ROCK & A HARD PLACE
Quarry win for residents but building costs to rise
REEDY Creek residents are celebrating a court ruling against a proposed quarry but the construction industry says the decision will add $15,000 to the cost of building a new home. The knock-back for the Boral quarry follows a seven-year battle by locals and the council but the company says it may fight on.
REEDY Creek residents are celebrating a court ruling against a proposed quarry but the construction industry says the decision will add $15,000 to the cost of building a new home.
The Planning and Environment Court ruled against the Boral quarry, backing Gold Coast City Council’s unanimous 2015 vote to reject the proposed $2 billion development after a furious sevenyear battle by locals.
Hinterland residents and political leaders are celebrating a win which could boost property prices in Reedy Creek. Boral has refused to back down and is considering its options.
The Stop the Gold Coast Quarry Group, who led a grassroots campaign against the big development, said the decision was a win for people power.
However leading business and construction industry figures said it could have a longterm effect on the city’s billion-dollar construction industry.
With the Reedy Creek project’s future uncertain and the existing West Burleigh quarry’s supply expected to be exhausted in less than three years, there are fears a lack of available materials will push building prices up.
Industry figures believe the increase could be by as much as 4 per cent.
That would add about $15,000 to the cost of an average-sized 214sq m home.
Master Builders Queensland regional manager John Duncalfe was surprised by the decision.
“This would mean we are going to need to get materials trucked in and this will push costs up,” he said.
“Our concern from an industry point of view is where the product for cement will come from to service the growing demand here on the Gold Coast.
“This could also lead to more trucks on the road and this will create further costs.”
In July 2015 the Gold Coast City Council voted to reject Boral’s development application on 12 grounds including conflict with the community plan, visual air quality and noise problems along with an alleged failure by Boral to show its project would benefit the community.
Boral bought the site for $15.4 million in December 2005. Under Boral’s plan, trucks would leave the 65ha quarry every 40 seconds along the narrow Old Coach Rd to meet an annual quota of two million tonnes of rock.
Mayor Tom Tate yesterday led a chorus of political leaders celebrating the court’s decision.
“The message to Boral is, you know, pack up, go home mate, we don’t want you,” he said. “If you still want to hang around, you know, it’s not the Australian way, is it.”
However Boral said it had not given up and could take the matter to a higher court.
Simon Jeffery, Boral’s state executive general manager, said the company was “highly disappointed” by the decision.
“Nevertheless, this project is too important for the Gold Coast region so we will regroup and take advice on further legal avenues,” he said.
“Our proposal was aimed at ensuring that Boral could continue to economically supply the growing Gold Coast housing and construction market into the future while at the same time protecting hundreds of local jobs.”
The quarry has long proved a political football, first being mooted while the former Bligh government was in power.
An independent report into the quarry site by town planning consultant Buckley Vann in 2013 found quantities of the mineral actinolite, one of six asbestos minerals. Boral said its own reports had not found any traces of actinolite.
More than 258 objections were received by Boral during community consultation.
Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates, who led the fight against the project along with residents said yesterday was a “proud day for the southern Gold Coast”
Stop the Gold Coast Quarry Association’s Sam Stewart said the decision “certainly won’t hurt” land valuations.
“We are really happy with this result and both the council and its legal team have been brilliant,” he said.