The site, which is located in Palmyra, 14km south-west of Mackay, was given the green light by Mackay Regional Council to move forward and extract up to one million tonnes of fill per year earlier this month. The quarry’s original limit was 100,000 tonnes.
Busseys Road Quarry sits on two lots – areas of 18.27ha and 145.99ha respectively. Summit Construction Materials, the owner of the quarry, also gained council approval to extract at both sites simultaneously. The quarry’s previous development application (DA) stated work could only be undertaken on the second site after work on the first had ceased.
RPS Group prepared and submitted the DA on behalf of Summit Construction Materials. The DA stated: “The proposed increase [to extract one million tonnes per year] will support existing and future demand from the quarry, including upcoming significant state infrastructure projects, being the Mackay Ring Road stage one project, and the Walkerston Bypass Road.
“It is considered that the increase in excavation quantities is appropriate development, consistent with the existing approved extractive industry use and responds to existing and future demand, in particular scheduled local and state infrastructure projects,” it added.
Work has already commenced on the Mackay Ring Road project, and is expected to be completed in the next three years. The Walkerston Bypass Road is expected to commence work in 2020.
According to The Daily Mercury, nine submissions were made to council in opposition to the proposal. Concerns raised included potential dust pollution and the quarry’s impact on groundwater.
A Summit Materials spokesperson was contacted for additional information, including whether there were any additional conditions imposed on it. A response was not received at time of publication.
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