Iain McGregor / Stuff
The obsolete quarry near the black ball in the photo is one of two that poses a danger to the general public on the west coast.
The risk to the general public from the two obsolete quarries on the west coast is “huge,” and one local leader states that the situation is “very urgent.”
Both quarries belong to the West Coast Regional Council. One is near the Black Ball and the other is at Kiwi Point near Stillwater, east of Greymouth.
The council temporarily suspended quarrying operations across the coast in May, “resetting” management, and a new bidding process for each quarry active in Inch Bonnie, Camelback (Kowhitirangi), and Hurst’s Ochle. I made it possible to prepare.
A consultant was called in to check the current status of each quarry, including those that are no longer in use.
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Keri Harrison said at a council meeting Wednesday that the Blackball and Kiwi Point quarries would require more technical safety work to cover the council’s legal responsibilities.
Blackball poses a risk to users of the recently expanded Croesus Rd that “rocks are about to hit the road.”
It hasn’t been used for about 10 years.
“I’ve had a pretty bad fracture in the last four years … it’s working.”
The movement was visible from the road and the site needed updated signs. Ideally, the site would be completely shut down, but in order to meet the new legal requirements of the quarryer, it had to be undertaken to mitigate the obvious risks on the site, Harrison said. ..
“Ground engineering reports may recommend blasting your face and dropping rocks to block access.”
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At the West Coast Regional Council headquarters in Greymouth, both the chairman and chief executive officer have been accused of bullying.
She said vibrations from heavy equipment during road widening would accelerate the movement of rocks.
Roads have improved with the opening of the new Paparoa Truck Great Walks in late 2019.
Cr Laura Coll-McLaughlin said the black ball problem sounds “very urgent.”
“I don’t know when to go.”
She said public security was at stake and the council needed to act immediately to cover its responsibilities.
Coll-McLaughlin said it seems necessary to immediately notify the imminent risk, at least to warn the general public.
Harrison said he last saw the Kiwi Point quarry in 2018, but this time it was difficult to access.
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The TranzAlpine train was hit by a slip near Stillwater earlier this month. (File photo)
Access to State Highway 7 was previously flagged following the 2018 and 2021 reports, which she described as “terrifying.”
The 2018 WorkSafe notice restricted the use of the quarry due to inaccessibility.
“It’s dangerous to deal with. My recommendation is to discontinue … the risk is enormous.”
The risk of rockfall will have the big consequence of “but the chances are still modest.”
However, a new assessment was needed to mitigate the imminent risk.
Kiwi Point is the location of a large slip that happened to land on an adjacent railroad line and collided with a TranzAlpine passenger train on its way to Greymouth earlier this month.