Rock crushing gets approval

A ROCK crushing plant at Teesdale that’s been operating for three years without a permit received formal approval from Golden Plains Shire council at its February meeting.

Located east of the Teesdale Tip Road and just over one-kilometre from Bannockburn-Shelford Road, the plant is situated in a field managed by Rocklea Land.

Former Golden Plains Shire councillor Andrew Cameron represented the company at the council meeting to advocate on behalf of the application.

“These stone heaps we’re pushing up are a real burden to farming practice,” he said. “I think every farmer that’s got rock heaps would love the opportunity to be able to turn them into a product that’s very useful.

“It’s a very organic product. There’s no dust, no toxin, no noise. It’s a very easy product to produce.”

The original motion presented to councillors essentially said that rocks from land owned by Mr Cameron or his companies could be processed at the site.

That wasn’t suitable to Mr Cameron who said that he also rented land in the area and wished to crush material from those locations as well.

After discussion a resolution restricting rock being brought to the site unless it’s, “[S]ourced from land holdings in the substantial ownership of, or land within 5 kms of the subject site leased by, Rocklea Land Pty Ltd or Andrew Cameron at the time of permit issue,” was added.

The application also includes a sunset clause restricting work at the site to three years from date of approval, a requirement that Rocklea repair damage to Teesdale Tip Road and limits operation at the plant to 7.30am to 4pm, Monday to Friday but not on public holidays.

During debate on the matter Cr Nathan Hansford appeared to seek to confer with someone in the public gallery, holding an open hand and displaying four fingers and a thumb, he then subsequently moved the five-kilometre restriction for consideration.

Subsequently Cr Hansford sought to explain his action.

“I gestured to Mr Cameron but I also gestured to the CEO to make sure that was a radius that was good enough to protect the residents around the area, but was a good enough restriction on Rocklea to be able to still operate,” he said.

“It was about being fair to the public, being fair to rate payers in general but also still allowing something that we know has to happen in our Shire. There’s more rock than dirt.”

Cr Hansford, who served a term with Mr Cameron between 2012 and 2016, said that he had no on-going relationship with the applicant.

“If you go back through council’s records and minutes, Andrew Cameron and I actually had quite a vast differing of opinions very often and quite often had a stoush or two,” Cr Hansford said. “I have no affiliation with him. I have no relationship other than a ratepayer of the Shire.”

On conferring with the members of the public in the gallery during meetings Cr Hansford said it’s something he’d done before and would do again.

“I have done exactly the same thing that I did with him with other rate payers,” Cr Hansford said. “At the end of the day what we as councillors are there for is to make fair judgment based upon two sides of a story and for the best outcome for the community.

“I have done it in the past and I will do it in the future if it pops up, because it makes a better outcome for both parties involved.”