Earthmover permitted to have its way

A BIG expansion in a concrete crushing and composting operation is set to proceed in Cluden after a planning approval has been issued by the State Government.

The approval will allow the scale and intensity of the Goodsell Earthmoving operation in Racecourse Rd to be expanded from 20,000 to 320,000 tonnes a year.

An application for a material change of use was vehemently opposed by Cluden residents concerned about impacts such as dust and noise.

C o - o r d i n a t o r - G e n e r a l Barry Broe, who decided the application because the site is within the Government- regu- lated Townsville State Development Area, has tried to address concerns by applying conditions covering noise and dust and limiting the approval to two years.

Earlier this year a spokeswoman for Goodsell Earthmoving said any impacts from the expansion could be managed and the current operation met regulatory obligations.

Goodsell has lodged an appeal in the Planning and Environment Court against an enforcement action issued by the Co- ordinator- General in relation to compliance with previous approvals.

Materials such as rubble, building material, quarry product, recovered pavement and concrete are trucked to the site and then crushed and screened to produce landscaping and building products.

Green waste is composted in piles.

According to a letter of objection by residents, 179 people signed a petition against the proposal, claiming the operation posed a health hazard because it generated fine material which settled over people’s homes.

The Co- ordinator- General has applied 26 conditions covering issues including monitoring of dust and release and emission of particulate matter, dust and noise. Also, heavy vehicle movements via Racecourse Rd have been limited to 80 a day.

Cluden resident Kathy Butts said traffic and dust were key concerns.

“We are hoping the conditions of approval will be strictly adhered and monitored as they have been stated in the approval,” Ms Butts said.

A spokesman for Goodsell Earthmoving could not be contacted for comment.