What?
A proposal currently before Gympie Regional Council could
see the Moy Pocket quarry become the site for an explosives
storehouse and distribution facility that would provide
explosives for extractive industry operations throughout
south-east Queensland.
Where?
On the site of the Sunshine Coast Quarries operation
on the eastern side of the Kenilworth Bluff at Moy Pocket
near Kenilworth in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
How much explosive material would it store?
Initially, the bulk store would house 40 tonnes of ammonium
nitrate, 38 tonnes of ammonium nitrate emulsifier (70%
ammonium nitrate) as well as 10 tonnes of “high
explosive”.
Is that a lot?
If you look at ammonium nitrate incidents in the past,
the potential for a serious incident is high. 3-5 tonnes
of ammonium nitrate exploded in a farm warehouse in
France in 2003, resulting in 26 casualties. A truck
carrying 2 tonnes of ammonium nitrate caught fire and
exploded in Queensland in 1974, killing 3. Back in France
in 2001, 40-80 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded at
a fertiliser works, killing 30 and injuring 2242. These
are just a handful of examples from a long list of tragic
incidents around the world.
How much dangerous traffic would that generate
on Sunshine Coast roads?
Two 26-tonne trucks carrying explosives would access
the site each week in the initial stages, with a mobile
manufacturing unit leaving and returning to the storage
each day. A spokesperson for the application said “The
number of movements, both in and out of the site, would
increase as the economy grew.” The application
is vague on how explosives would leave the site for
distribution around south-east Queensland. Drivers who
already share the Moy Pocket and Kenilworth-Eumundi
roads with the numerous heavy trucks travelling to and
from the quarry should be very concerned. The addition
of trucks carrying large quantities of explosive both
into and out of the bulk store adds a whole dimension
to safety on the road.
Who will be affected?
This doesn’t just affect adjoining landholders.
It has implications and dangers over a much wider area.
What we’re all being asked to do is to live with
an elevated risk so that a big company can improve its
competitive edge in the explosives market.
Is it safe?
Placing at least 80 tonnes of explosive in a rural setting,
and regular truckloads of it on the roads is both a
traffic and a terrorism risk. Additional risks to the
storage facility include bushfires, lightening strikes,
and ground instability. The application goes to some
length to show it’s not an earthquake prone area,
but seems to ignore the fact that it’s located
right on the site of regular and substantial blasting
as part of ongoing quarry operations.
Who will operate the facility?
Good question! We're not sure. The applicant
for the proposed facility is Orica Ltd (an explosives
manufacturing company). It seems that the facility would
be located on land owned and currently mined by Sunshine
Coast Quarries at Moy Pocket. A quarry spokeperson has
stated that they know nothing about the proposal, are
not involved and that they sold some of their land for
the facility, yet Gympie Regional Council appear not
to have records of any land changing hands. The application
states that security for the explosives facility would
be provided by the existing quarry site security measures,
but does not provide details on what this entails. Given
that ammonium nitrate carries a risk of terrorism, this
does not seem adequate.
Who decides on the proposal?
Gympie Regional Council will decide after the public
objection period closes on August 27, 2010. All written
objections need to reach council before this date. In
your written objection, provide your name and address,
refer to Development Application Number DA 2009 0748,
and address it to The Assessment Manager, PO Box 155,
Gympie 4570.
Where can I get more information?
At the moment the full details of the application can
only be read at the Council office in Gympie and at the
Imbil library.
More information on the campaign to stop this proposal
is available from Ian Mackay on (07) 5446 0124 or by emailing
arkin@stoppress.com.au.