Inside story on quarry: Why northern Gold Coast residents should not be treated like second class citizens

Council has deferred a vote on expanding the Oxenford quarry to next month to get legal opinion. This decison will impact on all home owners near industry. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

THE Gold Coast City Council has deferred a vote on expanding the Oxenford quarry to next month to get legal opinion. This decision will impact on all home owners in the area. What happens next?

It’s important to revisit the long history of the quarry site off Maudland Road near the Coomera River. Even more important, remove emotion from this debate.

Oxenford quarry - aerial showing the size of the key resource area as determined by the State Government.

The initial rezoning for an extractive industry was in August 1982.

Eight years later the then Albert Shire Council considered a rezoning application and decided against approval. The decision was appealed, and the Planning and Environment Court later approved it.

From 2003 the site was considered an extractive industries precinct under the City Plan.

Your columnist has a document that shows then Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney, in ticking off the draft 2015 City Plan, set conditions which identified the Oxenford key resource area.

The amended maps enable the removal of buffer zoning. Oxenford residents who had bought homes in the 1990s could have a quarry around 150m from their fence line.

Think about that.

Oxenford quarry - the map from the State Government outlining the key resource area.

The quarry’s operation was due to finish in June 2017 despite the resource area having at least 30 years of deposits.

Operators sought an extension, from the council, for a further five years. Their current agreement ends in February next year.

So Nucrush Pty Ltd in 2019 had to make an application to the council to continue. They wanted an operational area of 54.93ha to be dug out – deep below the river – in nine stages.

Probably aware this ambitious plan was headed for a refusal, the quarry modified its application last November.

In a 200-page report, council officers recommended part-approval and part-refusal. By agreeing to go to only Stage 5, this stops the crushing plant moving closer to homes.

Area councillor William Owen-Jones argued for a refusal at a council planning committee meeting. The 3-3 tied vote led to planning chair Cameron Caldwell using his casting vote to back officers.

Oxenford quarry to stage nine development - the quarry plant moves to the north, closer to residential homes.

At a full council meeting on Tuesday, Mayor Tom Tate asked for legal advice. Councillors went into closed session, so we are in the darkness of a mine shaft on that debate.

What are the options? If Cr Owen-Jones has the numbers on October 12, the council will almost certainly be defending its decision of refusal in the court, backed by residents.

If the council supports the officers’ recommendations of part-refusal, part-approval, the operators could still go to court to seek more expansion on their site. Their legal opponents then would be a resident’s group. They will need pockets as deep as the future quarry.

Cr William Owen-Jones — backing residents on their concerns about the Oxenford quarry. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Another option is Cr Owen-Jones, after losing his refusal vote, puts forward a motion of approval with tougher conditions. Nucrush goes to court, the residents join with the council.

The best option for residents will be that they are onside with the council in any court action. The Boral Reedy Creek appeal cost ratepayers about $5m.

A possible compromise here is a 15-year extension with the council negotiating better buffer zones.

Your columnist has two questions for the Mayor and all the councillors.

If they were unanimous in their support to stop Boral at Reedy Creek in the south, how can they not support Cr Owen-Jones when the buffers at Oxenford are much shorter? Do residents in the north deserve to be treated like second-class citizens to their cousins in the south?

A lot of dust has to settle here. We’re all headed to court, aren’t we?

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