A MAJOR expansion of the Glass House Mountains quarry has been given the green light, with a court ruling the need for locally sourced construction materials for projects including The Wave and Brisbane Olympics outweighs strong community concerns about the development’s environmental and local impacts.
In a significant victory for Heidelberg Materials, the Planning and Environment Court ruled the public benefit of securing locally sourced construction materials outweighed the concerns raised by Sunshine Coast Council and community group Save Our Glass House Mountains Inc during a development assessment process spanning years.
The approval allows annual extraction to double from 600,000 tonnes to 1.2 million tonnes and mining to extend from the current approved depth of 18 metres above sea level to about 48 metres below sea level.
At peak production, the expanded quarry is expected to generate 185 heavy vehicle movements on an average weekday, effectively doubling truck traffic associated with the operation.
Although the Court ruled the development should proceed, the approval is not yet final.
The parties must now negotiate the conditions that will govern the operation before final orders are made.
In the unreported judgment, Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd v Sunshine Coast Regional Council, delivered on July 7, Judge Nicole Kefford allowed the appeal against Sunshine Coast Council’s deemed refusal of the development application, finding the expansion would deliver a significant public benefit by securing a long-term supply of high-quality hard rock for the region.
The case attracted extensive public interest, with residents expressing concerns about increased truck movements, noise, dust, blasting, groundwater, biodiversity and changes to the landscape surrounding the iconic Glass House Mountains.
Judge Kefford acknowledged the depth of community feeling during the hearing.
“There was a considerable body of objection to the proposal and a number of the objectors gave evidence,” she 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 considering evidence from Hanson (now Heidelberg Materials), Sunshine Coast Council, Save Our Glass House Mountains and a range of expert witnesses, the Court concluded those concerns were not 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.
Central to the Court’s decision was the quarry’s location within State-significant Key Resource Area 48, which protects strategically important extractive resources from incompatible development.
Judge Kefford found there was “overwhelming evidence” the Glass House Mountains quarry contained a high-quality, finite hard rock resource critical to supplying future infrastructure projects across the region.
“I have no doubt that the community’s interests would be served by an approval of this application,” she said.
The judgment noted the quarry would help meet increasing demand generated by major transport projects, Bruce Highway upgrades, regional growth and infrastructure associated with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Court also accepted evidence that restricting the expansion could require quarry material to be sourced from more distant locations, increasing transport costs and reducing supply efficiency.
Groundwater impacts formed one of the most contested aspects of the hearing.
Opponents argued the deeper quarry could affect neighbouring bores, waterways and environmentally sensitive areas.
However, the Court accepted expert evidence that the underlying volcanic rock has very low permeability and concluded significant groundwater drawdown was unlikely.
The judgment found nearby private bores and sensitive aquatic ecosystems were unlikely to experience perceptible impacts from the expanded operation.
Traffic was another major issue for the community.
But while local residents expressed concern about increased truck movements along Coonowrin Road, Judge Kefford noted the road is classified under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme as a District collector street intended to accommodate freight traffic of that nature.
The Court also noted any future approval would operate under a new Environmental Authority containing stricter environmental controls than those currently applying to the quarry, including additional requirements relating to noise, dust and blasting.
A company spokesperson said Heidelberg welcomed the Court’s decision to uphold the appeal.
“The Court found that environmental and amenity impacts could be appropriately managed or avoided, recognised the need for additional quarry capacity and acknowledged the community benefits the project will deliver,” the spokesperson said.
“For more than 30 years, Glasshouse Quarry has supplied essential construction materials for homes, roads and critical infrastructure across the Sunshine Coast.
“The approval will ensure the quarry can continue meeting growing demand and support major regional projects including The Wave.”
The spokesperson said Heidelberg was pleased a clear pathway had now been established following almost 10 years of assessment and looked forward to working with council to finalise approval conditions.
Sunshine Coast Council said the legal process was continuing and declined to comment on the merits of the judgment, the cost of the appeal to ratepayers or the approval conditions it intended to prioritise while the matter remained before the Court.
A council spokesperson confirmed the Court had directed council to submit proposed approval conditions by July 31.
Heidelberg and Save Our Glass House Mountains must identify any disputed conditions by August 7 before the matter returns to Court on August 13, either for final orders or to determine any unresolved issues.
Save Our Glass House Mountains secretary Burnice Starkey described the judgment as devastating for the local community.
“This decision is deeply disappointing for our community,” Ms Starkey said.
“It has taken an enormous effort from local residents and active members of Save Our Glass House Mountains to get to this point, and many people have given their time, energy, expertise and heart to protect this place.”
She said approval with conditions would not remove the pressures the expanded quarry could place on the township and surrounding environment. “The Glass House Mountains are not simply a resource corridor,” she said. “They are a living heritage landscape, a place of cultural significance, environmental sensitivity and deep community identity.”
Ms Starkey said the group remained concerned about groundwater, local bores, runoff into Coonowrin Creek and downstream impacts on the Pumicestone Passage.
She also expressed disappointment that First Nations elders’ evidence had not carried greater weight during the proceedings.
“As a co-respondent, SOGHM is still carefully considering the judgment and the full set of conditions before deciding on our options and our response going forward,” she said.
She said the organisation would continue advocating for Heidelberg Materials to refer the project under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, arguing potential impacts on matters of national environmental significance warranted further assessment.
Final approval conditions are expected to play a crucial role in shaping how the expanded quarry operates and the safeguards imposed to minimise impacts on nearby residents and the surrounding environment.
sonia@gcnews.com.au
