Who is RS Sand?

RS Sand Ltd is 100% owned by Stevenson, a business with more than a century of experience that operates two sand quarries, five hard rock quarries and four ready mix concrete plants in the Upper North Island. Standing behind Stevenson is its owner – Fulton Hogan, a leading civil construction and infrastructure contractor in NZ and AU with over 90 years’ experience and extensive sand and rock quarrying experience.

When could the proposed quarry start producing sand?

Once resource consent is gained it will take around six months to establish the site including forming the bund, catchment ponds and platforms for processing machinery with the quarry producing some pit sand during this time. The construction of the processing plant will enable concrete sand and other washed products to be sold after 12 months.

What size is the proposed quarry?

The quarry is made up of a 23-hectare staged pit area towards the western boundary and a 4-hectare plant area (for processing and stockpiling) to the east of the pit.   The pit will be developed and rehabilitated in five stages. It will reach a maximum of 3.4ha in the first six years (stages 1 & 2) before growing to 6.6ha in years 6-14, and then reducing to 5.1ha for years 21 to 25.

How many people will be employed at the quarry?

Up to 10 people will be employed plus four people working for subcontractors carrying out annual or two-yearly stripping activities. We will use local suppliers and subcontractors as much as possible for plant repairs and maintenance including electrical and plumbing, machinery hire, transport, stripping, planting and pest control, fencing, etc.  Around $5m will be spent or generated for the local economy annually, with an additional $3 to $5m in transport spending.

What are the proposed operating hours?

The quarry will mirror the standard working hours of the construction industry. The quarry is proposed to operate for up to 50 weeks of the year on the following basis:

• Monday to Friday – 7:00am and 5:00pm.
• Saturday – 7:00am and 12:00pm.
• Sunday and public holidays – Closed.

Transport

What type of trucks will be delivering sand from Newcombe Road Sand?

There will be two types of trucks transporting sand to customers across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.  Trucks will provide sand to new developments in Cambridge, with larger truck & trailer combination units heading out of town to service customers outside of Cambridge. For larger local developments, a larger truck & trailer combination unit may also be used.

How much traffic will the quarry generate and where?

Our expert traffic consultant CKL reports that the average number of trucks per day would be 78 truckloads or 156 movements (allowing for there and back).  Taking a very precautionary approach, CKL have assumed peak numbers of 200 trucks per day. This is a very conservative maximum that represents more than double the average daily movements. [When we say conservative we mean it is more likely to be over-estimate than an under estimate of the traffic numbers.] Any instances where we utilised the maximum traffic numbers applied for, i.e. 200 truckloads, would be likely be project based and on a short time frame i.e. Cambridge to Piarere, large building platforms and large concrete pours.

What route will the trucks take?

Truck routes will be determined by the individual driver upon exiting the proposed Newcombe Road Sand Quarry. The location enables truck traffic to be split over a number of arterial routes, avoiding excessive numbers on any one route. A significant number of the truck movements will be servicing the Cambridge North and South growth cells. These truck movements will occur on Cambridge roads whether the sand is sourced from Newcombe Road Sand or elsewhere. As a responsible neighbour, the proposed Newcombe Road Sand Quarry will contribute to the upkeep of Newcombe Road, and other key intersections or roads determined by Waipa District Council’s resource consent for duration of the resource consent.

Air quality

What measures are in place to maintain good air quality around Newcombe Road Sand?

We will have strict measures to minimise dust.  The quarry will operate as a wet process and have control measures in place, including, dust control, PPE equipment, and administrative control. Health and exposure monitoring will be performed, and robust training will be provided. Dust suppression systems are located throughout the quarry to minimise dust and contain it at the site. Electronic monitoring equipment will ensure that dust limits are not exceeded. We are committed to providing a safe environment for all staff, contractors, and visitors to the quarry.