Iconic Gympie business eyes four-stage expansion
Popular business operators lodge plans for major project with Gympie council.
Gympie
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THE operators of long-time Gympie business Nick's Ready Mix are looking to concrete their piece of the region's economic pie with a potential new transport depot and batching plant at Monkland.
Jason and Melissa Buckley have pinpointed Buckley Dr as the potential home for the new development capable of churning out about 36,000 tonnes of concrete each year.
If approved, it will be built in four stages, planning consultant Inside SJC said in the development application lodged with Gympie Regional Council on the Buckleys' behalf.
The first stage will include demountable buildings, parking, landscaping and construction of a concrete batching plant.
Next comes transport vehicle parking, and stages three and four top the project off with a 25m by 10m vehicle workshop, above-ground fuel storage, more landscaping and a second batching plant.
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The final stage is not expected to happen for at least four years after any approval is granted for the application, the developers said.
Once finished the plant and depot will be home to eight staff.
This includes three management and admin roles, two batch operators and two vehicle maintenance crew.
Half of those roles will be working by the end of stage two's development.
The batching plant is expected to run from 5am-4pm weekdays and 5am-midday on Saturdays.
The transport depot will run around the clock, seven days a week.
"The main reason for these hours is because tankers pick up some of their product (cement) from the Port of Brisbane and their hours consequently are a function of when the ship arrives," the developers said in their application.
"That said, it is the exception rather than the rule that vehicle movements occur outside of 6am-6pm, Monday to Friday."
And the truck movement will be "comparatively low".
"Each tanker might make one trip per day and each tipper might make two trips per day," they said.
The site is perfect for their proposal, too, with Gympie Landscape and Earthworks and the Boral Concrete Batching Plants among their proposed neighbours.
"The industrial character of the area, the absence of nearby sensitive land uses and the site's ready and controlled access to the Bruce Highway make the site ideal for activities that are characterised by heavy vehicle movements.
"That the Boral Concrete Batching Plant occurs opposite the subject land suggests (Gympie Regional) council believes that a High Impact Industry ... is not inconsistent with the intent of the Medium Impact Industry zone."
As a private business proposal, the developers said the only potential impacts on the community will be external.
"At the risk of stating what might be obvious, the premises are not open to the public," they said.
The Buckleys declined to make any further comment about the business's plans at this time.
The development application is open for public comment and feedback on Gympie Regional Council's website until Tuesday.
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