UPDATE: A LIMESTONE mine Attunga could soon double its production after council gave it the go-ahead to extract up to 400,000 tonnes a year.
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Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the development at an extraordinary meeting last week.
However, some members of the community who live near the Sulcor mine aired fears around potential dust, noise and vibration impacts.
Mayor Col Murray said the mine was an important part of the local economy.
“It’s been operating for as long as I can remember,” Cr Murray said.
“They provide the lion’s share of road-base.”
He said it also provides a lot of products for farming operations in the region as well.
While the development was given the green light, concerns were also raised by councillors about potentially increased freight traffic in the area.
A motion raised by Juanita Wilson called for a road safety review.
The supported motion urged “council write to the Roads and Maritime Services requesting an urgent safety review of the intersection of Sulcor Road and Manilla Road due to the increased traffic being generated by current and future development in and around that area.”
Retiree Richard Webb owns a 700 acre “lifestyle” farm with about 100 head of Poll Hereford cattle in the area and said there were some worries in the neighbourhood about the impacts of noise, dust and vibration.
Mr Webb said the community wanted to ensure there was an “appropriate dispute resolution” process in place to deal with any issue which may arise.
Other than that, he was happy to have the mine in the neighbourhood.
“We don’t have any objection to the mine as long as it’s mindful of potential impacts on its neighbours,” Mr Webb said.
“There’s a need for lime in agricultural production and other industries.”
In a written statement, Sibelco group operations manager, Glen Best, said the company “prides itself on being a good neighbour”.
“We have been proactive in our consultation with the community and have consulted with council as well as independent bodies to ensure we have addressed any potential impacts as a result of this modification,” Mr Best said.
The development will allow for another 20 years of reserves to be mined at Sulcor.
Sibleco said the development didn’t represent an expansion of operations.
“Sibelco is currently running out of resource at our Attunga mine and the modification is required to gain access to limestone resource,” its statement said.
“This will enable us to continue the long-term supply of lime and limestone to the local agricultural, road work and water treatment industries.
“Sibelco applied to increase production from 200t to 400t to meet ongoing demand for lime and limestone products.
The modification will allow Sibelco to continue employing 29 people at the mine.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
