By ALENA HIGGINS
INHIBITORS to sourcing local gravel for roads will be investigated by Southern Downs Regional Council after doubts about current material were raised.
It comes after council let a resolution lapse last month to engage an independent qualified specialist to investigate council’s pavement material strategy after balking at the $53,000 plus GST fee.
Proterra Group was to prepare a report on the durability of gravel samples from at least 15 council roads used in a 24-month period across the region, as well as analyse existing in-house studies.
Council currently utilises four gravel pits in the Warwick area to extract up to a maximum of 20,000 tonnes and supplements supplies from commercial quarries.
But some councillors contend the materials used are inferior to those that were once pulled from the Stanthorpe area.
“In my personal view, the gravel that is being put here on local roads is moving out to the edges, and in places it is actually quite dangerous,” Cr Vic Pennisi told the 26 November meeting.
“You can’t convince me it is better (economically) if we are hauling gravel to this district as opposed to digging 300 or 400 metres away,” he added.
It was the practice of the former Stanthorpe Shire Council to approach private property owners with suitable material on their land and ask for permission to extract gravel – offering royalties or work in kind as remuneration if an agreement was reached.
But this method ground to a halt after amalgamation, when it became apparent Stanthorpe and Warwick shire councils had subscribed to different interpretations of the Environmental Act.
Legal advice was sought that recommended council cease the practice for fear it could be prosecuted for illegal gravel extraction.
A change to the current Southern Downs Regional Council Planning Scheme would re-enable council to extract up to 5000 tonnes from private landholders, but this would give the public open slather to do the same.
SDRC director of engineering services Peter See, who strongly disagrees with claims that any of the gravel used by council is sub grade, said amending the planning scheme for council’s sake would raise questions of fairness and equality.
The engineer of almost 30 years said he saw “nothing wrong” with the study undertaken by his staff, which council deferred consideration of on 30 July 2014.
Mr See said council would look at acquiring two or more pits in the Stanthorpe region to ease haulage costs.
Council also agreed to request a meeting with the Minister for Environment to discuss environmental requirements associated with resource extraction of gravel.
