Residents of Adams Estate, from left, Jan Grimes, Tony Davidson and Lea Trowbridge celebrate after council vote to reject plans to widening
of Stanley Road for sand trucks.
By Catherine Watson
BASS Coast councillors have rejected plans to widen and seal Stanley Road in Grantville for sand trucks to service a new quarry at the end of the road.
At Wednesday’s council meeting councillors voted eight to one against an application by Hanson Construction Materials, part of the giant multinational Heidelberg Materials, to remove 1.7 hectares of significant vegetation from Stanley Road.
The original permit for the quarry, granted by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in 1996, required the company to use Stanley Road for its sand trucks and to widen and seal the road to the council’s satisfaction.
BASS Coast councillors have rejected plans to widen and seal Stanley Road in Grantville for sand trucks to service a new quarry at the end of the road.
At Wednesday’s council meeting councillors voted eight to one against an application by Hanson Construction Materials, part of the giant multinational Heidelberg Materials, to remove 1.7 hectares of significant vegetation from Stanley Road.
The original permit for the quarry, granted by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) in 1996, required the company to use Stanley Road for its sand trucks and to widen and seal the road to the council’s satisfaction.
The quarry site has remained dormant since then but last November residents of the Adams Estate, off Stanley Road, were notified of plans for the road widening. Many had been unaware that the road was a planned sand truck route.
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Hanson’s application drew 58 objections from residents, the wider community and conservation groups including the Westernport Biosphere, Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group, South Gippsland Conservation Society, Phillip Island Conservation Society, Victorian National Parks Association and Save Western Port Woodlands.
Adams Estate residents Jan Grimes, Lea Trowbridge and Tony Davidson expressed their relief after the decision. Jan has lived on the estate for over 50 years and said it was gratifying to see councillors supporting residents. |
VCAT appeal likely Hanson is expected to appeal against the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). However, that may depend on progress on its application to open a new quarry at Lang Lang, on cleared farmland within the Lang Lang Strategic Extractive Resource Area. That site adjoins its current quarry and is closer to the Melbourne market, offering substantial savings on the Stanley Road quarry site. |
Lea bought in the bushland estate two years ago and said she was never warned that Stanley Road was a planned route for sand trucks.
“No conveyancers told me, no real estate agents told me. When I asked about signs on the map, the real estate agent said ‘No they’re fine. That’s nothing.’ I only found out when I saw the sign go up on the road last November.”
Tony Davidson welcomed the decision. “We built our house in 1988. Then all of a sudden there’s a sign up saying there’s an application for a sand mine. I think we need to get rid of them completely. We’ll see what happens at VCAT.”
A council officer’s report had recommended the permit be approved, stating that the amount of vegetation removal had been minimised as much as possible, and any losses were minimal.
Cr Jon Temby moved an alternative motion to reject the permit on the basis of the damage it would cause to the wildlife corridors and biodiversity of the Western Port Woodlands.
“This clearing of native vegetation, is incompatible with Bass Coast Shire Council’s legal obligations and current community thinking.”
He said the Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group had identified threatened species including Strzelecki Gums and Cobra Greenhood orchids in the immediate vicinity.
“No conveyancers told me, no real estate agents told me. When I asked about signs on the map, the real estate agent said ‘No they’re fine. That’s nothing.’ I only found out when I saw the sign go up on the road last November.”
Tony Davidson welcomed the decision. “We built our house in 1988. Then all of a sudden there’s a sign up saying there’s an application for a sand mine. I think we need to get rid of them completely. We’ll see what happens at VCAT.”
A council officer’s report had recommended the permit be approved, stating that the amount of vegetation removal had been minimised as much as possible, and any losses were minimal.
Cr Jon Temby moved an alternative motion to reject the permit on the basis of the damage it would cause to the wildlife corridors and biodiversity of the Western Port Woodlands.
“This clearing of native vegetation, is incompatible with Bass Coast Shire Council’s legal obligations and current community thinking.”
He said the Gippsland Threatened Species Action Group had identified threatened species including Strzelecki Gums and Cobra Greenhood orchids in the immediate vicinity.
1.7ha of vegetation, including 37 large trees, were proposedto be removed from Stanley Road.
“Both Stanley and McGrady Roads are listed in Bass Coast’s Significant Roadside Vegetation Management Plan 2020. These two roadsides have a high conservation value and are a crucial biolink in the Western Port Woodlands, the last functional forest in Bass Coast.
“The ‘37 trees’ listed for removal is based on a formula where only the very biggest trees are counted. Many thousands of important habitat plants are actually earmarked for removal.”
Cr Tim O’Brien said the Adams Estate community deserved to have their views listened to. “They’ve been living there for 25 years undisturbed. Our job as councillors is to represent their interests.
“I don’t think we as councillors can second guess what VCAT is going to do. It’s our job as elected leaders in this community to show a bit of spine and hit this out of the park.
“The sand miners have had a very good run in the Western Port Woodlands and we need to sort this out. We need to come up with a plan that does not involve removing vegetation. I won’t be told there is only one solution to this because there isn’t.”
Cr Jan Thompson was the sole dissenting voice, arguing that only 10 of the 58 objections came from residents of Adams Estate and that most had no objection to the road widening.
She said that if the council rejected the permit the company would only take it to VCAT where the decision was likely to be overturned with costs to the council of $20,000 or more in pointless legal costs.
Cr Mat Morgan said it shouldn’t be a contentious decision. “How much more environmental vandalism will be greenlit for huge corporations before decision makers like us realise we’re in a climate and biodiversity crisis?
“There is no justifiable reason for greenlighting this application and I would note that it is in direct contravention of the council’s obligations under the Local Government Act mandating mitigation and planning for climate change risks.”
“The ‘37 trees’ listed for removal is based on a formula where only the very biggest trees are counted. Many thousands of important habitat plants are actually earmarked for removal.”
Cr Tim O’Brien said the Adams Estate community deserved to have their views listened to. “They’ve been living there for 25 years undisturbed. Our job as councillors is to represent their interests.
“I don’t think we as councillors can second guess what VCAT is going to do. It’s our job as elected leaders in this community to show a bit of spine and hit this out of the park.
“The sand miners have had a very good run in the Western Port Woodlands and we need to sort this out. We need to come up with a plan that does not involve removing vegetation. I won’t be told there is only one solution to this because there isn’t.”
Cr Jan Thompson was the sole dissenting voice, arguing that only 10 of the 58 objections came from residents of Adams Estate and that most had no objection to the road widening.
She said that if the council rejected the permit the company would only take it to VCAT where the decision was likely to be overturned with costs to the council of $20,000 or more in pointless legal costs.
Cr Mat Morgan said it shouldn’t be a contentious decision. “How much more environmental vandalism will be greenlit for huge corporations before decision makers like us realise we’re in a climate and biodiversity crisis?
“There is no justifiable reason for greenlighting this application and I would note that it is in direct contravention of the council’s obligations under the Local Government Act mandating mitigation and planning for climate change risks.”
“The removal of native vegetation and threatened species habitat within the roadside is likely to further contribute to fragmentation, edge effects and degradation of these locally high-quality remnant areas of native vegetation and habitat.” |
Cr Brett Tessari supported the alternate motion despite reservations.
“I’ve got to be mindful that we are voting on a road and removal of vegetation, not on who has sand mines and who doesn’t. Sand mining will continue to use the road whether it’s sealed or not sealed.
“We need to get the best outcome for the residents. We pay for it or they [sand companies] pay for it. My preference is they pay for it. My preference is to work with Hanson to reduce the amount of vegetation removal.”
Cr Ron Bauer said the community had spoken, with 58 objections to the plan. “We are the representatives of the community, not business. Once that vegetation is gone it’s gone.”
“I’ve got to be mindful that we are voting on a road and removal of vegetation, not on who has sand mines and who doesn’t. Sand mining will continue to use the road whether it’s sealed or not sealed.
“We need to get the best outcome for the residents. We pay for it or they [sand companies] pay for it. My preference is they pay for it. My preference is to work with Hanson to reduce the amount of vegetation removal.”
Cr Ron Bauer said the community had spoken, with 58 objections to the plan. “We are the representatives of the community, not business. Once that vegetation is gone it’s gone.”