Quarries Become Protected Species

The Qld government have caved in to the mining industry by designating 100 Key Resource Areas (KRA's) with associated quarry buffer zones of up to two kilometres. Houses or land located within buffer zones cannot extend or subdivide, nor can any new residential development occur. No compensation is contemplated by the government.

The previous buffer was 300 metres, and the onus was on the quarry to properly manage fly-rock by efficient drill hole orientation and use of approved blasting mats.Quarry licences are issued by local Councils on the basis that they keep fly-rock within their property boundary. However, the industry complained that fly-rock could not be consistently controlled.

Land values within KRA's are likely to tumble. There would be many cases where houses were constructed outside the 300m zone, but are now within the KRA. Surely a good lawyer will win an "injurious affection" case which will flow on to many others who have been disadvantaged by this legislation.
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This is typical of the bullish legislation being pushed through Parliament before Beattie retires.