A group determined to stop a proposed quarry expansion has vowed to rally at every Sunshine Coast Council ordinary meeting until a decision is made.
Save Our Glass House Mountains (SOGHM) has implored councillors to reject an application from Heidelberg Materials Australia to increase extraction from its Glass House Mountains site.
The Department of Environment has granted environmental approval with strict provisions, while the quarry manager has previously told Sunshine Coast News that the company was “committed to operating respectfully within the local community”.
SOGHM stated that members were concerned about “intensity of blasting, poor air quality, dust and doubling of haulage trucks”, and that the dig could “potentially threaten water tables and geological structures”.
Group member Burnice Starkey said they were concerned for local ecosystems.
“We need to be the voice for nature,” she said.
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“The majority of threatened species in the Sunshine Coast local government area are birds.
“For example, our glossy black cockatoos use this area as a flyway. I believe their feeding trees are in the casuarina forests near this quarry.”
She also said koalas lived and moved throughout the area.
Group members attended council’s ordinary meeting in April, when they rallied with placards in the rain outside the city hall.
Ms Starkey said their campaign would become more concerted.
“SOGHM promises to return for the May 21 ordinary meeting with even more representatives,” she said.
“To show their concern and interest in council’s assessment process, SOGHM members will be present at all monthly meetings until the decision is made.”
She urged councillors to reject the application.
“With the decision-making period being extended until July, the councillors now have the opportunity to assess environmental and cultural impacts and seek independent air and water testing,” she said.
Senator Larissa Waters also urged council to refuse the application and said she would take the matter further if necessary.
“The Greens share the concerns of the local community about the quarry extension plan and join them in opposing it,” she said.
“The proposed quarry expansion would detrimentally impact the local environment, cultural heritage and community health.
“I recently wrote to council highlighting the community’s ongoing advocacy and urged council to listen to the community’s calls to reject the quarry expansion.
“Should council ignore community sentiment and approve this terrible proposal, I will continue my advocacy federally by writing to the federal Environment Minister, urging them to call in and reject the project under the EPBC (Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Act.”
The quarry is within Environment Minister Andrew Powell’s electorate.
He said the DES conducted an extensive and rigorous assessment process, and it would impose stricter limits and monitoring if the council granted the expansion approval.
He said operators would be required to adhere to: additional air quality limits to minimise the impact of dust on nearby sensitive receptors, including nearby residents; 24/7 monitoring of particulates; new site-specific noise limits; more restrictions on blasting impacts and monitoring, including prohibiting blasting on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays; and more restrictions on stormwater releases.
Mr Powell said he was satisfied that if the council approved an increase in extraction, it would be offset by the tougher environmental restrictions.
“I understand the concerns of locals and I’m confident we can ameliorate the impacts if the expansion goes ahead,” he said.
“Strict environmental controls would help ensure that the effects on locals are kept to a minimum.”
The quarry operators have applied to increase their extraction rate by increasing the depth of the pit by about 66m.
In a development application cover letter to council in 2013, compiled by Groundwork Plus, the company proposed to increase extraction from 600,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 1.2 million tpa. The Department of Environment approved environmental authority for the proposed expansion in February from 1 million tpa to 1.2 million tpa.
A council spokesperson said the development application was being assessed but could not say when a decision would be made.
“At this stage, council is unable to confirm the timeframe of when this application will be decided, however, a report will be presented at a future council ordinary meeting for a decision,” they said.
Sunshine Coast News has requested comments from Heidelberg Materials Australia (HMA) for comments.
Quarry manager Chris Wilson previously told SCN the company was conscious of the site’s surrounds and the people who live and work nearby.
“Hanson (now HMA) is committed to operating respectfully within the local community,” he said, before adding that the quarry was a crucial service.
“As the Sunshine Coast population grows so does the need for supporting infrastructure and the materials required to build them.”
“The quarry is an important part of the supply chain for the growing construction industry on the Sunshine Coast.”
Mr Wilson said efforts were being made to rehabilitate areas of the quarry.
“Rehabilitation is a continual process within quarry development: we have harnessed an early and gradual approach to ensure our rehabilitation is effective,” he said.
The quarry started operating in the 1980s and Hanson/HMA has operated it since 2003. It has supplied products to the building and construction industry to build local roads, bridges, pavement, driveways, house slabs, public services and amenities.
The company in March acknowledged the new environmental approval and provisions granted by the DES.
“Whilst the new EA conditions are significantly stricter than the existing EA conditions, Heidelberg is satisfied that a fair and robust assessment was undertaken by the department,” a spokesperson said.
“Heidelberg will continue to work with the Sunshine Coast Council to obtain final development approval so it can meet the growing demand for quarry materials needed to support housing and infrastructure within the region.”
