RCKRA Project Visual Amenity

Boral’s Visual Strategy – Reedy Creek Project 

We know how important the natural landscape is to the community. That’s why the Reedy Creek Key Resource Area Project (RCKRA Project) has been carefully designed to maintain a green backdrop and minimising visual impacts for surrounding residential areas. 

What steps are being taken? 

• Large green buffers: 74% of the site will not be disturbed, ensuring substantial open space remains between the quarry footprint and neighbouring properties. 

• Progressive clearing: Vegetation will only be cleared when required for each stage of work, keeping exposed areas to a minimum. 

• Lower wall heights: Boral has chosen to forego some extractable resource to keep terminal wall heights lower across all four development phases, reducing the visual profile of the quarry. 

• Early rehabilitation: As extraction progresses, terminal benches will form earlier which means they can be revegetated within 12–18 months, restoring greenery quickly. 

• Staged ridge removal: Ridge J, a key ridgeline, will be removed gradually. This allows revegetated benches behind the ridge to create a new green backdrop before the ridge is fully removed. 

Visual Impact Assessment 

An independent study assessed how the project might affect views from surrounding areas. This included: 

• Field investigations and sightline modelling 

• Lidar-based visibility mapping 

• Photomontages for the most sensitive viewpoints 

Ten representative viewpoints (RRVs) were identified by Visual Amenity experts across Burleigh Heads, Reedy Creek, Varsity Lakes, Burleigh Waters, Palm Beach, and Elanora. 

Sensitivity ratings 

• High sensitivity: Two viewpoints (RRV A and RRV B) near Burleigh Heads, representing about 20 homes, may have more noticeable views. These homes already overlook mixed landscapes including residential, commercial, and industrial areas. 

• Moderate sensitivity: Five viewpoints, including RRV C (closest to the site), have limited or distant views. 

• Low sensitivity: Remaining viewpoints are further away and have minimal visibility. 

What did the Visual Impact assessment find? 

• Limited visibility: Most views of the site will be narrow and fleeting, often blocked by vegetation, housing, landform, and roadside barriers. 

• Minimal impact from elevated areas: Locations west and south of the site will mainly see treetops, not quarry operations. 

• Obstructed views from ridges: Areas like Skyline Terrace have views largely blocked by terrain and vegetation. 

• Industrial precinct views: While visible from some industrial areas, sensitivity is rated Low or Negligible. 

How impacts will be reduced? 

A range of design and rehabilitation measures will help minimise visual impacts from the RCKRA Project. These include: 

• Retaining vegetation for environmental purposes 

• Incremental ridge removal, allowing new vegetation on rehabilitated benches to establish before ridgelines are fully lowered. 

• Splitting benches and progressive rehabilitation, which reduces exposed surfaces and restores greenery earlier in the extraction sequence. 

• Applying colour treatments to processing plant structures so they blend more with the surrounding landscape. 

These measures will substantially reduce visual impacts for most receptors.  

Information Request Response findings 

The information request received from Council has been considered and this has not affected the key findings. 

What this means for you 

• Most nearby homes will have little or no view of the quarry throughout its operation. 

• Where views do occur, they will be minimised through careful design, staged extraction, and ongoing progressive rehabilitation. 

• Green buffers and revegetation will help maintain the natural backdrop. 

Click to view the Reedy Creek KRA project visual amenity photomontage series

Further details about Boral’s proposal 

The DA is viewable on Council's PD Online ref. COM/2025/101 here:  

https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/PD-Online