summary of all submissions received.  At that time further submissions may be made opposing or supporting primary submissions.

• 12 Can I get copies of the request for the District Plan changes?
  The plan change request documents are available on our website (www.drurysouth.net.nz) and CD versions are available by phoning 0800 000 583.  Also, the Auckland Council will make copies available for public viewing prior to notification.

• 13 Will there be public hearings?
  Yes, following the close of the submission period the Council will notify all those that made a submission or further submission of a hearing date and where it will be held.  It is unlikely that hearings will occur until 2012.

On the quarry

• 14 What does this mean for the Quarry?
  The Drury Quarry is an important regional asset with sufficient aggregate to operate for another 150 years or more.  The Drury South project has been designed so as to avoid impinging upon the continued efficient operation of the Quarry.
  
  A benefit for the Drury Quarry and community would be that over time its trucks would be traveling through the industrial zone, as opposed to through rural-residential areas.  The road layout has been designed to provide trucks direct access to the Ramarama and Drury interchanges without accessing existing local roads and also avoiding the Ramarama School.  

• 15 Are you expanding the Quarry Zone as part of this project? 
  The project does not involve expanding the Quarry zone.  It proposes to replace the western portion of the current Quarry zone with an industrial zone.  
  
  The Drury Quarry is regionally important, supplying over one-third of Auckland’s aggregate.  As noted above it has the potential to supply Auckland for a further 150 years.   As demand for aggregate increases so will the number of truck movements to and from the Quarry.   There are likely to be more truck movements outside peak traffic times to avoid motorway congestion.   A key concern for the Stevenson Group is the increasing amount of rural-residential development in the area and the increased risk of conflict between land uses.   One objective of the zone is to protect the routes between the Quarry and SH1. 

• 16 What are the current rules relating to operating the Quarry?
  The Drury Quarry is located in its own Quarry Zone.   This means it is permitted to quarry there and does not need a specific resource consent in this zone to undertake those activities.  It operates under the terms of a Quarry Management Plan.   Stevenson also holds a number of Regional Plan consents relating to the quarry activities.  In terms of hours of operation it is permitted to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• 17 What about trucks coming and going from the Quarry?
  In terms of trucks coming to and from the Drury Quarry, these trucks are not restricted by any specific resource consent condition or by-law and as such are entitled to use the roads 24 hours, 7 days a week.    

• 18 Are you rezoning to use the overburden from the Drury Quarry? 
  No.  The Drury Quarry has the consents required and the land required within its own boundaries to take any overburden (general soil material covering the aggregate sources) within the Quarry zone. The Quarry does not need land outside the Quarry zone to place overburden material.  Given that the Drury South project is adjacent to the Quarry it has been identified that the overburden could be used to assist with the re-grading for the project.  

• 19 Do Stevenson have consent to use the Quarry overburden on the new industrial land?
  No. This would need to be applied for once the land had been rezoned.  If the land is not rezoned the Quarry has a consent to dispose of the overburden within the Quarry Zone so there is no issue with needing to find another site.

Project Specifics

• 20 Why can’t there be a new interchange for the Quarry that creates direct access to SH1?
  The NZ Transport Authority (NZTA) has control over the state highway network and previous discussions with them have indicated that they do not wish to see any further interchanges on the motorway in this area.  An additional motorway interchange could interfere with the safe operation of the existing interchanges at Drury and Ramarama. Access to Drury interchange will be improved considerably by the improvements recommended to Quarry Road and Great South Road intersections.

• 21 Can the road system cater for the extra traffic?
  Yes.  Detailed analysis and a peer-reviewed Integrated Transport Assessment have been undertaken which identified that with the proposed improvements to the road network the additional traffic can be accommodated.

• 22 Will future development exacerbate the flooding issues in Drury?
  The Drury South project has been designed not to cause increases in flood levels either upstream or downstream of the project. This is achieved by accommodating flood flows in the wetlands and open spaces provided within the project areas.

• 23 Is the Drury South project in a floodplain?
  The Drury South project includes earthworks to create sites and roads above the floodplain. Earthworks will also create lower areas in the floodplain that will be used for wetlands and public open space and will provide space for flood waters in big flood events. Rules in the proposed District Plan change for this area will require buildings in the Drury South project to be located above the 100 year flood level.

• 24 Does the Council have flood data for the Drury catchment? Who monitors storm water in Drury?
  Yes.  Auckland Council holds data recorded after a major flood event in December 1988 and a survey of flood marks was carried out by Stevenson after a smaller event in June 2009. Rainfall data has been collected from gauges at Longford Park, Hay’s Creek, the Papakura Filter station and as well as at the Bombay interchange near the top of the catchment. Stevenson records rainfall information at a weather station located at the Drury quarry.
  
  Two studies have been made of flooding in this catchment; the Hingaia Stream Flood Management Plan (Snelder, 1991) and the draft Hingaia Stream Integrated Catchment Management Plan (Golder, 2010). Both have drawn on recorded rainfall and flood data and both included computer modeling of flooding. The later follows recent Council guidelines for catchment management which require that potential stormwater issues are identified and options for addressing them are assessed. As such, it takes the Drury South project into consideration.
  
  Auckland Council is responsible for monitoring the operational rain gauges as well as monitoring water and sediment quality in the Hingaia Stream. Council contributes to Waicare; an organisation that involves the community in monitoring water quality in the Hingaia Stream. Council also monitors performance of the drainage network including flooding complaints in Drury Township.

• 25 What will this mean in terms of noise and trucks on the road?
  The increase in noise levels to adjacent rural dwellings, as a result of the Drury South project and the increase in truck traffic to and from the quarry, will have minimal to no impact (1 – 3 decibels greater than existing noise readings in the project area) according to studies of existing noise levels.  With dedicated truck routes through the project area the increase in truck traffic expected over time will have little to no recognisable noise effect on neighbouring dwellings.

• 26 What will the views from SH1 look like for visitors arriving in Auckland?
  The Drury South project sets aside 26% of the project area as open space including 40 metre plus riparian corridors along the full length of the Hingaia and Maketu streams.  The Hingaia Stream is close to and largely parallels the SH1 alignment.   Existing and proposed vegetation along this open space corridor will to a large extent screen the project on the east side of the stream when viewed from SH1.  In addition, landscape treatment proposed along the SH1 edge and additional landscape amenity controls have been developed for the land that sits between SH1 and the Hingaia corridor to further screen and give context to the project.  
  
  Further the area is already heavily modified by existing urban infrastructure – including SH1, a Transpower switching station, four high voltage power corridors, the quarry and its trucking routes. There are also existing industrial activities operating in and adjacent to the project area, including the Firth block-work plant and the Tegel chicken factory.

• 27 What will happen to the areas of existing native bush along the Hingaia and Maketu Streams?
  There are several pockets of native bush that have been identified in the past as areas recommended for protection.  These will all be protected and retained as part of the public open space areas in the project.

• 28 How will the Hingaia and Maketu Streams be protected?
  The streams will be protected and enhanced as part of the rezoning.  Forty metre riparian corridors will be established and this area enhanced through weed removal and revegetation with native species appropriate to the Ecological District and riparian environment. In addition, significant areas of stormwater management wetland and storage areas will be located adjacent to the stream enhancing the open space character and quality of the streams.

• 29 Why not leave the land on the west side of the Hingaia Stream out of the plan change area?
  The low lying land on both sides of the Hingaia Stream is an important part of the Drury South concept. This land will be re-contoured to create stormwater treatment wetlands and to accommodate floodwaters in large storm events. As such, it is not feasible to leave the land between the Hingaia Stream and SH1 unmodified.

• 30 Does the project include low cost or other housing?
  No.  It is for industry.  No housing is provided in the proposed zone.

• 31 Will air pollution from the project prevent me from drinking water collected on my roof?
  No. The potential air quality effects will be first and foremost mitigated by the requirement for compliance with the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality. In addition, buffer distances have been provided for between industrial activities and residential areas. An air quality management assessment has been carried out and is available as part of the Plan Change Request documentation.