A company has lodged an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court seeking approval to expand operations at a Sunshine Coast quarry.
Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd (now part of Heidelberg Materials Australia) submitted the appeal on September 1, after Sunshine Coast Council did not make a decision on the development application for the Glasshouse Quarry, at Glass House Mountains, within the legislated timeframe.
The application proposes increasing the extraction rate from 600,000 tonnes per year to more than a million tonnes per year at the 92-hectare site.
In its appeal, the company said the proposal should be approved.
“The development application complies or can be conditioned to comply with the relevant planning instruments and assessment benchmarks,” it said.
“There are also relevant discretionary matters that support the development application being approved.”
“The development application ought to be approved subject to lawful conditions.”
The matter progressed to court after the final agreed extension of the decision period expired on August 8, triggering a ‘deemed refusal’ under the Planning Act and allowing the appeal to be lodged.
The development application was publicly notified last year, receiving 528 submissions, of which 488 were properly made. Properly made submitters may elect to become co-respondents, along with the council, allowing them to be heard in court.
Want more free local news? Follow Sunshine Coast News on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our FREE daily news email.
Conservation group Save Our Glass House Mountains spokesperson Burnice Starkey has told Sunshine Coast News the group intends to be a co-respondent.
“Yes (but) unfortunately SOGHM has little time to seek legal advice and, as a grassroots community group, (we have) limited financial backing. We seek environmental lawyers to lend their expertise,” she said.
The group has raised concerns about potential environmental impacts, including increased noise, dust and traffic along haulage routes through the township. The group has attended the past six Sunshine Coast Council ordinary meetings in opposition to the expansion.
“The Glass House Mountains deserve protection, not exploitation,” the group said in a recent media release, while Ms Starkey added: “We need to be the voice for nature.”
A council spokesperson confirmed the appeal followed a ‘deemed refusal’.
“Council and the applicant had previously agreed to multiple extensions of the decision-making period,” the spokesperson said.
“The applicant declined to extend the timeframe beyond August 8 and lodged a deemed refusal with the Planning and Environment Court. As a result, the court is now the assessment manager, and council is no longer able to decide the application.”
When asked about potential impacts of an expansion, a Heidelberg Materials spokesperson said last month that the company was “working with Sunshine Coast Council on these matters” and that information was available on the council’s development applications website.
The Department of Environment had previously granted environmental approval with strict provisions, and the quarry manager said the company was “committed to operating respectfully within the local community”.
Sunshine Coast News has reached out to Hanson Construction Materials for further comment.
