Construction of ammonium nitrate plant to begin in Gracemere

The Gracemere development has been approved under a set of strict guidelines.

The development was approved by Rockhampton Regional Council yesterday.

AFTER months of agony and community angst, Rod Carige was pleased to receive confirmation his application for a urea-ammonium nitrate manufacturing plant in Gracemere had been approved.

The application was lodged with Rockhampton Regional Council by Gideon Town Planning for the Middle Rd site.

It was submitted in June and was officially granted full approval, with length conditions, at yesterday's council meeting.

The developer is Rocky's Own Transport, of which Mr Carige is a director.

The company owns the site and already has a transport depot there.

The manufacturing plant is to produce fertiliser for agricultural use.

In unfortunate timing, the application was submitted and proposed around the same time as an explosion in Beirut.

Community concerns erupted on social media with Gracemere residents worried the same thing would happen in their town.

The site is at 162 Middle Rd, reportedly purchased for $2 million in 2019.

Addressing these concerns, Rocky's Own Transport attended a forum with the Gracemere community, explaining the ammonium nitrate in this development was not classed as a dangerous good and did not have any chemical properties to go "bang".

Speaking to The Morning Bulletin yesterday about the approval news, Mr Carige said they did not expect the application to be such a long and sensitive process.

"Not at all, not for what we were doing," he said.

He commended council officers for their work on the project and said it was just the process it had to go through.

Construction inside the shed is planned to start at the end of this week and two new casual staff will need to be recruited.

Mr Carige said they hoped to start production at the end of the month.

The development in Gracemere's Industrial Area.

He said if residents were still considered, to get in touch with Rocky's Own Transport.

Rockhampton Regional Council Planning and Regulatory spokesperson Councillor Ellen Smith said although the development was initially met with concerns, she believed this would be a great development for the Gracemere Industrial Area.

"Understandably, we know there was quite a bit of community concern when the matter was initially raised," Cr Smith said.

"I want to commend Rocky's Own Transport for doing the right thing and being so upfront with the community and meeting directly with them to address and allay their concerns, as well as attending a deputation to do the same with councillors.

"The application has since been assessed and supported by council officers and councillors have similarly given their support of the project.

"The chemical manufacturing process has been assessed and approved by the Department of Environment and Science and the liquid fertiliser being manufactured is not classified as a dangerous good and does not generate any liquid effluent waste or the use of flammable materials.

"Developments like this bring new jobs and new economic opportunity into our region and make great use of the industrial land readily available in Gracemere and we look forward to the benefits that this new development will bring to the region."

See a full story on the approval and the set of conditions here.

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