Proposal for Oldbury sand mine on black cockatoo habitat angers residents on Perth's southern fringe

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The community has raised environmental and health concerns over a proposed sand mine on Perth's southern fringe. But the proponent and a mining expert says sand is a "priority" resource that is necessary to ease the city's housing shortage. The Department of Water and Resources is assessing the plan.

Transcript

00:00Underneath this Banksy woodland lies a dormant sand deposit.

00:06These plots of land down the Swamp Coastal Plain.

00:09The backdrop of debate happening in local communities across Australia.

00:13Environment versus development.

00:16We came out here to bee bunks the nature and the bush

00:20and we don't want to cut it down.

00:22The proposed Ulbrew Sand Quarry is only a couple hundred metres away from Mr Morrow's home.

00:27There's silica sand in here so the dust is already pretty bad out here.

00:32We can live with that but when you're mining it and digging it up it's going to be ten times worth.

00:37Plans to mine the site have been bubbling away for decades.

00:40Development was approved after mediation by the State Administrative Tribunal in 2015

00:46but Heidelberg Materials were forced to apply for an amendment to a clearing permit late last year.

00:52That move allowing the local Shire of Serpentine and Jarrodale to veto the approval.

00:59We understand that development needs to happen.

01:02However there needs to be consideration for what we're passing on to our future generations

01:07and that's got to be based on the information that we have available to us now.

01:11The Department of Water and Resources is now assessing Heidelberg's application.

01:15It can't commit to a time frame on a decision as it is still waiting for more information.

01:19Some mining experts say the lack of available sand is impacting new builds in Perth South.

01:24We can get to a lower resource impact future but we're not going to do that tomorrow

01:29and we've got people who need houses today.

01:31In a statement Heidelberg Materials say the sand quarry provides a vital local resource

01:36for residential construction at a time when demand is high and sand available locally is low.

01:42The company said it's committed to an environmentally responsible approach and restoring and offsetting the impact.

01:49But not everyone is convinced, concerned the project will adversely affect the habitat of the Carnaby black cockatoo.

01:55I think you know companies might have the very best intentions and reality is often very different.

02:01It's death by a thousand cuts.

02:03We can't keep clearing at this rate and we can't rehabilitate.

02:08For now the fate of this native bushland and the sand deposit beneath remains uncertain.

02:13What is the amount of time to reference?

02:14What is the NFT?

02:23Shimizu, the sanct ее Technology.

02:27Heidelberg Materials484929393940821ll.

02:35data

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