Elsie Adamo
GRANT District Council has provided ‘in principle’ support to an application for a limestone mining lease outside Mount Gambier for more than 100 years’ worth of limestone.
Property owner Sandybridge Holdings currently runs a sand and limestone quarry west of Mount Gambier in Compton, and is seeking to expand limestone production to a further 10 pits.
According to a report tabled at council’s meeting on Monday, each new pit will have an average expected lifespan of 17 years and should provide enough capacity for the company’s next 100 years of operations.
However, with eight residential properties within 400m of the mine, council was aware of some concerns about potential impacts from the mine, with residents worried about air quality, noise, litter, groundwater, native vegetation and visual impacts on the area.
The council report indicated that many of these impacts would be managed by the company and relevant authorities directly.
In mid-January, the Department for Energy and Mining requested a response from council on the matter, with councillors voting on Monday night to provide ‘in principle’ support for the application, highlighting the need to minimise potential impacts on nearby residents.
While councillors raised concerns about potential impacts from the mine, they found no grounds for objections at this stage.
