Reinforced Concrete Pipes Australia: Somersby expansion plans comes before planning panel

Objections have forced expansion plans for a concrete manufacturing facility in Somersby to come before the local planning panel.

Plans to expand a concrete manufacturing facility in Somersby are coming to the Central Coast Local Planning Panel.

Objections have resulted in the plans for 149 Somersby Falls Road coming before the panel meeting on Thursday.

Reinforced Concrete Pipes Australia Pty Ltd are planning to expand its existing site to increase production capacity from 22,000 tonnes per year to 30,000 tonnes per year.

Aerial image of the site in Somersby.

Works would include construction of acoustic walls to 8.5m, a second entry site for heavy vehicles on Somersby Falls Rd and extending the hours of operation to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The plans, which Central Coast Council has recommended for approved, also include extending the workshop and providing extra storage areas.

“RCPA proposes a phased increase in production capacity over several years up to a maximum of 100,000t/year,” the council report states.

“However, during busier times and in response to market demand, this throughput may be slightly exceeded periodically. Minor fluctuations are considered acceptable and a realistic response to an ever evolving and changing market.”

Image of the proposed acoustic walls.

Reinforced Concrete Pipes Australia Pty Ltd is planning to expand its existing site to increase production capacity from 22,000 tonnes per year to 30,000 tonnes per year.

Works would also see an extra 20 jobs created at the facility.

Local objections were received during the public exhibition period with concerns around the noise impact on neighbouring properties, visual impacts and the 24/7 hours of operation.

Council says that the 24-hour operation is to increase production capacity however restrictions between 10pm and 7am would be place on cement trucks loading into silos and sand and gravel deliveries.

The plans were also submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) who have placed conditions on any approval to alleviate issues such as impacts on air quality, noise, surface water controls and chamical storage.

The panel will meet at 2pm on Thursday.