THE developer of a new quarry at Napoleon Reef will have to comply with a list of 30 conditions after Bathurst Regional Council gave the green light for the project to go ahead.
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Bathurst family business Hothams Sand, Soil and Gravel Supplies applied to start the 1.84 hectare quarry on its property on Napoleon Reef Road with plans to extract a maximum of 30,000 cubic metres of hard rock material each year.
Wednesday night’s council meeting heard the quarry was small by industry standards, but would still add up to 10 heavy vehicle movements along Napoleon Reef Road each day of operation.
The safety of the road was a key concern of many of the 22 Napoleon Reef, Glanmire and Walang residents who used public question time to urge councillors to reject the application.
Residents also produced photographs that showed heavy vehicles having to use both sides of the road as they rounded blind corners on Napoleon Reef Road and asked if councillors could guarantee the safety of vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.
A co-owner of the quarry, Phil Hotham, said his company had been in contact with local bus companies about ensuring his trucks were off the road during daily school runs, but a mother of two young boys asked councillors who was going to let her know it was safe to use the road.
The silicon dust produced by the quarry was another key concern, with residents saying minute dust particles breathed into their lungs would be potentially carcinogenic and a particular health risk for asthmatics.
Councillor Monica Morse took exception to those claims, though, labelling them “scare mongering” by residents.
Cr Greg Westman also spoke strongly in favour of the quarry, saying research conducted in the vicinity of a much larger quarry – a quarry of Victoria-based Mount Hotham Concrete – discounted most of the residents’ health fears.
“This is an extremely difficult topic and a very emotive topic,” he said.
“As councillors we often get called into these debates where we have to decide between the emotional side and the governance, or legislative, side.
“And in this case the legislative side, the planning laws we are given to work with, comes down strongly against that emotional side.”
Cr Warren Aubin angered many of the Napoleon Reef residents with his casual dismissal of their concerns, including suggesting Eleven Mile Drive at Eglinton – where council had previously approved a sand quarry – was in much worse condition than Napoleon Reef Road.
“No-one here seems to be taking into account what the RMS [Roads and Maritime Services] had to say about this road [Napoleon Reef Road],” he said.
“And do they have concerns? No. They are the experts in this matter, not us.”
Only Cr Graeme Hanger voted to reject the quarry, citing his personal fears about the long-term effects of dust particles.
“Just two months ago I lay to rest my step-daughter who died from asbestosis – similar but different to silicosis – but I just can’t say I can guarantee the safety of residents from the dust,” he said. “For that reason I will be voting against this application.”
The list of conditions on the developer includes amended operating hours of 8am-5pm Monday to Friday and the submission to council of several reports including a driver code of conduct showing truck drivers will be limited to 60km/h by their employer and an emergency bushfire plan for the site.
