By Sonia Isaacs
SUNSHINE Coast Council has been granted an additional 61 business days to assess a controversial development application to double production at Glasshouse Quarry.
Lodged in July 2023, the proposal seeks to increase output from 600,000 to 1.2 million tonnes per year. The State Government approved the environmental authority for the expansion in March this year, leaving the final decision with Council.
The extension, requested under section 22.1 of the Development Assessment Rules 2017, shifts the decision deadline to July 7 2025. Heidelberg Materials, which operates the quarry, said the proposed increase represents a production cap, not a guaranteed output.
Community group Save Our Glasshouse Mountains (SOGHM) continues to oppose the expansion. Spokesperson Megan Standring urged residents to attend Council’s April 24 ordinary meeting, calling the delay a “defining moment” in the fight to protect the region’s natural and cultural values. SOGHM is planning a community meeting for June.
sonia@gcnews.com.au