A New South Wales quarry that has gone untouched for more than two decades could be set for a significant transformation under new plans. See the details.
The once dormant Bexhill Quarry in NSW could be set to spring back to life under plans to transform the popular spot into parklands to draw more tourists to the area.
Bexhill Quarry, formerly the Bexhill Brickworks, was in operation from the 1890s through to the 1940s mainly producing clay shale deposits.
While nearby quarries like Santin Quarry, found near Lismore in the Northern Rivers, have appeared in the meantime, Bexhill was left abandoned as it struggled with competition from other quarries and was fenced off until 2004.
During the closure, it was filled with natural spring water and run-off which mixed with the remaining minerals in the quarry to create a vividly blue swimming spot for residents and tourists.
The plans would see the Bexhill Quarry transformed into a tourist centre for the Northern Rivers alongside the region’s other attractions including Byron Bay.
The proposed plans include an adventure playground, and wetland boardwalks being included to the popular swimming spot.
The Bexhill Quarry Parklands Inc has proposed restoration plans including an adventure playground, and wetland boardwalks being added to the popular swimming spot.
“We are currently working on a project to make the quarry site a public reserve and linking it into the Northern Rivers Rail Trail corridor. There is much potential in the four-acre site and the committee has already created a masterplan envisioning the project,” group president Dean Harris told the Lismore App.
The plan was first presented to the Lismore City Council and local politicians in 2021, who are “enthusiastic” about the project.
According to Harris, the site would need to be released from crown land and the local Indigenous community would have to be consulted about the history of the site, including its native flora.
Southern Cross University has become involved in the reports for the quarry’s sandstone to investigate issues like the pH levels in the water.
As reported by The Daily Telegraph, the pH levels were previously found to be too high for swimmers in 2016.