Owners of Brookview Quarry plan big expansion to Toowoomba council

Up to a dozen jobs will be supported if a large basalt quarry is allowed to expand its area and continue extracting up to 500,000 tonnes of material every year.

A proposal to expand a large quarry southwest of Toowoomba could unlock 2.6 million cubic metres of basalt and support up to a dozen jobs if approved.

PK & BT Bland Rural Enterprises, the company of owner Phil Bland, lodged plans with the Toowoomba Regional Council to expand the footprint of the Brookview Quarry along Jentz and Scrubby roads in Scrubby Mountain by 24 per cent.

According to the planning report by Ausrocks Consulting Mining Engineers, the expansion would not lead to an increase in the maximum output of 500,000 tonnes per year but rather allow the quarry to continue operating.

Brookview Quarry at Scrubby Mountain, southwest of Toowoomba.

“This proposal is extend the quarry surface area by approximately 24 per cent to enable continual access to high quality basalt resources as the quarry progresses,” the report said.

“The proposed pit has a total volume of approximately 2.6 million cubic metres of a mixture of weathered and fresh basalt.

“Extraction of the material will be a combination of dozer ripping and drill and blast (and) the material is then moved to the stockpile and processing area where it is sorted, crushed and screened before leaving the site or being stockpiled.

“The average extraction rate for the quarry is expected to be 250,000 tonnes per annum with a maximum rate of 500,000 tonnes per annum depending on demand.”

Brookview Quarry at Scrubby Mountain, southwest of Toowoomba.

Reports into traffic, air quality, noise impacts, site management and engineering were also submitted with the application.

The report argued between eight and 12 people would be required for operations.

It comes more than three years after Mr Bland unsuccessfully appealed to council for it help to pay him pay for the upgrade to Scrubby Rd.