The need for aggregates across the Canterbury region has intensified over the past 10 years as Christchurch has rebuilt following the earthquakes.
Quarries which would normally be expected to provide aggregates for many decades have been depleted much earlier as building and construction returns Christchurch to a liveable, vibrant city for future generations.
As the region continues to develop, so will the need for aggregates. To ensure a reliable and sustainable supply of this vital resource, Winstone Aggregates has purchased a property in Burnham, West Canterbury and will be working towards gaining the appropriate resource consents to quarry it in the future.
As an industry leader with many years’ experience operating in the region, Winstone Aggregates put considerable thought into the location of the potential new quarry, looking specifically for a property that was situated away from densely populated areas, and could be managed sensitively to limit any potential effects on the local community.
The property in Burnham meets these specifications plus has an additional benefit of operating as a working farm, which will allow Winstone Aggregates to take an innovative approach to managing the property long term. If resource consents are granted for quarrying operations the property will largely continue to be farmed with only a small proportion of the site quarried at any one time. The area quarried will then be rehabilitated and returned to farmland.
This approach will allow us to balance the needs of our customers, with the environment and community we operate in.
As we turn to the next stage of the project, obtaining the appropriate resource consents, we will engage with mana whenua, our neighbours, resident groups and anyone else who is interested. We want to help people understand how this quarry will benefit Canterbury, as well as demonstrate how seriously we take our responsibility in managing this quarry sensitively for the local community and environment.
We are still in the early stages of planning this quarry – please check back for more details as the project develops.