Asphalt plant concerns residents
RESIDENTS living near a proposed Ringtail Creek Rd asphalt plant have raised concerns about possible environmental impacts.
Friends of Ringtail Creek president Gina Carruthers said her group had been meeting in recent weeks to evaluate the community consequences of the Fulton Hogan development application for a 10-year plant operation.
Ms Carruthers said the Sunshine Coast Council had granted a lease to the international civil engineering and construction company to operate at the same site of the former Allens Asphalt plant which operated for about 15 years.
"The land the asphalt plant is to be situated on is owned by the Sunshine Coast Council and the lease is for 10 years," Ms Carruthers said.
"The proposed asphalt plant is deemed code assessable and not impact assessable because there has been an asphalt plant on that site in the past, and because Fulton Hogan's application is to operate at the same capacity as the former Allens plant.
"Council therefore cannot require the application to be publicly notified or an impact assessment to be performed, and local residents have no legal right to object."
The group believed because the company was seeking a material change of use, the public should have been informed and given a chance to object.
"Our research into asphalt plants over the last few weeks has raised concerns about the effects of toxic emissions on the endangered flora and fauna in the area," Ms Carruthers said.
"It is apparent that there are environmental issues that we are still looking into including the potential for pollution of the Noosa River via Ringtail Creek in the event of more major rain events.
"Residents on Gwandalan Rd, Kamala Dr and Whitewood Ct are within a 3km radius of the proposed asphalt plant as the crow flies or the wind blows if you like. Studies show this is well within the range that wind-blown particles can travel."
The company's development application proposed an environmental management plan to minimise the stormwater entering the plant's chemical storage and production areas, while contaminants would be captured and treated on site.
Fulton Hogan proposed to carry out its operation within the 2009 State Environmental Protection (Water) Policy and any potential contaminants and wastes would be stored to avoid stormwater run-off.
A council request to Queensland Health for comment on the company's air quality assessment report found that there were a range of emissions that could affect health.
Based on the data and information provided in the report, the potential for health impacts from the proposed asphalt plant was low as the predicted ground level concentrations were less than the health-based air quality objectives of the Environmental Protection (Air) Policy 2008.
THE PROPOSAL
Fulton Hogan's Ringtail Ck Rd asphalt operation proposal:
The plant
An Astec T200 Global Asphalt Plant capable of producing 200 tonnes of asphalt an hour will produce warm and hot mix asphalt as well as recycle asphalt.
The development application is for the production of 60,000 tonnes of asphalt per year, annualised. Protesting residents claim it is possible that some years over 60,000 tonnes will be produced. In that case emissions from the plant could be greater, increasing the possible risk to health and the environment.
Operating hours
5am-6pm Monday to Saturday with the residents claiming the potential for 24/7 in the future.
