Just over a decade ago, the State Government declared the previous proposed 2Mtpa quarry as a Coordinated Project under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 and the submitted Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was approved by the Co-ordinator General in 2014. Post the Co-ordinator General approval, an impact assessable application for Extractive Industry was subsequently made to Council to allow extraction across a similar part of the Project site as is now proposed. That application was ultimately refused by the then Council, and in 2017, the Council’s refusal was upheld by the Planning & Environment Court in an appeal by Boral against Council’s decision (the Previous Appeal).

Judge Richard Jones found there wasn’t sufficient grounds for the development at that time, but it will be observed by reading the judgment that this is a key resource area, a state asset, and that the site ought to be protected for future exploration. It is not a question of ‘if’ but just ‘when’.

It has been 8 years since the appeal and having regard to the current economic conditions, the housing affordability crisis and the announcement of the 2032 Olympic Games, Boral are of the view that the ‘when’ is now.

We understand a proposal of this type requires careful consideration and must address the questions and concerns held by stakeholders, particularly those in the surrounding community. Feedback and consultation undertaken in recent years has been incorporated into the new design, siting and operational parameters of this proposed development, which will deliver a modern, state of the art facilities, with a key focus on limiting impacts to the community and the environment.

Consequently, the development application differs from the development that was the subject of the Previous Appeal in a number of important ways, including:

1. The production output of the RCKRA Project has been reduced by 40% from 2Mtpa to 1.2Mtpa, thereby reducing heavy vehicle movements on the western side of the M1. This, in turn, reduces the extent of noise and air quality impacts associated with the RCKRA Project.
2. Reducing the total disturbance footprint of the proposal by 20% from 70.5ha to 56.4ha. This reduction has been achieved through the development of an alternative overburden strategy involving the proposed WBCWRR Project. This, in turn, reduces the impacts on mapped environmental values and corridor functionality.
3. The overburden from the RCKRA Project will be used to support the establishment of the WBCWRR Project, which involves the use of residual non-putrescible construction waste streams to rehabilitate the existing quarry voids in a timely manner.
4. The infrastructure area has been reduced by approximately 8.4ha in response to a reduced production output and overburden being transferred to the WBCWRR Project for beneficial reuse in the rehabilitation of the existing quarry void.
5. 176.1ha of Boral’s landholding identified as land for environmental purposes will be protected, conserved, enhanced and managed to improve ecological health and functionality of the Burleigh Heads – Springbrook Hinterland to Coast Critical Corridor and positively contribute to the habitat of the local koala population and other fauna species.
6. The extraction boundary has been revised to minimise impacts on the mapped 30m waterway buffer associated with the east-west tributary of Oyster Creek, located within the southern part of the RCKRA Project site.
7. Pit development and rehabilitation strategies have been altered to ensure that Ridge J (a ridgeline that traverses through the RCKRA disturbance footprint) can remain in place longer, and terminal benches are developed earlier to facilitate much earlier progressive rehabilitation to ensure that a ‘green’ backdrop can be maintained. This improves the extent of visual impacts associated with this proposed development.