The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has concluded its assessment of a proposal by Southern Midlands Council for an increase in production at Fish’s Quarry, Interlaken Road, Oatlands.
The proposal involves the increased extraction and processing at the existing Fish’s quarry site from 15 000 cubic metres to 35 000 cubic metres dolerite per annum. Fish’s Quarry is a dolerite quarry which uses ripping, pushing and drilling and blasting techniques to win rock which is processed through mobile crushers and screens to produce road construction gravels and aggregates.
The EPA Executive Director, Environmental Assessments Dr Martin Read, who made the determination under delegation from the EPA Board, concluded that the proposed development can be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions. The Board requires these conditions to be included in any permit subsequently granted by the Southern Midlands Council.
The proposal was considered by the Board’s delegate in the context of the sustainable development objectives of the Resource Management and Planning System of Tasmania (RMPS), and in the context of the objectives of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control System (EMPCS) established by the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA).
The functions of the EPA are to administer and enforce the provisions of EMPCA, to further the RMPS and EMPCS objectives and, in particular, to use its best endeavours to protect the environment of Tasmania.
The Executive Director, Environmental Assessments undertook assessment of the proposal in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Principles defined in Section 74 of the Act.
The environmental assessment report, including the environmental conditions, has been issued to the Southern Midlands Council.
This decision and all assessment documents can be viewed at: Southern Midlands Council, Fishs Quarry Production Increase, Oatlands.
Published on:
13/09/2024