There was tension at the Blue Hills Quarry community consultation meeting last Tuesday as workers, locals, farmers, neighbours and consulting experts thrashed out a path to progress while navigating considerable concerns.
One woman introduced herself as a concerned local who lives on the Baringhup Maldon Main Rd and is worried about truck traffic. “You need to have roads, and you need to have trucks to get things to people!” said another local who isn’t opposed to the quarry.
Trucks are a point of contention more broadly for the Maldon community, and the possibility of adding fuel to that fire or rather, more trucks to the thoroughfare, was a concern on repeat. “Whether we like it or not, it’s a major truck route,” said Managing Director of Mawsons, John Mawson. “It’s a larger conversation to be had with both Vic Roads and the Mt Alexander Shire Council. But if it turns out to be an issue, then we need to prepare a submission to get an alternate route,” he said.
Another concerned resident who lives on a property adjacent to the proposed quarry spoke emphatically and clearly. “As a person who lives 800 metres from the quarry, my concerns move beyond truck traffic. I am concerned about the quality of the water that I collect from my roof. The quality of the air and the food I produce for my family,” she said.
Silica dust was discussed at length. “Silica dust is considered a risk to employees and not to the community. It’s primarily a WorkSafe management issue.” The size of dust particles is the problem, with a PM 2.5 size particle small enough to get into the lungs and cause health issues.
It was noted that staff regularly wear monitors that measure the presence of dangerous dust particles, and appropriate measures are always taken to mitigate against any problems. “If a lot of PM 2.5 silica is present, it’s an issue for everyone. We would be responsible for reporting that to the EPA,” John Mawson continued. “Approval processes are heavily regulated.”
Groundwater contamination was raised with regard to silica dust, and it was said that ingestion is different to inhalation. Studies around the impact on the water table are yet to be determined.
Mawsons is submitting a referral to determine if an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required. If the impacts of the quarry are deemed acceptable, no ESS may be needed. “That’s your acceptable impact, not mine,” said a neighbouring landowner.
While one local resident is concerned about the removal of 50 acres of carbon-sequestering bush, deeming it ‘not environmentally responsible’, another local was happy so long as firebreaks were adequately managed and mentioned that a quarry can be a ‘safe place’ during the event of a fire.
The application process is heavily bureaucratic, and it is difficult to engage in thorough conversation without an adequate understanding of the steps to approving a quarry. But the overwhelming message from Mawsons is that their door is open for ongoing discussions, with one dissenting resident vowing to take them up on that challenge on a weekly basis.
The words ‘mitigate’ and ‘impact’ were bandied about, but as summarised by one concerned local, “There’s going to be an impact – that’s just a fact.”
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 21 July 2023.
Related stories: Quarry questions, Proposed Blue Hills quarry
