$80M New Berrima Brickworks conditionally approved in the Southern Highlands

An $80 million development to replace a century-old facility will see more than 100 positions up for grabs in the Southern Highlands.

The development of an $80 million brickworks facility in the Southern Highlands has quietly been approved, bringing ten of millions of dollars and over a hundred jobs to the Southern Highlands.

The proposal was submitted by Austral Brick Co, a subsidiary of Brickworks, more than a year ago to develop a block of land in Moss Vale into a multimillion-dollar brickworks facility.

The New Berrima Brickworks Facility will be located on nearly 52 hectares of land at 416 and 524 Berrima Road, Moss Vale, within the industrial zone. The facility will cost $80 million to construct and would produce 50 million bricks a year.

Berrima Brickworks would be located between New Berrima and Moss Vale. Picture: Geoscapes

Austral proposed the development to replace its current operation, Bowral Brickworks Plant, which it said is outdated and inefficient. Bowral Brickworks Plant had been operational for nearly a century and the applicant revealed it was quickly approaching the depletion of its resources.

However, this won’t be an issue for the New Berrima facility, which will draw the clay and shale needed for the bricks from the New Berrima Quarry adjoining the site to the north. Austral emphasised the New Berrima facility will allow the company to continue to produce its top-tier ‘Bowral Blues’ bricks.

A spokeswoman for Austral said the speciality bricks are extremely popular.

“They are a premium product and we are excited to be able to increase our production in the future to meet market demand,” she said.

Construction of the new brickworks will generate 65 construction jobs, five operational jobs, and will allow Austral to retain the 35 full-time staff currently employed at the nearly defunct Bowral facility.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the brickworks would benefit the whole region.

“It will mean better resources, better technology and better support for the construction industry and an $80 million boost into the regional NSW economy,” she said.

$80 million development New Berrima Brickworks would be operational 24/7. Picture: Geoscapes

The proposal received 11 submissions from local residents, all of whom live within 10kms of the site, and three from organisations. One of the submissions was from Boral (the operators of the nearby Cement Works on Taylor Ave) who argued the 115 trucks accessing the brickworks daily would considerably add to the wear and tear of the road.

Berrima Residents Association neatly summarised the concerns of residents in their letter, which raised concerns about the impact of dust and noise, the potential damage to the biodiversity of the area, and “the failure to provide for renewable energy or recognise climate change in a meaningful way in the plans.”

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment examined Austral’s response to these concerns and determined the impacts on local air quality, biodiversity values, and greenhouse gas emissions were acceptably minimal.

The Assessment Report determined New Berrima Brickworks will have a net environmental benefit, as it would replace the outmoded Bowral Brickworks with a newer and more energy efficient facility.

New Bowral Bricks are dry-pressed bricks made in the Southern Highlands. Picture: Austral Bricks

They imposed over 90 conditions designed to assess the operational impact of the development, including monitoring the environmental performance and minimising the adverse impact.

President of Berrima Residents Association Eric Savage said they were glad to see conditions placed on the development which require community consultation.

“The main thing is an opportunity for the community to be involved in the early planning stages and the construction and the operation,” he said.

“I would expect residents of Berrima and New Berrima to be included in the consultation.”

As for the old Bowral Brickworks, Mr Savage said the Berrima Residents Association has submitted a suggestion to turn the facility into a park that would capitalise on the natural beauty of the region.

“What we propose is that, when they move in a couple of years time, that the site be redeveloped as an urban park and that the existing quarry be converted to a lake,” he told The Bowral News.

Berrima Residents Association suggests the Bowral Brickworks facility be repurposed into an urban park. Picture: Berrima Residents Association

Mr Savage also suggested the removal of the old brickworks would create space for a bridge to alleviate the traffic pressure in Bowral.

“Consideration should be given to a second rail crossing at the bottom of Oxley Hill Road to provide an alternative to Station St,” he said.

He said the Berrima Residents Association, like many locals, is concerned about the state of traffic congestion in the Shire and would like to see a workable solution.

A spokeswoman for Austral Bricks said the company was “very pleased” with the approval of the new brick manufacturing facility. She said the company also welcomes the conditions placed on the development, as they “reflect best practice for such a facility”.

Development is expected to begin on the New Berrima Brickworks facility sometime in 2022.