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Going the extra mile for the environment
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Holcim New Zealand’s Westport quarry has been in operation for nearly 50 years. As part of its long-term commitment, Holcim New Zealand plans to have the land surrounding the quarry fully restored to a maturing native forest by 2040.
The ambitious plan to fully restore the land surrounding the Westport quarry began in the 1980s with rehabilitation to mitigate the visual impact of quarry operations. Since then, the project has developed into a plan to improve the biodiversity of the quarry and its surroundings.
This ongoing commitment was recognized when Holcim New Zealand won the Environmental Excellence Award for quarry rehabilitation in 2007. The project was being praised as “an excellent example of a company taking long-term responsibility for the restoration of all the land associated with a major cement manufacturing facility.”
Four guiding principles
The overall goal of the rehabilitation at Westport, to be achieved by 2040, is to restore a mosaic of indigenous forest, a lake within the quarry area and wetland communities similar to that which existed prior to human (principally European) arrival. So far over 60 hectares have been rehabilitated or set aside for regeneration. The work is based on four guiding principles:
  • Rehabilitation should mimic natural forest regeneration.
  • Direct human contact is to be minimized.
  • Rehabilitation is to be concurrent with quarrying operations.
  • Costs must be well managed.
    • The land to be restored has been divided into four zones, reflecting the specific ecological makeup. The most ecologically sensitive zone is the coastal restoration zone adjacent to colonies of the endangered New Zealand fur seal (arctocephalus forsteri) and little blue (or fairy) penguin (eudyptula minor).The rehabilitation plan necessitated the establishment of a nursery at the site to raise eco-sourced indigenous species under local conditions. This nursery supplies Holcim with up to 50,000 plants each year.
    A grant for studying quarry rehabilitation
    The project has had scientific input from the early stages from the School of Forestry at Canterbury University. The university has supervised projects to assess the re-establishment of native species in the quarry environs and has presented reports on the success of the rehabilitation so far. With this in mind, Holcim has provided grants to Canterbury University for the study of quarry rehabilitation. These studies will serve as a basis for ongoing monitoring work and should provide a long-term appreciation of the results of the program and hopefully establish the site as an important example of rehabilitation.

    The resources Holcim has provided and the commitment of Holcim employees over the past 20 years set an example of dedication and continuing effort even in difficult times. Employees have volunteered their time and energy during these years to make sure the rehabilitation work will continually be a source of pride.

     
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