Management

Terms of Reference released for Gold Coast Quarry

The Terms of Reference for the EIS set out a wide range of technical
studies and assessments which must be undertaken by Boral and its team of
independent consultants. The EIS will then be submitted to the Queensland
Government for assessment.

As part of the EIS, the project team will undertake a range of
scientific studies under the Commonwealth Government?s Environmental Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Steve Pyne, the regional manager for Quarries in Queensland and
the Northern Territory for Boral Construction Materials, said he expects this
phase of the EIS process will take at least 12 months to complete.

?Boral expects to lodge the EIS during the second half of calendar
2012 and it will be advertised for public comment before the State Co-ordinator-General
and the Commonwealth Government make their recommendations,? he said.

?In evaluating the EIS, the Co-ordinator-General may make a
recommendation to proceed with the project, or for the project to proceed with
conditions, or to refuse the project. If the Co-ordinator-General recommends
the project to proceed, Boral will then need to make a separate development
application to the Gold Coast City Council.?

Boral?s proposed Gold Coast Quarry represents a $2.2 billion
resource and would be located on the western side of the Pacific Motorway.

Mr Pyne said 70 per cent of the 220 hectare site would be set
aside as vegetated buffer and Boral would develop only 30 per cent of the site
? or less than 70 hectares ? in stages over a 40 year timeframe.

?The size and dimensions of the site will enable Boral to provide
substantial vegetation buffer areas of between 250m and 600m to the nearest
residence,? Steve Pyne explained.

?The project is the last opportunity to secure and develop a
significant hard rock resource on the southern Gold Coast and the site has been
identified by the State Government as a Key Resource Area. With approximately
84 million tonnes of exploitable hard rock, it has the potential to supply the
Gold Coast with high grade construction materials for more than 40 years.?

The proposed development will replace Boral?s nearby West Burleigh
Quarry, whose reserves are estimated to last a further 10 years of production.
Boral insists that the new Gold Coast Quarry will provide sufficient resources
to cater for the future population and associated infrastructure growth
expected within the region, as well as continuity for up to 100 full-time
equivalent jobs from the West Burleigh Quarry and an estimated 290 full-time
equivalent jobs in other industry sectors.

?As part of the EIS for the project, Boral will continue with its
Community and Stakeholder Engagement Program which will engage stakeholders in
informed discussion about what the project may mean to the local area and the
surrounding region,? Mr Pyne said.

Source: Boral
Construction Materials

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