Legal advice sought over controversial Lismore quarry

A DEVELOPMENT application to extend the life of the quarry was considered at this week’s council meeting.

A development application has been lodged with Lismore City Council to expand the life of Santin Quarry on Riverbank Rd, Lismore.

A DECISION on the future of controversial River Bank Road quarry at Monaltrie has been deferred as Lismore City Council seeks legal advice.

A development application had been lodged for the extension of operation for 16 years.

The DA received 32 submissions from the public over the possibility of extension with nine in favour and 23 opposed.

Cr Elly Bird put forward a foreshadowed motion deferring a decision on the quarry to seek legal advice on the condition of consent and the expiration date, which was carried.

The timeline of the quarry was debated, with Cr Eddie Lloyd suggesting that according to the original DA in 1992, the quarry's timeframe had expired.

"Staff have said it's unclear ... they're uncertain as to which is the date of the commencement of the quarry. (But) it's not unclear at all, I have for days and nights pored through the historical documents," she said.

"Rock was won and removed from the quarry, 131 tonnes, in 1993 … it's either when rock was won and removed or two years after the determination which was in May 1993.

"Which means quarry consent finished on the 31st of December 2018 plus nine months of rehabilitation ended on September 30 2019, it's over red rover, the DA has expired."

But council staff, in their report, explained they "cannot be certain of the date that the rock, previously blasted in 1992 (which was prior to the issue of Consent on 12 May 1993), was removed from the site".

Therefore staff have "taken a conservative view", which means the date of commencement of the quarry was May 1995.

Under this understanding, quarrying was allowed until May 2020 and the quarry is still in their "holistic quarry consent" period, which ends in February 2021.