South Ballina Sand Quarry

at a glance Approval: Sand extraction Modification MP 06_0297 MOD 3 Location: 260 South Ballina Beach Road, South Ballina Environment Protection Licence:  EPL 13081 Website:  southballinasandquarry.com.au

South Ballina Sand Quarry is located at 260 South Ballina Beach Road, South Ballina and sits within a narrow peninsula of land that is formed between South Ballina Beach and Richmond River to the west of the site. The land use surrounding the quarry generally consists of sugar cane farming and cattle grazing. The site was approved as an extractive industry under Project Approval 06_0297 by New South Wales Department of Planning on 4 December 2008 and was last modified on 11 April 2018 - MP 06_0297 MOD 3. The sand extracted is a high-quality white sand with a grain size of 600 microns which is used for the manufacture of adhesives, grout, levellers and industrial paint. The current approval requires several areas to be progressively rehabilitated and must also establish, conserve and maintain 32.83 hectares of native vegetation within the landholding as an environmental impact offset. The sand quarry incorporates an open cut configuration with loading and dispatch areas, sand stockpiles and extends for a total length of nearly 400 metres and is approximately 200 metres at its widest.  The regeneration is to be guided by adopting management practises that optimise natural recruitment of native plants and improve habitat availability and diversity for native fauna .

Environmental Constraints

Modification MP 06_0297 MOD 3 requires an Environment Management Strategy, Rehabilitation and Vegetation Offset Management Plan, Landscape Management Plan and Quarry Closure Plan. In addition, the site has an erosion and sediment control plan and water management program. The site must undertake an independent environmental audit every 3 years, the last being undertaken by GHD Pty Ltd in 2022. The audit team must include experts in the field of quarry rehabilitation, noise, air quality, and flora and fauna impact assessment. The quarry has an Environment Protection Licence EPL 13081 and undertakes regular noise and dust monitoring and other environmental reporting requirements. Approvals, plans and further information is available on the company’s website: southballinasandquarry.com.au

Rehabilitation Requirements                        

Project Approval 06_0297 includes several environmental undertakings to be fulfilled by the proponent including the establishment, conservation and maintenance of approximately 32 hectares of native vegetation under an approved Rehabilitation and Vegetation Offset Management Plan in addition to a detailed Landscape Management Plan. The Rehabilitation and Vegetation Offset Management Plan requirements provide for progressively rehabilitating disturbed areas, protection of areas outside of disturbed areas, managing impacts on flora and fauna, controlling weeds and feral pests and bushfire management amongst others. A program to monitor the above requirements must also be included and is provided by an annual monitoring and evaluation report which has been undertaken since 2009.  The submitted Rehabilitation and Vegetation Offset Management Plan was approved by the Department of Planning on the 23 April 2009 and updated in 2018.  NSW Department of Planning and Environment have approved a Quarry Closure Plan which will restore gentle slopes and batters and facilitate natural regeneration over the site including the site office area and access road. Vegetative rehabilitation will be achieved when there is 80% native canopy cover at 1.5m canopy height for the Closed scrub of Banksia serrata and 50% native canopy cover at 1.5m canopy height for the Open Forest of Eucalyptus pilularis community.

South Ballina Sand QuarryQuarry floor and sediment dam

South Ballina Sand QuarryQuarry face

South Ballina Sand Quarry View to the South