Overview

Winstone Aggregates' Hunua Quarry has been in operation since 1956. The quarry is one of Auckland's largest and supplies a substantial part of the region's quality aggregate requirements, primarily for infrastructure such as roading and concrete.

Based on current market parameters and projections, the quarry's present extraction area only has a few remaining years of economic aggregate extraction. A second extraction area within the quarry zone, on a part of the property which includes a feature known locally as Symonds Hill, is planned.

For more information about the the quarry, its history, operations, and proposed development click here.

History

Hunua Quarry began in the 1920s as a small business sourcing stone and aggregate from a rocky outcrop in the Hunua gorge. Winstone Aggregates recognised the quarry's potential to supply the rapidly growing South Auckland area and purchased the main Hunua block in 1955. The quarry is situated within a high quality greywacke rock resource.

To provide for development, neighbouring property was purchased in 1958. This secured the Symonds Hill area for future extraction, and then in 1988 and 1990 adjoining rural land was acquired to "buffer" the quarry zone from developments which may be sensitive to the effects of quarrying. Small holdings neighbouring or in the vicinity of the quarry have also been acquired from time to time.

Over time the quarry process equipment has been updated and improved several times. In 1962 the ageing 'Ma's Hotel' plant was upgraded with one based on the "Singapore" primary jaw crusher. The name was synonomous with the fact that the crusher had been "rescued" from Singapore in the 1940s during the Second World war.

The machinery was originally installed in Winstone's quarry at Lunn Avenue (Mt Wellington, Auckland), and after being re-located to Hunua it continued to manufacture road base and general purpose quarry products. In the mid 1980s a chip manufacturing plant was added to enable production of a full range of concrete and asphalt aggregates, road surfacing sealing chip, as well as the base courses it had previously produced.

The 'Singapore Crusher' was decommissioned in late 2000 when a new state of the art processing plant was built.