Media Release: Friday 21 September 2007

Holcim Hearing To Reconvene In October

Holcim New Zealand is distributing this week around 8000 copies of its September newsletter on the company’s Weston Option cement plant to households in the Oamaru district.

The Weston Option cement plant resource consents hearing is due to reconvene in Oamaru on Monday 8 October for an additional two weeks.

“We are hoping the extra two weeks will provide enough time for the hearing to be completed,” says Paul Commons, General Manager, Strategy and Development for Holcim New Zealand.

The September newsletter provides a list of the evidence presented by Holcim and its technical experts at the hearing, and is available on the Holcim New Zealand website (www.holcim.com/nz).

“We are continuing to encourage people who indicated a wish to speak to their submission at the hearing to do so. A submission supported by a verbal presentation carries more weight than a written submission alone.”

“We are also encouraging community members to read our evidence. Because it has been prepared to be read at the hearing it is often easier to understand than the sometimes highly technical material in the formal resource consenting application documents.”

A decision from the panel of commissioners is expected to be made 6-8 weeks after the hearing concludes.

The Weston option cement plant is one of three priority options being considered by Holcim New Zealand to meet future demand for cement in New Zealand. A final decision on any of the options being considered will be made by parent company Holcim Ltd and is not expected before mid-2008.

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