By Sonia Isaacs
The Planning and Environment Court has cleared the way for a major expansion of Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd’s Glass House Mountains quarry, allowing Hanson’s appeal against the deemed refusal of the application by Sunshine Coast Council after finding the proposal would deliver a significant public benefit by securing a critical supply of hard rock for major infrastructure projects.
In the unreported judgment Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd v Sunshine Coast Regional Council delivered by Judge Kefford on July 7, the Court found the community need for a reliable source of quarry material outweighed concerns raised about potential impacts on local amenity and the environment.
While the Court has allowed the appeal, final approval conditions and orders are yet to be settled.
The application sought to increase the quarry’s annual extraction limit from 600,000 tonnes to 1.2 million tonnes and allow mining to extend from the current approved depth of 18 metres above sea level to approximately 48 metres below sea level.
The case attracted significant community opposition, with Save Our Glass House Mountains Inc. joining Sunshine Coast Council in opposing the proposal before the Court.
The community group raised concerns about potential impacts including noise, dust, traffic, groundwater, biodiversity and changes to the character of the Glass House Mountains landscape.
Representatives and community members gave evidence during the hearing outlining their concerns about the potential effects of the expanded operation on the surrounding area.
Judge Kefford acknowledged the strength of community feeling and the connection residents had with the area.
“There was a considerable body of objection to the proposal and a number of the objectors gave evidence,” Judge Kefford said.
“They did so with sincerity and conviction and I have no difficulty in understanding their views. Their strong feelings for this area and its attractions are obvious.”
However, after weighing those concerns against the evidence presented by Hanson, Council and expert witnesses, Judge Kefford found they did not provide sufficient grounds to refuse the application.
“I respect the views of the Appellants in this matter, but for the reasons which I have discussed, they do not amount to a sufficient basis for refusing the application,” Judge Kefford said.
A key factor in the decision was the quarry’s location within State-significant Key Resource Area KRA 48.
The Court found the high-quality hard rock resource at the Glass House Mountains site was an important and finite resource required to support future infrastructure, including major transport projects, Bruce Highway upgrades and works associated with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Judge Kefford said there was “overwhelming evidence” of the importance to the community of a hard rock quarry resource that was conveniently located and accessible to market areas.
“I have no doubt that the community’s interests would be served by an approval of this application,” he said.
The judgment also considered the potential economic impacts of refusing the expansion, including the possibility of sourcing quarry materials from more distant locations at greater cost.
Groundwater impacts were a major issue raised during the hearing, with concerns that a deeper quarry pit could affect private bores and sensitive environmental areas.
However, the Court accepted expert evidence that the volcanic rock formation had very low permeability and found significant groundwater drawdown was unlikely.
The judgment concluded existing private bores and sensitive aquatic systems were unlikely to experience a perceptible impact from the proposal.
Traffic impacts were also examined, with the Court noting the expansion would result in an estimated additional 185 heavy vehicle movements on local roads on an average weekday.
While residents raised concerns about increased freight traffic on Coonowrin Road, Judge Kefford noted the road was classified as a District collector street under the Planning Scheme and was intended to accommodate this type of traffic.
The final stage of the legal process will focus on approval conditions.
Sunshine Coast Council has been directed to file a document by July 31, 2026, outlining the conditions it believes should apply to the development.
Hanson and Save Our Glass House Mountains Inc. will then have an opportunity to respond before the Court considers final orders.
The Court also noted that a new Environmental Authority associated with the approval would introduce stricter controls relating to matters including noise, dust and blasting compared with existing requirements.
The final conditions will determine how the expansion operates and what safeguards apply to protect surrounding residents and the local environment. Sunshine Coast Council and Hanson has been approached for comment.
(Photo Credit: David Chatfield)