"....'Ole in the ground, so big and sort o' round it was
And there was I, diggin' it deep
It was flat at the bottom and the sides were steep...."
Our neighbour, Mr Lee, owner of the 409 hectares commonly known as Fame Cove, has submitted a DA through his company Tea Garden Farms Pty Ltd for the operation of a rock quarry on his property - Lot 101 in DP 1049845.
We understand that the application DA 269/2017 is for a quarry site on a hill on the eastern side of the North Arm Cove waterway. The owner seeks to excavate up to 25,000 cubic metres of rock per annum from a disused borrow pit on his land for unspecified use within that property's boundary.
The site is only approximately 1500 metres in a direct line of sight over open water from the North Arm Cove village and about 700m in a direct line of sight from Bundabah village. Apart from possible blasting with inherent noise and dust issues, the movement of rock could entail 5000 truck movements per annum.
The quarry site extends to close to the ridgeline, well above the height of the surrounding villages of North Arm Cove and Bundabah. Any trees just outside the proposed site will suffer from the activity, especially those along the ridgeline facing North Arm Cove. It is likely that we will see a significant change in the current skyline and it is possible that the quarry will be visible from both villages.
We are concerned because we believe that the proximity of any quarrying activity to both the Bundabah and North Arm Cove villages cannot fail to impact on the property owners and the amenity value of these villages. (Would you buy a property in such close proximity to an active quarry?)
The applicant has for several years conducted heavy earthmoving and blasting activities on more distant Fame Cove sites than Lot 101, always without forewarning and always causing disturbance in our village. The DA offers no explanation as to how the aforementioned concerns will be addressed by the quarry operator.
Now is your opportunity to express any concerns you may have. We understand that the MidCoast Council is preparing for exhibition of the quarry proposal to commence on 25th May. We are assured owners of neighbouring properties will be advised, plus NACRA and the Fame Cove Action group. The exhibition will be advertised in local papers and full proposal plus surveys and requested data will be on Council website and on view at the Tea Gardens council office.
Look for it and be sure you have your say.
"......Don't dig there, dig it elsewhere
You're diggin' it round and it ought to be square
The shape's all wrong, it's much too long
And you can't put an 'ole where an 'ole don't belong!"
(Dicks and Rudge and sung by Bernard Cribbins - if you're old enough to remember.)
Tony Hann
Janine Reid
