By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A GRANITE “super quarry” proposed for Bunyip North has attracted fierce opposition from the local community, with 160 residents joining to take a stand against the project before the State and Federal governments.
Hanson, the company behind the proposed 134-hectare quarry development, submitted an application for an Environmental Effects Statement (EES) referral to the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure earlier this month.
The submission outlined intentions to extract of 2000 tonnes of stone per day from the site, initially, resulting in 80 truck movements.
The project would increase to 4000 tonnes per day 10 years down the track, resulting in about 160 truck movements.
However, Hanson suggested the site could 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 quarry is proposed to run seven days a week.
The Mount Cannibal and District Preservation Group president Bill Pearson said the community does not want the quarry.
About 160 concerned residents gathered to oppose the quarry at a public meeting held at Bunyip Hall on Wednesday 14 October, discussing possible impacts the site will have on flora, fauna, air and water quality in the area.
Mr Pearson fears the proposed development will impact more houses than the three acknowledged in the company’s State Government submission.
“There are 71 homes with one and a half kilometres of the mine site. There are 46 homes within a kilometre and about 10 within half a kilometre,” he said.
“The assertion that only three would be impacted is crazy.”
Mr Pearson described the proposed development as a “super quarry”, arguing it would be larger than three of the existing quarry sites in Cardinia Shire including Mt Shamrock in Pakenham and the Fulton Hogan site in Tynong North.
“This quarry will be bigger than all combined,” he said.
“It’s soul destroying. We won’t be able to sit out the back and have a barbecue. We would always be dealing with the dust and noise.”
Twenty five dams are scattered throughout the proposed quarry site which is located about 400 metres from Mount Cannibal Flora and Fauna Reserve.
Hanson’s project manager for the quarry application Daniel Fyfe told the Gazette they intended to work together with the community throughout their proposal.
“Conducting feasibility studies, meeting all the legislative requirements and ongoing community consultation are all fundamental to a sustainable project but they take time,” he said.
“Through this, Hanson will continue to work with the community in order to provide resources for future development, local employment opportunities and ongoing business relationships.”
However, Mr Pearson claimed the information exchange between parties had been poor.
Hanson intends to seek permit approvals before beginning production in 2018.
