The Lennox Head community is calling a public meeting to highlight the serious damage that the approval of a new sand mine would have on both the community and the environment. They are pointing out numerous issues with the current proposal for future sand mining on the wetlands off Ross Lane and along Swampy Creek Road where it is proposed.
‘While there is still a current sand mine in that area it has a short term left. Now another company has asked for a very large sand mine that would run for another 30 years,’ said Graham Shaw from the No New Sand Mining for Lennox Head action group.
‘They want to excavate 3.7 million tonnes of sand. It is in a wetland area and it will ruin our waterways, there will be chemical residue and it will create an even more dangerous traffic issues on Ross Lane.’
If approved by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) the mine will increase traffic by an average of 24 truck movements an hour, that is one a minute, according to Amelia Hicks, who is coordinator of the group.
‘Extractive industries on our precious coastlines are dangerous on a warming planet. We are talking about huge sand mines within metres of waterways and the ocean and the real potential for acid sulphate and other toxins entering both. With clean water and healthy marine environments fast becoming scarce on the planet – we need to vigilantly protect our region,’ said local Greens MP Tamara Smith.
‘The impacts of that many increased truck movements along Ross Lane cannot be downplayed – it will affect the whole community, particularly with so much other residential development taking place in Lennox.’
‘It is absurd to think that in the developers own DA they suggest that without an expansion of the current mine for another 20 years that the current threatened species of Wallum Sedge frog will perish.’
‘The community signed up for the original mine for 20 years on the understanding that then the land would be repatriated and returned to the landscape. We are entitled to see that realised in the public and planet’s interest.
To raise awareness of the implications of the sand mining project the No New Sand Mining for Lennox Head group are holding a public action meeting on Wednesday, May 9 at the Lennox Head Community Centre at 6pm.
If you would like to find out more you can contact Amelia at [email protected] or phone her on 0423 410 131 or find them on their Facebook page nosandminesforlennox.
