A HALF-A-MILLION dollar quarry extension has been given the tick of approval in Willow Tree.
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The existing quarry, Willow Tree Gravels, has operated in the area for more than 20 years.
Owner Philip Marheine said hefty market demand has forced them to expand to keep up.
“Plus we need that particular part of the quarry to blend with our product, our side of the quarry resource would have run out in two years,” he said.
The quarry mines conglomerate rock used for road base and rail capping.
It employs 15 staff members, all from Willow Tree, Murrurundi and Quirindi.
“This ensures their jobs will remain for some time and gives us the opportunity to expand the blue metal side in tonnages, which opens up more markets for the quarry itself,” he said.
There was one objection to the mine, and the key issues identified by the Liverpool Plains Shire Council were noise and vibration, operating hours, blasting activities, air quality, visual and traffic impacts.
An undetermined native title claim has also been registered by the Gomeroi People over the extension area, but Mr Marheine does not believe it will have an impact on development.
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”The noise is monitored at the current operation and it’s well inside the 35 decibel area to the nearest resident,” he said.
“For the dust we’ve implemented a citrus based product which we mix with water to reduce emissions, that’s reduced our water consumption by two-thirds and lowered our dust visibly by over half.”
There are two to three million tonnes of rock remaining in the current quarry.
Willow Tree Gravels expects to mine the area in the next six to 12 months.