My Account
Snells Beach Ratepayers and Residents Association chair Mark Dinniss (front, right) with Dawson Road residents appalled at the prospect of an agonising three years ahead.
Snells Beach residents who insist a wastewater project site threatens the safety of children and creates unbearable noise and dust pollution are horrified by a proposal to extend its operations by a further three years.
The site in Dawson Road, next to Snells Beach School, is used by Watercare contractor McConnell Dowell to facilitate the construction of a replacement wastewater pipe that runs along Mahurangi East Road.
Watercare leased the Dawson Road Reserve site from Auckland Council for a period of 15 months and the lease was due to expire in July this year.
When work continued beyond July, concerned residents contacted McConnell Dowell, who informed them that the lease had been extended until next January.
The news triggered residents to make further enquiries with Watercare to pin down exactly when work at the site would end.
It emerged that Watercare was planning to apply for a lease extension until December 2023.
Permission for any further lease extension must be granted by the Rodney Local Board, prompting the chair of the Snells Beach Ratepayers and Residents Association Mark Dinniss to write to the Board urging that the request for a lease extension on the Dawson Road Reserve be denied.
Mr Dinniss says the present use of the site is causing considerable hardship for the community with truck movements taking place daily between 6.30am and 6pm and sometimes in the very early hours of the morning. In addition, there is continuous activity from cranes and loaders.
“The noise from this activity is very invasive. I met with a concerned group in a new, double-glazed, well insulated dwelling opposite the site and even with all windows closed there was considerable industrial noise, which if a window was opened became oppressive over any extended duration,” he wrote.
Other residents complain of serious dust pollution causing itchy and dry eyes, nose and throat.
Still others speak of the threat to the physical and mental health of children who live close by and attend Snells Beach School.
One mother, who asked not to be named to protect the privacy of her autistic son, described her son’s fascination with trucks. Having no concept of road safety, he has to be monitored every minute to ensure he does not run out to meet them or get into further danger by entering the unmanned gates at the project site.
She asked McConnell Dowell to at least close or monitor the gate when children were arriving and departing from school, and for no trucks to enter or exit during these times, but says McConnell’s commitment to do so has “barely ever happened”.
Mr Dinniss says residents in the area are close to breaking point. Some would like to sell and move out, but are unable to due to the industrial site.
“It is important to emphasise that we are accepting of the present unpleasant situation but that the additional three years is not acceptable,” he says.
But in a surprise twist, the chair of the Board of Trustees for Snells Beach School has come out in support of the project site, at least as far as the safety of children is concerned.
Jarrod Dove says there have been no health and safety concerns for children and the contractor has communicated often and has largely abided by time restrictions on truck movements.
“The school has a teacher on Dawson Road every day before and after school doing a school crossing, so they see it,” he says.
Mr Dove adds that the contractor has proved a good neighbour for the school. On one occasion it sent around a front-end loader to help create a bike track, saving hours of work shifting metal with a wheelbarrow.
He says parents have even come into the school insisting that the project site should stay as moving it would incur extra costs, which would ultimately be borne by ratepayers.
“Don’t get me wrong, we would not want them there forever, we would prefer the area to be a useable park, but we recognise the work needs to get done,” he says.
Watercare spokesperson Maxine Clayton says Watercare wants to extend the lease to facilitate construction of a wastewater pipe from Warkworth to a new Snells/Algies Wastewater Treatment Plant.
She says relocating the current project site on Dawson Road will indeed incur considerable cost.
Commenting on residents’ concerns, she says Watercare has not received any complaints about noise, dust or child safety, and that these may be coming from nearby construction activity, not connected to Watercare activities.
Ms Clayton says all work at the site has been undertaken consistent with the resource consents and requirements of Auckland Council.
She says Council is responsible for presenting the new lease proposal to the Rodney Local Board and, as yet, no date has been set.
McConnell Dowell declined to comment on matters raised in this story, referring enquiries to Watercare.
