Boyanup sand mine halted due to uncertainty in engineered stone ban

A controversial sand mine in Boyanup has been halted for now with approvals and early works stopped due to uncertainty with new engineered stone ban. During an ordinary council meeting on Wednesday, the Shire of Capel tabled approval discussions for an extractive industry licence and the development of lot 148 Skippings Road, Boyanup. The motion was withdrawn by the council with acting shire president Sebastian Schiano saying the decision was now up in the air due to silica bans coming into effect — after the Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel approved the project in April. “The item has been withdrawn due to the recent introduction of legislative reforms around silica dust and safety benchmarking for occupational heath and safety regulations and the implications it may have on the proposal,” he said. “Given the recency of these changes . . . council and staff do not feel we can confidently make a decision tonight without understanding these changes in further detail. “Withdrawal of the item will allow council to continue working with shire officers to relay concerns to the applicant and have any further questions or unknowns answered in a suite of updated documents to address concerns of all stakeholders before proceeding with a decision.” The laws were first introduced in July, with the initial tranche banning the use, supply and manufacture of engineered stone in Western Australia. The second tranche of the laws came into effect in September which introduced stronger regulation of all crystalline silica substances. The laws come after a report from Safe Work Australia highlighted the dangers of silicosis in 2023, with then Federal workplace relations minister Tony Burke warning it could become “the new asbestos”. JDAP only narrowly approved the project back in April after residents cited many concerns, some involving the risk of dust spreading onto neighbouring properties.