Inside Resources - Incorrect sand comments malign our businesses - Allied, Brookby
SOURCE INSIDE RESOURCES, COLLIN WILLISCROFT, TUE JUN 2 2026
Allied Concrete and Brookby Quarries say a supporting statement lodged as part of the McCallum Brothers' fast-track application to extract sand from Bream Bay is inaccurate and maligns their businesses.
They say the statement by concrete consultant Paul Donoghue includes "misrepresentations" and "factually incorrect" information about the use of manufactured sand and its acceptance in the Auckland concrete market.
Donoghue's Concrete Suitability Statement endorsed the McCallum Bros application and the suitability of the Bream Bay sand resource.
But it also said manufactured sand does not have the distribution of particle sizes necessary to achieve the pumpability and self-compaction required to make satisfactory high-strength and specialist concrete mixes if used without adding natural sand.
Allied and Brookby dispute that, with their comments included in a statement on the fast-track website.
They say that in the current financial year Allied has successfully produced and sold 69,500 cubic metres of concrete using manufactured sand from its Penrose plant.
During that time, it used 64,000 tonnes of manufactured sand and only 5000 tonnes of natural sand in all grades or mixes that were sold.
Allied says its use of marine sand is restricted to lower-strength pump and decorative mixes, which are historic and being reviewed.
During the past seven months, marine sand represented 7 per cent of the sand used to make concrete at Penrose, with the other 93 per cent manufactured sand.
The firms say they are "completely ambivalent" about the outcome of the Bream Bay application and do not normally get involved with applications by other businesses but they "cannot ignore or allow misconceptions and factually incorrect statements that name and malign our respective businesses".
They want the record corrected to protect their product and customers.
Partnership
Allied and Brookby have been working together since 2022 to develop high-quality manufactured sand from greywacke.
Trials have helped to refine the grading, shape and performance characteristics, with the aim to produce a sand that would perform across a wide range of concrete applications, for both residential and commercial use.
The development process involved not only internal trials but also significant testing with trusted industry contractors, pump operators and engineers.
The engineered sand has been assessed across a range of applications, using familiar mix designs and performance benchmarks.
Brookby's investment in a purpose-built manufactured sand processing plant and new power infrastructure underpins the shift.
The quarry now has capacity to produce 300,000 tonnes of manufactured sand annually, with an expansion capability of 600,000 tonnes if required.
That volume expansion is achievable in a nine-month timeframe.
The two firms have taken issue with 18 of the 83 paragraphs in Donoghue's statement, which is referred to as attachment 20 in the substantive application.
Donoghue also works part time as Concrete New Zealand's training and certification manager.
Comments
The comments by Allied and Brookby are available on the fast-track website under the comments from invited parties section of the Bream Bay sand extraction project application.
The two firms were not invited to comment on the application but the Bream Bay Guardians were.
The Guardians approached Allied and Brookby regarding analysis of the suitability of different sand types and the properties of concrete.
It's their response to that approach that is included under comments from invited parties.
Concrete New Zealand was invited to comment on the Bream Bay project.
Its submission says that fine aggregate for concrete manufacture is generally a blend of natural and manufactured sand, but it is possible to produce a good quality and high-performing concrete using entirely manufactured sand.
It therefore wanted to correct some of the statements about manufactured sand in attachment 20, which misrepresents current practice at Allied's Penrose plant.
It notes that manufactured sand is being used by Allied - often without a natural sand - to produce myriad high-performance concretes, such as self-compacting concrete and high-strength concrete applications.