New meat plant hearing likely

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 392, 25 June 1991, Page 3

New meat plant hearing likely

'Hobson's choice' faces the Ruapehu District Council on the matter of the Raetihi Industrial Scheme Change, which would allow the establishment of a meat processing plant in the town.

The council agreed last Friday to its lawyers negotiating a consent order with AFFCO New Zealand Limited's lawyers which would give AFFCO status in council and Planning

Tribunal hearings on the scheme change matter. Council general manager Cliff Houston said to agree to the consent order was 'Hobson's Choice' in that if the council did

not, AFFCO could tie up the matter for a very long time by taking it to the High Court for consideration. The consent order suggested provides for: advice to AFF£ O of the scheme change; AFFCO if it chooses to give written notice of its submissions or objections to the change; the council to

then publicly notify a summary of any requested alterations given in any submission or objection and inviting support or opposition to any such objection; the council to hear any objection or submission and any cross objectors supporters; the council to reconsider previous objections and cross objections/support Mr Houston said after this process AFFCO could still take the matter to the High Court

but only on a point of law. Mayor Garrick Workman said AFFCO would have to produce evidence of hardship to support their claim that their Taumarunui meat works would be economically threatened, if they objected to the change. And others could provide evidence in crossobjection to their case to prove otherwise. He snid it would basically mean a whole new hearing for AFFCO.