My Account
They say the noise and dust emanating from the yard has been escalating as the operation has become busier to the point that they can no longer comfortably live in their homes.
But the claims have been denied by the owner of the boatyard, Conrad Robertson, who says noise control regulations are in place and Council has only approached the boatyard on one occasion, after a neighbour complained earlier this year.
“We had a party with a band on site – it was my son’s 21st,” he says. “As far as I am aware, we are complying with Council’s regulations.”
Council’s manager compliance Benedict Ferguson says a compliance monitoring inspection was undertaken last month in response to a number of concerns raised by the residents.
“Council is working with the boatyard operator, who continues to be cooperative, to resolve the outstanding issues,” he says.
“The yard’s resource consent requires periodic monitoring for compliance but there are no conditions in any consents specifically requiring the consent holder to undertake environmental monitoring of this site.”
A spokesperson for the residents, Michael Schwab, says the impact of the yard on neighbours was minor when it repaired mainly yachts and small vessels.
“They started extending towards the residential area around 2002, levelled a ridge that acted as a natural buffer and brought in bigger equipment,” he says. “The noise when they are anti-fouling the boats and grinding rust off the steel hulls is enough to send you insane. They work six days a week and in summer, this can mean from 7am to dark on weekdays. The work is often out in the open, which doesn’t help.”
One resident says that even with the windows closed, she often can’t hear her television and conversations are difficult.
“We can’t sit out on our decks or in the garden anymore. You feel like a prisoner in your own home.”
Relocated
The Robertson boat building business relocated from Auckland to the site in Warkworth in 1981. The land has been zoned special marine industrial since the late 1970s.
Mr Robertson says there is no set pattern to the way work comes into the yard.
“At the moment we are fairly limited by what we can do because of the weather. We are currently working towards getting more sheds on the existing footprint so more work can be done under cover.
“We want to improve the facility so we can cater for different types of work, but we also want to keep everyone happy. We are aware of our proximity to the neighbouring residential area.”
Jane Gifford trustee Hugh Gladwell says the boatyard provides the only significant haul-out in North Rodney and is a very valuable facility.
He denied the residents’ suggestion that any toxic run-off was going straight into the estuary and river.
“All washing of boats is done on the hardstand and any pollutant goes into tanks. The tanks are periodically pumped out and the waste disposed of off-site,” he says.
“Boatyards have to be on the water and unfortunately, rivers are also an attractive place for residential development. The area has always been an industrial site and residents knew that when they moved there.”
Mr Ferguson says that there is no evidence to indicate there is a risk of contaminants from boat maintenance activities entering the environment.
“Spill response provisions are in place on site and parts of the hard stand area have appropriate controls in place to catch or trap any potential contaminants to prevent them from entering the river.
“There are some concerns regarding activities taking place in areas of the boatyard that do not have appropriate spill containment measures in place, and Council has raised those concerns with the boatyard operator to ensure it is being addressed.”
Mr Gladwell says that with 20 staff, the yard is a big local employer and generates a huge amount of spin-offs for the community. Boat owners’ interests also have to be taken into account, he says.
“The possibility of establishing a facility like this is so difficult – you only have to look at how long it took to get the Sandspit Marina off the ground. One of the main objections to that project was that residents didn’t want the haul-out area to be increased.
“This area is poorly serviced in boating facilities and virtually nothing has been added in the last 20 years.”
Mr Ferguson says that to Council’s knowledge, there are no current plans to extend the commercial boatyard operations into the residentially zoned areas of the site and any substantial or significant changes to the boatyard are likely to require a formal consenting process.
Mr Schwab, who has lived in Rivendell for nearly 20 years, says residents have never been consulted on any of the changes that have happened at the yard.
“Just a few weeks ago, a patch of bush was cleared again without any consultation.
“This is a major planning and consultation failure by the authorities.”
