General News
14 September, 2022
Council vows support for Panmure quarry
MOYNE Shire councillors have voted in favour of supporting a planning permit for the controversial bluestone quarry neighbouring the Hopkins River in Panmure.
MOYNE Shire councillors have voted in favour of supporting a planning permit for the controversial bluestone quarry neighbouring the Hopkins River in Panmure.
The application for the planning permit has been referred to VCAT and Moyne Shire Council was required to adopt a position on the application to progress to the hearing at last week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
Councillors resolved to conditionally support the application, subject to a cultural heritage management plan being approved.
The proposed site of the basalt quarry is on Ellerslie-Panmure Road in Panmure, on land bordered to the west by the Hopkins River and the Framlingham Forest IndigenousProtected Area.
The quarry is expected to provide a total resource volume of 1.5 million cubic metres of rock with production expected to not exceed 100,000 tonnes per annum.
Moyne Shire councillor Karen Foster spoke against the recommendation, stating she appreciated the need for road making materials close to home and the lengths the applicants had gone to address concerns, but felt there was “just too many gaps”.
“This site boarders one of the most vulnerable pieces of environment in our shire, and as councillors we can take a short-sighted decision which results in immediate gain just as decision makers have done in the past, or we can look to the longer term and look to balance the need for economic development with environmental custodianship,” she said.
“I don’t think economic development and environmental or cultural issues are mutually exclusive; I think they support one another.”
Cr Jordan Lockett also spoke against the motion, stating he felt from the outset placing a quarry beside areas of environmental and cultural importance “just felt wrong.”
“Organisations get things wrong, and this is something we don’t want to get wrong,”he said.
“We don’t have enough information or it’s basically in the wrong spot.”
Cr James Purcell spoke in favour of the motion.
“It is subject to the approval of a cultural heritage management plan, so if that comes back non-favourable then we don’t support it,” he said.
“There are 30 conditions on it. It’s not as if it was just waved through.”
Cr Damian Gleeson said the issue had played on his mind for two years.
“I’m not an expert in any of the areas, I’m just not, so I have to rely on the experts,”he said.
“I’ve taken the emotion out of it.
“As a councillor, I have to make a decision on the needs of the Moyne Shire.”
The motion was passed 5-2, with Cr Foster and Cr Lockett voting against.
The item drew a wide range of public speakers at the Ordinary Meeting of Council, with shire residents Terry Malone, Geoff Rollinson, Tim Netherway, Donald Brown, Suzanne Green, John Bant, Janelle McLeod and Gillian Blair all speaking.
Panmure’s Terry Malone, who lives 600-700 metres from the site of the proposed quarry, said he had concerns surrounding the potential for damage to his home and negative health outcomes for his family and livestock.
“We live in a small piece of paradise surrounded by farm land that is quiet,” he said.
“We share this with native wildlife, while maintaining a century old building which is currently in outstanding condition for its age.
“The effect of blasting on our property has the potential to serious damage our house, and the machinery used to excavate the material... will impact our quality of life and that of the native wildlife.
“Dust from the site blowing from the south west could contaminate our water supply, and possibly Silica dust, and other toxic partials, may cause health issues to us, our livestock and the native wildlife with the possibility of death in the worst case.”
Geoff Rollinson, the landcare co-ordinator for Heytesbury District Landcare Network and chairperson of the Save the Hopkins River – Stop the Quarry group, said the proposal to establish the quarry was “flawed at the outset”.
“It’s far too close to the Hopkins River, Framlingham Forest and the Aboriginal community therein,” he said.
“Initially there was no traffic impact, cultural heritage management or environmental assessments attached to the plan, but due to intense community pressure and studies commissioned by opponents these documents were eventually and reluctantly provided.
“Nor was there a hydrological report... to examine the impacts of the depth and capacity of aquifers and surface water, includingnearby wetlands.
“To this day that report has not been provided, with desktop generated claims that the groundwater is at least 20 metres belowthe surface.”
Additional concerns which Mr Rollinson raised included the lack of a cultural management plan provided to councillors, the potential for blasting rock to impact up to 300 metres in to the Framlingham Forest and between 60 to 75 quarry truck movements per day impacting local roadways.
“Planning officers have omitted key planning clauses and have presented arguments worthy of a glossy brochure for the quarry rather than a deep analysis of all issues,” he said.
“Adjoining landholders and the broader community are overwhelmingly against the proposal; this is not just another ‘not in my backyard’ story.
“The environmental risks and costs, including to water and key species such as the Platypus, outweigh the so-called economic benefits.”
Mrs McLeod, who is the proponent of the proposed quarry with her husband Ben, spoke for the project.
She said she and her husband had worked hard to grow their business over the last 12 years to grow their family earthmoving business, and felt the family had taken the necessary steps to address concerns which had been raised against the proposed quarry.
Mrs McLeod said the quarry also offered better outcomes for roads, the economy and the environment through its location.
“The proposed quarry will provide a valuable source of gravel materials for the area east of Warrnambool, with significant benefits for ratepayers and the wider community,”she said.
Ms McLeoud said she had received advice from blasting experts that concerns such as fly rock was “a non-existent problem.”
“Everything will be designed that we can set off different shots at different times, milliseconds apart, to counteract any concerns,” she said.