Plans for a major expansion of a quarry, which includes doubling its yearly extraction rate as well as increasing its extraction depth and operation hours, is before council.
A proposal for the Glasshouse Quarry expansion was lodged with Sunshine Coast Council by Groundwork Plus on behalf of Hanson Construction Materials on July 27.
The application seeks to double the quarry’s annual extraction volume from 600,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 1.2 million tpa over two stages.
The hard rock quarry is located at 22 Mount Beerwah Road, Glass House Mountains, and produces material, suitable for aggregate and roadbase production.
The quarry has operated since the 1980s, with Hanson at the helm since 2003.
Manager Chris Wilson said that over this time the quarry had supplied products to the construction industry to build local roads, bridges, pavement, driveways, house slabs, public services and other amenities across the region.
He said the quarry’s proposed expansion was to ensure there is a reliable supply of quarry products for the region’s construction industry and to help deliver vital infrastructure.
“The Glasshouse Quarry is an important part of the supply chain for the growing construction industry on the Sunshine Coast,” he said.
“The quarry is a designated key resource area, which is recognised in the state planning policy for its importance to economic development within the region.”
A planning report outlined that stage one of the expansion would involve extraction of up to 900,000 tpa – relying on the existing processing plant – which would be improved by additional noise and dust management measures.
Stage two would involve extraction of up to 1.2 million tpa and would rely on the existing processing plant’s closure and relocation to a more central location within the quarry footprint.
The proposal further seeks to increase the quarry’s depth of extraction, without increasing the existing approved extraction area footprint, from RL (relative level) 18m AHD (Australian height datum) to RL -48m AHD.
Mr Wilson said increasing the depth was to ensure that additional vegetation clearing did not occur over and above what has already been approved for the existing quarry.
“This also ensures the visibility of the quarry is not increased over and above that which is already approved for the existing quarry,” he said.
The quarry is operated in accordance to a town planning consent permit granted by the former Caloundra City Council in 1999 and an environmental authority that is regulated by the Department of Environment and Science.
The environmental impact statement prepared for that approval anticipated a quarry life of more than 50 years.
Sites surrounding the quarry are mostly rural in nature. To the east are a number of dwellings and the Glasshouse Mountains Camping Grounds are located to the south. To the southwest is Bassett Barks, one of largest landscaping and potting media suppliers in Southeast Queensland. To the west are larger rural dwellings and to the northwest is Mount Coonowrin, one of the Glass House Mountains.
“Historical aerial imagery indicates the adjacent rural dwellings, nearby camping grounds and Bassett Barks land uses were all established after the commencement of the quarry,” the report states.
As the development permit that Hanson is seeking is impact assessable in the rural zone, the proposed development has been assessed against the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014.
“The DA is supported by detailed technical assessments by experts which confirm the existing quarry can operate with the proposed changes and continue to comply with the existing noise, vibration and air quality requirements,” Mr Wilson said.
“These technical assessments will be considered by the Queensland Government (through the) Department of Environment and Science under the Environmental Protection Act.
“We are also proposing to bring the existing quarry into alignment with the hours of operation prescribed by the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014.
“This will see blasting operations from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and no blasting operations Saturday, Sunday or on state public holiday.”
The existing blasting operating hours are between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday.
The company also proposed other operations – including drilling, maintenance, servicing and refuelling of equipment, loading out and sale of products as well as quarrying and crushing operations – would be from 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm Saturday. There would be no operations on Sunday or on state public holidays.
Mr Wilson said securing the operational future of the existing quarry would allow Hanson to keep up with the demand for quarry products that are essential for small residential projects through to major state and council infrastructure programs.
“We are working closely with council as the development application progresses,” he said.
“Hanson is committed to operating respectfully within the local community to minimise impacts from our operations to the greatest extent possible. This includes a continued commitment to open communication with our neighbours.”
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