Community concerns ignored

BASS Coast Shire Council is allowing sand extraction companies to ride roughshod over the community by failing to implement the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy, Lang Lang to Grantville.

Past Shire Mayor, Michael Whelan, said he ‘is not interested’ in talking about the issues.

The Shire has ignored a requirement in the sand strategy – which forms a key part of the Bass Coast Planning Scheme – To establish an Environment Review Committee for each company operating on the resource. 

It clearly states that a committee “shall be established” for every new extractive industry, membership must include the Council and the local community. The committee is required to monitor compliance by the operator and provide feedback on any environmental problems.

A dubious committee was established referred to as The Grantville Quarries Reference Group but this does not meet the requirements of the Sand Strategy. Membership of the committee has been hidden there has been no oversight of actions on site which damaged regional wildlife habitat and compromised water flows on adjoining land and into Bass River, threatening platypus, blackfish and other aquatic species.
 

Phil Westwood, Grantville