Quarry owner Graham Sheridan plans to expand extraction rates at the Hernani quarry from 80,000 to 198,000 tonnes per annum, which represents a 2.47 times increase. However, Sheridan expressed concerns to the Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun about the internal figures being considered as part of the application.
According to the quarry owner, a Bellingen Shire Council internal document claiming the expansion would increase truck movements to 12,000 per annum was a gross misunderstanding of his development application.
?The quarry currently has an extraction limit of 80,000 tonnes per annum and the maximum daily truck movements of 20 laden trucks per day for six days per week. The new application would see the extraction limit go to 198,000 tonnes per annum but still retain the maximum of 20 laden trucks per day,? Sheridan explained.
In other words, the Hernani quarry would work within its already approved truck movements with the correct volume of extraction tonnage.
The development application for the expansion was initially submitted to the relevant authority, the Clarence Valley Council (CVC). However, the BSC was granted the opportunity to provide comment, and the application is now to be decided by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP), a state government independent, merit-based group that accesses regionally significant development. Although the Hernani quarry is not within the Bellingen Shire boundary the JRPP takes note of the BSC recommendations.
New South Wales Roads and Maritimes Services is preparing a submission in response to the Hernani quarry development application. It will include advice about road safety, efficiency of the road network, traffic management, and integration of land use and transport and will be submitted next month.
The development application is on public exhibition until 4:00pm on 12 May 2014.
Sources: The Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun