By Sonia Isaacs
COMMUNITY group Save Our Glass House Mountains(SOGHM) is attempting to raise $600,000 to fight Hanson over its proposed quarry expansion.
The target, SOGHM says, will cover legal representation, expert witnesses, and environmental and cultural studies as the long-running dispute moves into the Planning and Environment Court.
SOGHM is a respondent in Hanson’s appeal against the Sunshine Coast Council’s deemed refusal of a proposal to double rock extraction at its GHM quarry to 1.2 million tonnes per year.
SOGHM said its role was vital to “empower community advocacy so our voices are impossible to ignore.” To date around $10,700 has been raised via the Chuffed online platform.
“This appeal marks the next stage in a two-and-a-half-year campaign to protect the region’s heritage and liveability,” SOGHM said.
“Our community is deep in the trenches, doing everything possible to protect our mountains, our town, and our way of life.
“As we move into the court arena, we will continue to stand tall and do what’s right for our community and for the sacred landscape that connects us all.”
Hanson argues that increased rock extraction is essential to meeting growing regional demand for construction materials.
But the council, along with SOGHM, have raised concerns over road impacts, noise, and dust, while SOGHM has also highlighted the cumulative environmental footprint and cultural heritage risks of the expansion on the township and surrounding Glass House Mountains.
The appeal follows the Council’s deemed refusal of the expansion application, with Hanson lodging an appeal on September 1, 2025.
Appeal was ‘a surprise’
An affidavit from the Council’s solicitor said the timing “came as a surprise,” as key technical reports on traffic, blasting, noise, and dust were still being received from Hanson around the filing date.
The Council has since retained legal counsel and compiled an evidentiary brief of nearly 5,000 pages, seeking until November 21, 2025, to finalise its formal “reasons document,” citing the need to consult multiple experts.
A central technical dispute concerns the estimated cost of road pavement damage from increased heavy vehicle traffic. Hanson’s Pavement Impact Assessment (PIA), prepared by SLR Consulting, was reviewed by Council-commissioned traffic engineers PTT, who argued SLR had underestimated haulage distances and costs by excluding Roys Road from the quarry haul route.
Including this road, PTT said, could add millions of dollars in long-term maintenance and upgrades, as it forms the shortest path to destinations including Caloundra, Maroochydore, Noosa, and Nambour.
The quarry expansion has drawn significant community interest, with 485 formal submissions lodged during the Council’s assessment. All submitters have since been notified of the ongoing appeal.
A directional hearing before Judge Kefford on October 20 set key procedural dates: the Council and co-respondent Ken Fullerton must file their positions by November 21, SOGHM’s response is due December 5, Hanson’s supporting reasons by December 9, followed by a review hearing on December 12 to determine the case timetable.
sonia@gcnews.com.au
