Mandurah limestone quarry rejected

by Jennifer McCarthy

April 16, 2008

MANDURAH council on April 15 rejected for the second time a proposal by WA Limestone to re-commence operations at its Herron quarry, south of crab city.

“We cannot make a decision on [how] this might impact Lake Clifton or residents, or flora and fauna,” east ward councillor Darren Lee told eMU News. “We have to base it on solid planning principles.”

The land in question is zoned ‘rural residential’ and under the Mandurah Planning Scheme raw materials are not permitted to be extracted from the area. However, WA Limestone manager Wally Lukic says the local scheme may be trumped by the WA government’s Peel Region Scheme.

“The quarry’s been there over 20 years and it’s been approved under the Peel Region Scheme, which we believe has precedence over the Mandurah Town Planning Scheme,” Mr Lukic said.

The quarry has been inactive for several years. A shortage of building materials due to the building boom prompted WA Limestone to try to re-open the quarry.

However, residents are worried about possible health, safety and environmental impacts - such as dust entering the water supply, truck traffic and potential damage to the Lake Clifton area.

The proposal, rejected by the city for the first time earlier this year, was amended by WA Limestone after a State Administrative Tribunal hearing. The tribunal asked the city to consider the amended bid.

Mr Lukic said the proposal had been scaled back to increase a buffer between homes and the quarry, and that further concessions will make the quarry unfeasible.