Super quarry faces green litmus test

Mount Cannibal and District Preservation Group said the government-enforced environmental assessment is a 'big win' for the group in fierce contention with the quarry developers.

By ANEEKA SIMONIS

ENVIRONMENTAL protesters set on stopping the proposed Bunyip North “super quarry” are confident their long slog will pay off after a top Australian mining company was subjected to newly enforced government requirements.
In a recent announcement, State Minister for Planning Richard Wynne said quarry developers Hanson would have to undertake an Environmental Effects Statement (EES) to assess the potential impacts the proposed 134-hectare granite quarry development would have on the area.
Lead campaigner and president of the Mount Cannibal and District Preservation Group Bill Pearson said the decision was a “big win” set on fighting the mining giant to the end.
“The EES is the only chance we have to voice our concerns as a community,” Mr Pearson said.
“We feel the community has been well served by this decision.”
A spokeswoman for the Planning Minister said the EES process would give transparent consideration to all environmental impacts the proposed quarry might have on the surrounding land.
“This is a large proposal to extract about 100 million tonnes from 140 metres into the ground,” the spokeswoman said.
“The minister has called for an EES so any impacts on groundwater, the surrounding environment, traffic and Aboriginal cultural heritage are factored into any decisions made about the permit.”
A statement handed down from the department acknowledged the “substantial public interest” in the proposed quarry, assuring their assessments aim to provide a well-informed decision about the proposed stone quarry.
Hanson’s Development manager Daniel Fyfe said the developer welcomed the government request for an environmental impact report.
He confirmed vested community members will be welcome to provide feedback on the project as part of a formal consultation group to be set up early next year.
“A community reference group will be established in early 2016 to ensure regular interaction with the local community in a consultative forum,” he said.
“Hanson will continue working closely with the community to help provide resources for future development and local employment opportunities.”
Members of the Mount Cannibal and District Preservation Group have been searching for answers about the proposed quarry for close to a decade.
Mr Pearson said their questions had gone unanswered by Hanson for years, expressing relief that the group would now have a say in the future of the area.
“Now, we have a voice,” he said.
Hanson intends to extract of 2000 tonnes of stone per day from the site, initially, resulting in 80 truck movements.
However, they eventually seek to extract up to 6900 tonnes of hard-rock granite from the site each day during peak times, with projections the haulage would result in more than 400 incoming and outgoing truck trips daily.
The seven-day-a-week operation proposes to construct a new road to connect the high-traffic plant to Tonimbuk Road.
The Planning Department and Hanson were unable to confirm when the EES findings will be released.