Community's sand mine fears exposed in court documents

Documents filed with the Planning and Environment Court have revealed the extent of community concerns over altered operations at a proposed sand mine.

CONCERNS: Montessori parents gather to protest about the proposed sand mine for Forest Glen back in 2016. Picture: Greg Miller

DOCUMENTS filed with the Planning and Environment Court have revealed the extent of community concerns over a bid to alter operations at a proposed Forest Glen sand mine.

Maroochydore Sands Pty Ltd is currently appealing a Sunshine Coast Council refusal of its 105ha sand mine in October, 2016.

It has also sought to make a number of changes to its development application.

READ: Crucial date looms in long-running sand mine battle

Eudlo Creek Neighbours spokesman Daniel Bryar outlined the community group's concerns, which centred mainly around the impacts on road use, flooding, noise, dust and effluent pollution and the effects of the changes on nearby waterways.

The developers sought to reduce the mining operation from 300,000 tonnes of material extracted a year to 225,000 tonnes, and restore the site to "good quality" agricultural land, instead of ponds.

Mr Bryar said the group was concerned by the impact of mining in smaller cells, which he said would mean more truck movements required to deliver backfill for the cells as they were mined.

Public meeting for the proposed sand mine. Picture: Warren Lynam

A requirement to armour excavations would also require more truck movements, the group argued, and that based on methodology applied in previous traffic assessments, the truck movements would have a significant impact on Old Maroochydore Rd.

The mining operations had originally proposed to use wet extraction and screening methods, but a shift to dry extraction had increased fears of dust pollution.

Eudlo Creek Neighbours also argued that proposed bunding around extraction cells as part of the changes would increase the flood risk and impacts on Eudlo Flats Rd.

Aerial view of the proposed Forest Glen sand mine. Picture: Julian George

Additional stockpiling of materials proposed was argued to further reduce flood storage and mitigation on the site, which was regularly inundated in severe weather.

Eudlo Creek Neighbours also expressed concerns that the lowering of the water table within cells to allow dry excavation would mean extra pumps would have to run for extended periods, creating noise pollution.

The group also raised concerns about what it claimed were a lack of buffer areas, and reduced buffer areas in the riparian zones, as a result of the proposed changes.

A noise amenity and air quality expert retained by Maroochydore Sands wrote the changes would not result in "noise or dust impacts that will exceed the regulatory criteria at any sensitive use", based on previous assessments and consideration of the changes.

The amendments sought were allowed as minor changes by the court last week, with the appeal to continue based on the changed development application.

The matter is due to be heard again on July 9.

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Originally published as Community's sand mine fears exposed in court documents