After a strong, local, grass roots campaign, the application to expand Kin Kin Quarry has now been declared a Controlled Action under the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC).
This is an important victory for Kin Kin and Noosa – but the battle to save the habitat of protected flora and fauna from destruction is not over.
The scope of the works originally proposed by the quarry operator was to clear around nine hectares of vegetation, but this has now been expanded to encompass more than 15 hectares of critical habitat for koalas, grey-headed flying foxes, and greater gliders.
The decision to declare the application as a Controlled Action means that Cordwell Resources cannot, for now, proceed with clearing the site. The Australian Government’s Environment Department will conduct a full assessment of the proposal, including a community consultation period. A Public Environment Report will be prepared as a detailed study into the impacts of the proposal.
This decision is an acknowledgement of both the legitimate and justified environmental concerns about the proposed expansion of the quarry on protected flora and fauna and the strong community objections that have been raised.
Quarries are essential to supply materials for new and safer roads, but aside from the environmental concerns, there are long standing community concerns about road safety arising from the transportation of the quarry’s materials through the hinterland road network. These roads were never designed to carry heavy vehicles in such volumes.
The next steps of the assessment process are critical.
The EPBC Act provides for five different levels of assessment. The Kin Kin quarry proposal has been determined to involve a large number of issues that have attracted wide public interest and therefore requires the more detailed assessment approach of a Public Environment Report.
The Department has 20 business days to prepare and provide the quarry operator with draft guidelines that advise what information the Department requires to assess the impacts of the proposed action.
Once the quarry operator has prepared and lodged the report, it must be published for public comment for a minimum twenty day period.
When the 20 day comment period closes, the applicant must include the public comments received in their report and explain what actions they have taken to address them. This final report then undergoes formal assessment by the Department, which has forty days to deliver a final decision.
Consistent with my advocacy on this issue through my previous columns in Noosa Today, I am encouraging everyone who is concerned about the potential destruction of this site to email their objections to the Australian Government Environment Minister at minister.watt@dcceew.gov.au
I thank everyone who has made submissions so far and we need to renew these efforts to ensure that the Government listens to and acts on our objections.
If you would like to know more about the EPBC process, visit dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc for a step-by-step guide on how the Department conducts assessments.
My office is always here to help in any matter controlled by the Australian Government. If you need assistance please contact me on telephone 4121 2936, email llew.obrien.mp@aph.gov.au, my website llewobrien.com.au or on Facebook facebook.com/llewobrienlnp
