A message from the Chair of the Cambridge Chamber
Newcombe Road Quarry – Public Notification. Submissions close 18 October.
I want to bring to your attention the potential impact of the Newcombe Rd Quarry trucks increasing heavy vehicle traffic in our town.
With the rapid pace of growth and economic challenges facing our community, the Chamber plays an important role in ensuring key issues like this consent application are noticed while you're busy running your business.
Chamber concern is around degradation of our town amongst the increased truck carriage of up to 400 movements a day (200 in and 200 out).
While we don’t have a fundamental issue with the quarry itself—provided it operates within its consent conditions and is closely monitored—our primary concern is the additional pressure this traffic will put on our already busy roads. This poses safety risks for our community and could negatively affect businesses.
While mitigations like traffic management plans are proposed, the uncertainty about their effectiveness resulted in the conclusion that these effects could be more than minor.
We will continue to advocate for the construction of on/offramps and explore options to ensure that these trucks don’t need to passthrough town.
Your voice matters in shaping the future of our town, and we need your input to explore every viable solution.
If you have concerns, now is the time to speak up.
I encourage you all to consider the impact and submit your concerns to protect the safety and well-being of our community.
Tracey Olivier
Chair
Cambridge Chamber of Commerce
A comment from the Chamber CEO
I have a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of our town, and without proper management of truck routes, Cambridge will undoubtedly feel the impact of a quarry at this location.
See excerpt below taken from the reporting planner
While measures such as signage, a Traffic Management Plan, haulage contractor agreements have been discussed and proposed by the Applicant to reduce truck movements through Cambridge, it must also be recognised that these measures have limitations in terms of their effectiveness.
My assessment is that there are potential effects in relation to ecological effects, transportation and the loss of highly productive land that are more than minor/potentially more than minor and, on this basis, I recommend that the application is publicly notified.
After much research, I have dug deep on solutions to mitigate truck congestion.
With ramps clearly not on the short-term agenda, we propose submitting that the following instruction is a condition of consent.
Peter Carr - Life MemberAge of Reason
A few years ago, we were blessed with the extension of the Waikato Expressway which relieved Cambridge of a high number of mainstream vehicles including many large trucks. And the town retailers have benefitted enormously as a result with an influx of new, financially loaded, visitors spending in their establishments.
Well, unless you do something about it, your happy and quiet days are over. A local fruit grower is cashing in by leasing a large area of(mainly sand formed) land for a period of up to 30 years. To a major quarrying company intent on making a large profit at the expense of ruining your town.
Large truck and trailer units will be leaving from just south of the golf course in the main to head northwards – which is where the product is needed. These units, weighing in the region of 40 tonnes when loaded, will be crawling through the town paralysing pinch points at the low bridge roundabout, the hill up past Countdown, the roundabout at the top by the Town Hall and the roundabout at St Andrews church. And do not forget that they will return empty for another load.
That is 400 movements a day – yes you read that correctly. Or, during the day at a rate of a truck every 1minute 39 seconds.
Alternatives such as the turn-round at Hydro Road and the possibility of another access to the Expressway are pipe dreams that the truck operators will just ignore. The landowner and his client the quarry operators do not, nor will, care that they have no control of the trucks.
So, danger looms ahead. Carbon excesses in the atmosphere will abound. Road surfaces will be ruined especially on the hill areas.
There are those who will beat the drum in the interest of the environment and the (yet to be seen by anyone) long tailed bat. Good luck to them in their earnest endeavours but the Waipa DC -who have asked for comments – will not be swayed by their arguments.
Don’t expect your local Waipa District Council to rush to your aid. They are intent on swallowing up any and all roading matters into an everlasting discussion group that will take years to provide sound results – if any.
Likewise, don’t expect your local elected councillors to gallop in to help you - other than wringing their hands. One of them is intention leaving the council, one does not live or work in Cambridge and one of them has been described – from within and outside the council – as totally non-effective.
You have until late October to be make effective and well pointed comments on the forthcoming degradation of your lovely town, the effect on road safety, the myriad of school-bound children and the atmospheric filth and associated diesel laden noise that will spread throughout the CBD. And the queue at the Expressway junction southbound where the traffic lights are very restrictive, will just grow exponentially.
Whatever your concerns the council needs to hear from you as soon as possible. This is your town, your livelihood, your standard of living. Further down track any lack of action will only bring sadness. You only have one shot at this.