YOUR FREE NOT-FOR-PROFIT NEWSPAPER I #heartofthehinterland I Ph: 0481 906 451 I Email: editorial@cooroyrag.com.au I 17 December 2024
Fighting festive food waste with Melissa Smith Page 5
Chrissy, Leo and Hamish getting into the festive spirit at the Pomona Christmas Market and Street on Friday 6 December
Rescue dog turned conservation hero
Page 27
Judge’s mixed verdict on Kin Kin quarry dispute sparks outrage BY SARAH JANE SCOTT AFTER nearly three years of anticipation, His Honour Judge Long SC delivered a verdict in the Planning and Environment Court case between Noosa Council and the operators of the Kin Kin Quarry on 29 November. While the community had hoped for stronger restrictions, the judgment largely dismissed the major contentions raised by the council. The court issued an enforcement order requiring all fully laden trucks leaving the
quarry site to be covered, except for those carrying large rock boulders. “The judge agreed this was a breach of the Quarry Management Plan (QMP), and the decision supports our community’s concerns about dust and debris from quarry truck traffic,” Mayor Frank Wilkie stated. “The partial win about covering truck loads offers some relief on amenity and dust issues, but we are disappointed we didn’t get the result sought in proving other breaches against the QMP.” Council was unsuccessful in
demonstrating an intensification of use or limiting truck numbers during school hours, leaving many in the Kin Kin community disheartened. Residents have long voiced concerns over the quarry’s adverse impacts, including excessive truck traffic, road safety issues and environmental harm. Independent Member for Noosa Sandy Bolton MP expressed the community’s frustration with the outcome. “This has been incredibly upsetting given the trauma for our communities from inappropriate levels of heavy
haulage and the danger this presents,” she said. Despite the ruling, Sandy stressed that the fight for stricter regulations and environmental safeguards is not over. She pointed to recent legislative changes, such as the Environmental Protection Bill, which grants expanded powers to the Minister for Environment. These powers could be tested to address environmental authorities deemed outdated or inadequate. “This can potentially provide another avenue to resolve environmental
issues including the trauma being experienced by our hinterland from unsustainable levels of heavy haulage and the destruction of glossy black cockatoo habitat,” she said. The case also highlighted broader issues with the regulatory framework governing quarries. The Kin Kin Quarry operates under an environmental authority issued for smaller-scale development. This loophole has allowed significant expansion without triggering a formal review. Continued on page 2.
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