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From quarry to environmental reserve
Proposed quarry site bought by council
A 65 hectare parcel of bushland in Landsborough has been purchased by Sunshine Coast Council recently to create a new environmental reserve.
The land, situated between Hapgood Road and the Bruce Highway, was the subject of a 2017 application by Shadforth Industries Pty Ltd to turn the site, known as Alfs Hill, into a large quarry.
The application was rejected by the council in May 2018 on a number of grounds including impacts to vegetation, fauna, hydrology and visual amenity.
Shadforth Industries appealed the refusal to the Planning and Environment Court but in an unexplained move, lawyers for Shadforth recently discontinued the proceedings, abandoning their plans for establishing the quarry.
It appears the council and Shadforth had been negotiating behind the scenes before this happened, as the May 23, 2019 ordinary meeting of council included an agenda item - Proposed land acquisition Landsborough - that was tabled and taken behind closed doors into a confidential session.
For the discussions and subsequent decision, Mayor Mark Jamieson withdrew from the chamber declaring a personal interest due to electoral donations received from a range of Shadforth companies, totalling $47,339.89.
A council spokesperson confirmed that the purchase was approved in the May confidential agenda session and council bought the property for $1.1 million through the environment levy land acquisition program.
“This property is environmentally significant and strategically located adjacent to part of the Glass House Mountains National Park, which is why council sought to acquire the site,” the spokesperson said.
As it is surrounded by state forest and national park, protecting the forests, habitats and wildlife living there was a priority for the council.
“This acquisition by council provides greater certainty around the future use of the site for environmental purposes and contributes to the protection of matters of national, state and local environmental significance including Commonwealth-listed fauna species such as the vulnerable koala and associated habitat,” the spokesperson said.
“This acquisition supports the protection of the surrounding area’s landscape and character by contributing to the green frame of the future Beerwah East major development area and provides opportunities to plan for and deliver complementary nature-based recreational activities such as trails and supporting infrastructure.”
