By Colin MacGillivray
LIBERAL Democrat Member for Northern Victoria Tim Quilty’s scathing rebuke of Mitchell Shire Council’s stance against a proposed quarry south of Wallan in Parliament last month has drawn condemnation from council leaders.
Mr Quilty addressed Parliament on February 24 speaking in support of the proposed quarry and operator Conundrum Holdings.
The fate of the quarry rests with Planning Minister Richard Wynne, who will decide on whether to allow changes to the Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan, PSP, which would allow the project to proceed after hearing advice from a ministerial advisory committee.
Mr Quilty said the quarry should be allowed to proceed and described council’s anti-quarry advertising material as ‘hate mail’.
“Mitchell Shire Council sent out quarry hate mail with their rates notices,” he said.
“In their targeted campaign against the quarry, which this government has previously supported, they open with the headline ‘Tell Minister Wynne to put the quarry in the bin’.
“This is an appalling use of ratepayers’ funds. We have seen hundreds of ratepayers who support the quarry and its economic benefits for Melbourne and northern Victoria.
“Mr Wynne should appreciate … the value that small-to-medium-sized quarries such as the one proposed at Wallan bring to our state, particularly in terms of planning, growth and development.”
Mitchell Shire Mayor Bill Chisholm and councillor Rob Eldridge expressed disappointment in Mr Quilty’s speech and disputed his view that a quarry would not affect planned development in the area south of Wallan.
They pointed out that council had received more than 1000 submissions about the quarry, the majority of which they believed opposed the project.
They said Wallan residents had concerns about traffic congestion, vibrations, noise, dust, health issues, catchment and water table pollution and environmental impacts.
“Council is not anti-quarry, just anti-quarry in the middle of a master planned community of more than 100,000 residents,” Cr Eldridge said.
“This quarry will be in existence for at least 30 years, dividing this community for generations. The quarry, and its buffers, will stifle development, prevent the construction of major roads, schools and sport fields, and ultimately bring little benefit to the local community.
“We’re working really closely with the community to ensure the people most affected by this quarry can have their voices heard.”
Cr Chisholm said a quarry would ‘be a disaster’ for the existing and future Wallan community if it went ahead.
“A quarry in this location will destroy this and undermine the good planning outcomes we’re trying to achieve,” he said.
“We don’t want to become a dumping ground for quarries to service Victoria’s big build when there is more than enough supply to meet demand in existing and approved quarries in Melbourne’s north.
“You can have a quarry, or you can have housing; you cannot have both.”
Conundrum Holdings managing director Ron Kerr welcomed Mr Quilty’s comments and termed council the ‘shameful shire’ for its stance against the quarry.
“[Mr Quilty] joins a growing chorus within our community demanding answers from the Mitchell Shire Council about the ratepayers’ money being directed to hate mail letters, T-shirts, and dubious extensive signage,” he said.
“Not to mention the hundreds of work hours by council staff, external experts and ongoing legal costs. People need to be asking why the extractive industries, and our application, are being targeted by the shire.”
Mr Quilty, in his speech, encouraged the State Government to approve plans for a quarry.
“We need these quarries to keep pace with the ongoing development throughout our state and to power the government’s Big Build,” he said.
“It may not be the biggest vote winner, but without quarries to extract these resourced, where will our new houses, foundations, roads and bridges come from?”
