Boral has agreed to upgrade Marulan South Road in New South Wales once its development application to expand the Marulan South limestone mine is approved.
The Goulburn Mulwaree Council announced it had entered a heads of agreement with Boral – which is non-binding – to upgrade and realign part of Marulan South Road that accesses the Marulan South mine to improve safety.
In 2018, Boral submitted a development application to the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment for the continuation and expansion of its open cut limestone mining operations at the Marulan South site.
The aggregates giant is aiming to increase its production to four million tonnes per annum as part of the mine’s upgrade.
Key infrastructure for the Marulan South Road upgrade includes relocation of a realignment of part of Marulan South Road for the construction of an overburden placement.
According to the Goulburn Mulwaree Council minutes from 15 September 2020, a portion of Marulan South Road will form a ‘sweeper bend’ and will be closed and sold. Boral is required to keep ongoing public access to the adjacent properties.
The two parties have issued a heads of agreement for Boral to pay the full cost of the road upgrade.
According to the agreement, Boral will fund and complete the upgrade works within two years of the mining lease being granted, with Boral to fund and complete realignment works after Marulan South Road is closed within four years of the mining lease.
The value of the upgrade works is estimated to cost $4.5 million, while new road works will cost an expected $1 million.
In its development application for the Marulan South limestone mine, Boral has proposed to transport its limestone products from the mine by rail for cement, steel, commercial and agricultural purposes, while manufactured sand will be transported across Marulan South road to its Peppertree Quarry before it is blended and dispatched by rail.
The Marulan South limestone mine produces 500,000 tonnes per annum for Boral’s Peppertree Quarry, with the company hoping to increase its manufactured sand production to around 1 million tonnes per annum with the development application.
Marulan South Road connects Boral’s limestone mine to the Hume Highway.
Its development application is still awaiting approval from the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.