Council approves quarry expansion despite owner dispute

A QUARRY has been approved for a massive expansion by the council, but its owner has taken issue with certain requirements attached to it.

The Brookview Quarry on Scrubby Rd near Pittsworth.

A QUARRY in the western Toowoomba region has been approved for a massive expansion by the council, but its owner has taken issue with certain requirements attached to it.

Councillors voted at a special meeting yesterday to allow the Brookview Quarry, on the intersection of Scrubby and Jentz Rds near Pittswoerth, to quintuple its maximum output to 500,000 tonnes per year.

According to the report by TRC planner Nadia McLeod, the operation is expected to only extract 250,000 tonnes per year on average at the 46-hectare site.

While he was happy with most of the conditions imposed by the TRC, quarry owner Phil Bland said he disagreed with the requirement for him to upgrade and widen Scrubby Rd from the site entrance to the connecting Gore Highway.

Subject site for a development proposal on Jentz Rd at Scrubby Mountain.

Addressing the councillors, Mr Bland said it was unfair that he had to cover the cost of the road upgrade, especially since the TRC also used the road to access its own nearby quarry.

"The council has a quarry just up of me and if it doesn't come from me, it comes from your 100,000-tonne a year quarry," he said.

"What I'm saying is for me to cover 100 per cent of the cost is too much.

"When I first opened this quarry up and I spoke to councillors, I said the road was a mess and it would take about 9000 tonnes of gravel to fix it.

"I said I'd donate the gravel, and they said they couldn't do that because it has to go to tender.

"I'm still prepared to give all the gravel, if the council wanted to come on board and help."

Cr Bill Cahill noted to the applicant that he was entitled to submit a negotiated decision notice after the development was approved.

Mr Bland said the company employed more than 50 people across its operation, with sites in Toowoomba, Pittsworth, Millmerran and Dulacca near Roma.

Cr Carol Taylor voted against the development, having already expressed concerns around increased dust levels and heavy transport traffic.