Parties appealing resource consents allowing a $300 million cement plant to be built near Oamaru have outlined their concerns at an Environment Court hearing on Monday.
In 2008, the Otago Regional and Waitaki District councils granted consents for Holcim to build the plant at Weston, with more than a 100 pages of conditions attached.
The Waireka Valley Preservation Society and Andrew Renalson say the impact on the landscape at Weston cannot be remedied, mitigated or avoided because of the large scale of the plant.
It would occupy an area 1km in length, produce about 880,000 tonnes of cement a year and have a chimney stack more than 100 metres tall.
The parties believe a Cement Policy Area in the Waitaki District Plan, which provides for the development, should carry little weight and is merely a vestige of legislation from 30 years ago.
The Waitaha Taiwhenua o Waitaki Trust Board is a party to the society's appeal.
It says Holcim's proposal does not recognise or provide for the Waitaha people's kaitiakitanga, or guardianship, over the area.
