Expansion of a sawmill and timber processing facility
- Client Name
- Waipapa Pine Limited
- Location
- Northland, New Zealand
Challenge
Waipapa Pine Limited (WPL) sought to expand their sawmill facility in Waipapa, Northland. The project included a new dispatch area, processing facilities and an additional boiler for running the timber kilns. Resource consents were required from the Northland Regional Council and the Far North District Council for air and wastewater discharges, earthworks and various district plan non-compliances.
WPL required a range of specialists to advise on how best to approach the resource consent process and to provide the expert reports to support their resource consent applications.
Solution
SLR was engaged to lead the preparation of the resource consent applications. SLR’s planners based in our Whangārei and Auckland offices provided WPL with strong local planning knowledge of the regional and district councils, and a track record in industrial consenting processes.
SLR advised WPL on the consenting strategy, worked with a range of specialists, led the preparation of the consent applications, and facilitated the regional and district council consent processing.
Additionally, during the preparation of the applications, it became apparent that additional advice was needed for:
- The storage and handling of hazardous substances and an assessment of the facility against the hazardous substance rules of the district plan; and
- Landscaping of the site, including boundary buffer, swale and wetland planting.
Drawing on our wider multidisciplinary teams, SLR was able to promptly provide these additional services through our landscape architecture and contaminated land teams based in Auckland.
The resource consent applications were granted on a non-notified basis. SLR also worked closely with WPL, the project team and the councils to ensure the resource consent conditions were workable while still appropriately managing potential environmental effects.
Impact
Resource consents were granted which gave WPL the certainty to continue with their expansion project. The expansion will provide a range of benefits to the local community including local employment opportunities. A notable positive outcome from the project has been the development of the relationship between WPL and Ngāti Rēhia (tangata whenua of the area), including the potential for local employment opportunities.
