The Planning and Assessment Commission has been accused of being a “rubber stamp”, but in the Gunlake Quarry case, it has carried out its core function, that of independence, in spectactular style.
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In doing so, it has shown up the NSW Department of Planning’s superficial assessment of the quarry’s massive expansion proposal.
Notably, it stressed that neither Gunlake in its statement of commitments, nor the Department in its draft consent conditions, had required the quarry operator to upgrade roads to Ausroads standards. It’s quite a glaring omission in context of a maximum 440 vehicles thundering over country roads daily.
But more than that, the Commission did not accept the adequacy of Gunlake’s transport study, justifying rail transport. This was crucial. The company simply did not want to implement rail because it was too expensive. But there are bigger issues at play here. No longer is quarry development at Marulan about operators’ bottom line. Residents’ and community safety and the public interest must be the prime driver.
The Commission has rightly pointed out that a strategic quarry product transport solution could be achieved, which could be more efficient in the long run. This is also a dilemma for Goulburn Mulwaree Council, but, ultimately, quarries must unite on a solution. As the Gunlake case demonstrates, these developments can no longer be considered in isolation with affordability as the driving force. The outcome is a great win for residents and demonstration of a worthy democratic process.
A MOVING TRIBUTE
“I drive past there every day and think ... it could have been any one of us.”
So said one of many who left condolences for the family and friends of Adrian ‘Ado’ Ryan on the Post’s Facebook page on April 8.
A cortege of 11 prime movers, some bearing banners of Mr Ryan’s smiling face, made its way from the Big Merino to Craig’s Hill chapel on Saturday to farewell the 32-year-old, killed in a two-truck crash on March 24.
It’s up to the police to determine what happened that fateful day, but it’s up to the rest of us to determine what happens from here on in, on our highways and by-ways.
From big rigs to hatchbacks, and two-wheeling bikes (motor and cycle), every driver and rider has a home to go to.
Accidents happen, but let’s reduce the risks. ‘Ado’ could have been any one of us.