A Queensland quarry operator has had its business hampered after some new rules stopped them from removing much-needed gravel.
A quarry operator was ready to deliver gravel to help resheet a washed-out section of Burke Development Road near Chillagoe until they had to provide an Indigenous Land Use Agreement according to reports.
Until the ILUA is provided, the quarry operator cannot remove material from the pit according to the Mareeba Shire Council.
According to the council’s infrastructure service director Glenda Kirk, the ILUA would be needed because the land is controlled by the state and is not the only example of quarries in remote areas being unable to supply due to these rules.
In a recent meeting, the council raised concerns about how stifling the quarry’s ability to deliver could disrupt its roads programs now and into the future.
“We would have to bring gravel from hundreds of kilometres away if he (the quarry operator) says ‘no don’t worry about it’,” deputy mayor Kevin Davies said.
The council’s works manager Alex Foster added: “Coupled with that is the damage done to the roads by bringing the material in you may be repairing one part of the road and damaging other parts of the road.”
An ILUA is meant to operate as a legal contract to consent from the landowners who own the native title of the land. They can receive an ILUA in the form of monetary compensation, contracting opportunities, preservation and rehabilitation plans for the environment or employment and training.