Oppose the Managed Fill

Thank you for your support to read Tammy’s guide to submissions click here.

Opposing the Proposed Managed Fill Site at 362 Jones Road, Hunua

The Hunua, Ararimu and Paparimu Valleys are home to a close-knit rural community that values peace, natural beauty, and the safety of our roads and environment. A publicly notified resource consent application has been lodged by Scarbro Contractors for the establishment of a managed fill site at 362 Jones Road.

This proposal poses significant concerns for our residents, including increased truck traffic, environmental degradation, noise and dust, and a shift away from the rural character that defines our community.

The Hunua Ararimu Paparimu Valley Residents Association (HAPVRA) is calling on residents to take action by making a submission and, if possible, contributing financially to help the community respond with expert support.

What is Being Proposed?

The applicant seeks resource consent from Auckland Council to operate a managed fill site—a facility that receives and places construction and demolition materials, typically clean fill like soil and rubble. While this is not the same as a landfill, the environmental and lifestyle impacts can be significant.

The site lies within a predominantly rural residential area, home to many families, farms, lifestyle blocks and native ecosystems. This is not a suitable location for a large-scale managed fill operation.

How Will This Affect Our Community?

Residents are particularly concerned about the following issues:

Increased heavy truck movements on narrow, rural roads not designed for high-volume industrial traffic.
Noise and dust from daily truck activity and earthworks.
Potential environmental harm, particularly in an area with nearby wetlands and streams.
Cumulative impacts on amenity, landscape values, and community wellbeing.

These are not minor concerns—they directly impact the health, safety, and character of our valleys.

What You Can Do

1. Prepare for the hearing – if you opted to be there via your submission.

The application was open for public submission until Monday 15 July 2025. If you made a submission you would’ve seen the option of being available for the hearing – should there be one.

Via the details online via Auckland Council

Right now what you can do:

1. Get your evidence together, pictures, facts, and case if you want to speak at the hearing.

2. When will the hearing be held?
It was originally anticipated that it might have been scheduled late September early October. However, some significant information gaps in the application have been identified through submissions which we think will result in the hearing being delayed while we wait for the further information from the applicant. Also, with the huge number of submissions for the Council staff to read and also the commissioners (they make the decision to grant or decline consent) to read that will slow the process. In terms of what you need to do and when this next phase works backwards from when the hearing date is set.

3. What comes next?

Councils planners report – this is Council staffs recommendation on the application needs to be out 15 working days before the hearing.

During this time the Applicant (Scarbro) must provide information that they want to present at the hearing 10 working days before the hearing.

Submitters (us) must give expert evidence 5 days before the hearing. HAPVRA will at least have a landscape architect and our legal counsel.

For the general public, it will be your personal submissions, and you are able to ‘table’ information the day of the hearing.

The hearing will go for a number of days, and you will be given a speaking slot, with so many of us expect around 15 mins.

So what do you do between now and then?

Think about what you are going to say and provide as information at the hearing. Remember you cannot introduce new points that you didnt raise in your submission. For example if you didn’t mention anything about noise in your submission you cannot speak to that point in the hearing.

We have asked for a copy of all submissions. It can be worthwhile referencing others submissions where you agree, this helps the commissioners see where there is common themes/ key arguments amongst us.

4. Can I get a copy of submissions?
Yes, these can be made publicly available.

We encourage everyone in the community to speak up—your voice matters.

5. Donate to the Community Fund

HAPVRA has set up a dedicated fund to support formal opposition to this proposal. The fund will be used to engage:

Expert planners and technical specialists to review the application and provide professional evidence.
Legal services to support the preparation of submissions and representation at the hearing (should i arise)

These professional services are essential to ensure the community’s concerns are presented thoroughly and taken seriously under the Resource Management Act process.

Bank Account Details:
Hunua Ararimu and Paparimu Valley Residents Association Inc
12-3031-0111444-01
Please use the reference: “Jones Rd Fund” + your name (optional)

Please note:

HAPVRA is not a registered charity, so donations are not tax-deductible.
All contributions are non-refundable.
Funds will be managed by the HAPVRA committee or an appointed subcommittee and likely go towards the Ararimu Landfill
Any remaining funds after the process concludes may be retained for future advocacy or community initiatives, in consultation with the community.

A financial report will be made available to donors on request.

Why This Matters

Our valleys are not just where we live—they are a way of life. The clean air, quiet roads, and connection to the land are part of what makes this place special. This proposal risks changing that permanently.

By standing together, we can make sure our collective voice is heard and that the future of our community is shaped by those who live here—not by external developers.

We thank all residents for their support, involvement, and action on this important issue.

HAPVRA Committee
Hunua Ararimu Paparimu Valley Residents Association
Contact: contact@hapvra.nz