25-year extension sought for operation of Lismore quarry – Northern Star

AN APPLICATION has been lodged with Lismore City Council to enable a quarry to continue to operate for another 25 years.

The Riverbank Rd basalt rock quarry is owned and operated by Michael Santin of Santin Quarry Products.

The quarry -- which produces crushed road base, gravel and aggregate -- operates on a permanent basis, Monday to Saturday.

Town planner Malcolm Scott, who lodged the DA modification with the council on behalf of Mr Santin, explained in the documents that his client wanted to continue the operation of the approved quarry for another 25 years.

If approved, the quarry could continue to operate until May 2045.

A development application has been lodged with Lismore City Council to expand the life of Santin Quarry on Riverbank Rd, Lismore. Contributed

The DA modification does not seek to change the approved annual extraction rate, but Mr Scott's report explains the resource "is not exhausted and "Mr Santin intends (to) make a DA in due course to laterally expand the quarry beyond its current approved limits.

"The rock extracted and processed is solid columnar basalt, Mr Scott's report to the council explains.

"There is one other columnar basalt quarry in the Northern Rivers region and none in the Lismore City Council local government area.

The rock material is extracted by blasting, then collected by an excavator or front end loader before being crushed, screened and stockpiled into different and requested products.

It is then loaded onto trucks for transport.

A development application has been lodged with Lismore City Council to expand the life of Santin Quarry on Riverbank Rd, Lismore. Contributed

"The continued operation of the quarry is justifiable as it will produce extractive materials from a proven resource that is not available in the Lismore local government area and Northern Rivers region and which is very important for the building and construction industries and local, regional, state and national infrastructure projects, the report states.

"The quarry is close to Lismore and centrally located in the Northern Rivers region, minimising transport costs, emission of greenhouse gases and also financially contribute to LCC's road maintenance program.

A development application has been lodged with Lismore City Council to expand the life of Santin Quarry on Riverbank Rd, Lismore. Contributed

"The continued operation of the quarry makes a substantial contribution to local employment opportunities and contributes directly and indirectly to the local economy.

The application to extend the life of the quarry is on public exhibition until November 13.

For more information, visit http://www.lismore.nsw.gov.au.

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25-year extension sought for operation of Lismore quarry - Northern Star