Gravel quarry to go ahead

The City of Albany has approved a gravel quarry in King River despite 89 public submissions objecting to or raising concerns about the project.

Residents attended Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting and voiced their strong opposition to the Bon Accord Road proposal during public question time.

One resident raised concerns about noise pollution, while another urged councillors to block the proposal.

“It is as if we do not exist — us neighbours feel cheaper than public gravel,” one resident said.

Other concerns related primarily to contamination of drinking water, environmental concerns, vehicle access, property value and Aboriginal heritage.

Nine councillors voted in support of the proposal and three councillors voted against it.

Cr Ray Hammond, who voted “yes” when the item was originally tabled in September, changed his vote after question time.

Cr Janelle Price also voted “no” on the proposal.

“This is a local community living alongside multiple permissible developments - who are conveying a need for greater support when extractive industry operations affect or threaten them.”

“My personal opinion is that these developments are like scatter bombs, which when approved, splinter into multiple systems of regulation and control with shrapnel scattered across numerous Government agencies,

“Because once approval is given we are more or less feeding our community to the wolves” Said Cr Price.

Cr Nicolette Mulcahy was the third councillor who voted against the quarry proposal.

Deputy Mayor Greg Stock voted “yes” and said the council had to decide using its quasi-judicial function, but requested a minor amendment on the proposal, changing the quarry’s operating hours from 7am-6pm to 7am-5pm, excluding weekends and public holidays.