Ardmore Park Quarry – which is situated 25km south-east of Goulburn, NSW and operated by Multiquip Quarries – requested a modification to its development application (DA) to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) in January 2018.
The proposed modifications included extending the footprint of the quarry by 3.5 hectares, increasing its annual production limit from 400,000 to 580,000 tonnes per annum, increasing hours of operation for product loading and transportation, constructing a bitumen pre-coating plant on-site and extending the quarry’s life by eight years to 2047.
The Goulburn Mulwaree Council – which is the acting roads authority – reportedly signed off on the terms of the DA this month. However, the council has called for extra roadworks and a “detailed analysis of the likely social impacts of the development on the community”.
The council also stated it required a “turning point analysis” at all intersections and a “fresh pavement analysis of the haul route” in line with Austroad standards, despite the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator already approving the haul route.
According to a report in The Goulburn Post, Ardmore Park Quarry’s operator Steve Wall alleged the council was expecting his site, because of its own prior inaction on part of the haul route over the years, to pick up the cost of that work.
“Multiquip have made negligible use of the route until the end of 2017 but is expected to fund eight years of degradation and neglect,” Wall was quoted as saying.
“We see this as an impost … it appears Multiquip is expected to fund road maintenance work we did not cause, during a time when it was council who had sole responsibility for this section of road.”
Wall also reportedly objected to a council requirement for a “uniform and weather proof surface” on the current road widening and resealing, stating it was already weather-proof and the request was excessive, with an estimated $450,000 cost for a single layer of 100mm sheeting.
It has also been reported that the council was open to negotiating a voluntary planning agreement (VPA) with Multiqup for road contributions. Quarry contacted Steve Wall at Multiquip Quarries for additional information but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The council’s submission will be forwarded to the DPE at the end of February.
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