Council prepares for court case on Kin Kin Quarry

Back

Affidavits from a Traffic Engineer will form part of Noosa Council’s push to reduce the number of truck movements from the Kin Kin Quarry in its Planning and Environment court case against Cordwell Resources.

The hearing between the two parties is scheduled for three days from March 2-4, 2022.

Traffic Engineer Stuart Holland from Holland Traffic Consulting is the independent Court expert engaged by Council.

In documents filed and uploaded to the Planning and Environment Court website, Mr Holland stated that after assessing correlations between crash data from 2001 to 2020 and the available truck volume data, he considers an acceptable number of movements would be a total of ten trucks movements per day.

Cordwell Resources will have an opportunity to respond to the material filed by Council.

Mayor Clare Stewart and members of the Kin Kin Roundtable remain concerned by the current conditions of Pomona Kin Kin Road.

“The number of quarry trucks on Pomona Kin Kin Road has increased in the last 2 years and we have always said the Pomona Kin Kin Road is not suitable for the number of quarry trucks currently travelling on this road and they continue to pose a great safety risk,” she said.

Cr Stewart said serious fears for the safety of school children and other motorists using the road were again raised at Tuesday’s Kin Kin Quarry Roundtable meeting.

“With school resuming next week, our hinterland residents quite rightly are terrified about the increased truck movements and the return of school buses on the road,” she said.

Cr Stewart said the roundtable is seeking urgent assistance from the State Transport Minister to intervene under section 46 of the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994.

“We have written to the Transport Minister on several occasions requesting that he or the Director General step in and use their powers for an interim stop of the trucks on the state controlled road.” Cr Stewart said.

“We are gathering the necessary evidence for our court hearing, but also request the Department of Transport and Main Roads to consider what it can do in the interim to improve safety,” she said.

Council will now progress its application to the Planning and Environment Court seeking full enforcement orders centred on alleged breaches by the Quarry operator and seek to address the intensification of use issues.

Acting CEO Larry Sengstock said Council remain committed to addressing the intensification of use issues through the courts.

“Our legal team and council staff are finalising the material in preparation for final enforcement orders centred on alleged breaches by the Quarry operator and sought the operators to limit the number of quarry trucks per day, avoid convoying and ensure movements are within the operating hours, with all truck loads covered,” Mr Sengstock told Tuesday’s Kin Kin Roundtable.