Residents fight push to expand Hanson’s White Rock Quarry at Horsnell Gully, demand minimum separation distance

A group of Adelaide residents is demanding law changes to stop private mines and quarries encroaching on nearby properties and raising toxic dust.

Private mines and quarries that predate the Mining Act are devouring the natural landscape, residents say, encroaching on neighbours including conservation areas, destroying habitat and raising toxic dust.

They say it’s another example of conflict between the environment, residents and industry, but the rules governing these mines are heavily weighted in favour of commercial operators.

Residents Against White Rock Quarry (800 members and growing) at Horsnell Gully, 10km east of Adelaide, near Norton Summit, say it’s time to redress the balance.

Their fight against the proposed expansion of Hanson’s quarry has grown to encompass residents at similar sites across Adelaide and beyond, from Golden Grove in the north to Marino and Hallet Cove in the south, with Sunday’s launch of their new ‘Back Off Campaign!’.

Their leader, Demetrios (Jim) Bastiras of Skye, is calling for legislative change in South Australia to introduce “minimum separation distance guidelines” as in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

“Originally these private mines were small operations that supplied local farmers with material for tracks on their farms,” he said.

Local residents and members of the group Residents Against White Rock Quarry in Horsnell Gully Conservation Park, with Jim Bastiras, centre. The park overlooks the expanding Hanson White Rock Quarry. Pictures: Russell Millard

“When the state government decided to take control of all the natural resources and introduce the Mining Act 1971, they struck a deal with those mines that were already digging, saying ‘you can keep digging, no separation distances for you, but the rest of the state resource is ours’.

“As time went by, these tiny operations were bought by giant multi-nationals. These large companies have the ability to completely tear out the landscape, and sell it overseas, or wherever. And they can mine right up to the boundary.”

The main justification for minimum-separation distances is the health risk posed by the toxic “respirable crystalline silica” dust lifted into the air by blasting and other quarry activities. RCS is known to cause a lung disease called silicosis, similar to asbestosis. The Cancer Council says there are no known safe levels of RCS inhalation.

There are 17 properties already within 500m of the White Rock Quarry activity boundary and the stage 5 expansion would have pushed that out to 50 homes.

Mining activities also threaten vulnerable plants and animals as well as the scenic amenity of the beautiful Adelaide Hills.

Having operated since 1946, White Rock Quarry was granted as a private mine in 1973. Hanson Australia says the company, owned by German multinational HeidelbergCement, plans to operate for “more than another century” extracting general fill, concrete aggregate and road base.

Before expansion: Satellite image of White Rock Quarry at Horsnell Gully, showing the current area of disturbance, 41.6ha. Supplied.

The current disturbance area is 41.6ha and that was to reach 209.7ha in the expansion, but the company has revised the mine operating plan following a community backlash.

The current plan is limited to stage 3a, a total of 160ha, four times the size of the current mine.

“Community suggestions were acknowledged, and a number of additional mitigation strategies have been developed to ensure that residents’ feedback has been addressed, including a significant reduction to the overall proposal,” a spokeswoman said.

A map showing stage 3a of the proposed expansion at White Rock Quarry at Horsnell Gully. Total disturbance area: 160.7ha. Source: Hanson Australia WRQ Mine Operational Plan.

Greens mining spokesman Robert Simms said his party shared the concerns of the community.

“We are currently exploring what legislative options are available to amend the Mining Act 1971 to ensure these issues are adequately addressed and I plan to initiate a Private Members Bill in coming weeks,” he said.

“The impact on health, the environment and air quality will be immense for residents in the Adelaide Hills – and the Minister for Mining and Energy must heed the concerns of the community, and ensure they are taken seriously.

“This week I will also be moving a motion in the Legislative Council in support of the ‘Back Off Campaign!’ calling on all sides of politics to get behind the community as they fight against the White Rock Quarry expansion.”

It remains to be seen whether that motion and legislative amendments will gain the support of the Opposition, but it seems Labor’s mining spokesman Tom Koutsantonis is considering it, having refused to answer specific questions on the matter.

“We are consulting with the local community and listening to their concerns, and once I’m briefed by the department we’ll have more to say then,” he said.

He also planned to attend the public meeting at Burnside Council Community Centre on Thursday at 7pm. (Bookings at eventbrite), alongside Attorney-General Vickie Chapman, in her capacity as the elected Member for Bragg, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Mr Simms.

White Rock Quarry, which is right next to Horsnell Gully Conservation Park. Picture: Russell Millard

A state government spokesman confirmed the Energy and Mining Department was assessing a revised mine operations plan, but sidestepped the question of separation distances.

“The department welcomes the feedback from the community on the proposal, which is being considered as part of its assessment,” the spokesman said.

Questions to the Environment Minister and his Department about protection for 14 listed threatened species and 14 listed migratory species in the vicinity of the mine were forwarded to the Mining Minister for the “co-ordinated whole of government response”, which failed to mention the environment.

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