Residents have made 14 complaints to the Christchurch City Council, over the past five years, about the Woolston scrap yard, but only one complaint was upheld by Environment Canterbury.

Fire crews were called to the fire at National Steel on Garlands Road in Woolston at 8pm, Wednesday.

Christchurch City Councillor Yani Johanson said he was advised this afternoon that a 2021-2022 investigation concluded that the discharge of contaminants and stormwater to land from the site’s activities was in breach of regional rules and the Resource Management Act.

Johanson said he was told that Environment Canterbury issued an abatement notice to the landowner to cease those discharges.

Meanwhile, Christchurch City Council Head of Regulatory Compliance Tracey Weston said the Regulatory Compliance Unit received 14 complaints relating to the property over the past five years, including 10 noise complaints, one complaint for health nuisance relating to alleged vermin, one complaint for height and location, one complaint for ‘screen of site requirements, and one complaint regarding “potential contamination from materials stored on the site entering into the stormwater system.”

None of those complaints were upheld, no issues were found, and the company was within the rules in relation to District Plan compliance – and all assessments met the plan standards.

Councillor Johanson said “unfortunately many residents have raised concern about the impact of the scrap yard for several years.

Council staff advised that the site is fully compliant, and did not require resource consent for the activity that was occurring.”

Johanson said “I believe it was and is appropriate that Council consider a plan change to control this sort of activity adjacent, especially adjacent to a residential area.

Council has a resolution for staff to report back and provide advice on the matter.

The concern is not that the site is industrial, but that certain types of activities in industrial areas adjacent to residential should have greater controls to mitigate the adverse impacts and potential risks that they can cause.”

Update on Fire

The fire is contained, although it’s still burning and will be for some time a Fire spokesperson said.

There were three appliances at the blaze at 5pm Thursday, including a specialist aerial unit, 16 firefighters along with 3 diggers pulling the pile apart to aid in the dampening down of this fire.

Cordons remain in place on the streets around the fire, including Cumnor Terrace, Garlands Road and Marshall Street. These will remain in place overnight.

In a statement, Environment Canterbury said run-off from the site has primarily gone to the wastewater network.

Citycare was pumping out the remaining contaminants from the stormwater line.

Two collection areas of oil were found; one by Opawa School, and the other by Radley Park.

A small amount of oil was flowing downstream with the outgoing tide. Booms have been deployed at the Rutherford Street bridge to collect and contain it.

Christchurch City Council has closed a manmade section of Heathcote River known as ‘The Cut’, at Connal Street. This is to direct outgoing flows through the natural river loop by The Tannery, and water sampling was being carried out

“We have our suspicions” – National Steel staff member

Scrap business National Steel wasn’t keen to talk to media this afternoon.

The company has four locations in New Zealand, including one in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch and Putaruru.

When Chris Lynch Media called the company’s headquarters and pressed the option for a “site manager” a staff member said the company didn’t want to comment.

When asked if he knew how the fire started the man on the phone said “we have our suspicions” but wouldn’t comment further.

The staff member was asked if the company has a message for nearby residents affected by the toxic smoke.

His response was “we have no comment really.”