General News
2 June, 2023
New rules halt gravel supply to repair road
A BADLY washed-out section of the Burke Development Road west of Chillagoe may not be able to be repaired this year because Mareeba Shire Council cannot source gravel from a nearby quarry.
A BADLY washed-out section of the Burke Development Road west of Chillagoe may not be able to be repaired this year because Mareeba Shire Council cannot source gravel from a nearby quarry.
The council only heard of the dilemma at its recent meeting when Deputy Mayor Kevin Davies asked a question as to when the 5km section of the BDR would be re-sheeted.
Works manager Andrew Foster advised “some rules arrived” which required the gravel supplier, who has been operating for some time, to provide an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) to the State be-fore any more material can be removed from the pit.
ILUAs may include monetary compensation (lump sum, distributed or royalties), employment and training provisions, cultural heritage components, contracting opportunities and environmental preservation and rehabilitation. The agreements are aimed at getting consent from those who hold Native Title over the land and have the same status as a legal contract.
“What has occurred there is the gravel supplier has now been asked to provide an indigenous land use agreement over their registered pit,” Mr Foster told the meeting.
“Despite operating for some time, he now has to provide this ILUA before he can take any material out of the pit.”
Infrastructure Services director Glenda Kirk said the ILUA would be required because the quarry was on State controlled land.
“He has a quarry operator’s permit but this has been applied across the State. It’s not the only circumstance, particularly in those regional or remote areas we’re finding they are basically unable to supply until they have the ILUA in place,” she said.
Cr Lenore Wyatt said the situation could “cripple our road program”.
“So, that’s put a choke hold on anything really happening,” she said.
Mr Foster advised council could still do its resheeting in areas where material was available from other quarries such as the Herberton-Petford Road, with gravel being sourced from the Wongabel quarry.
“But we can’t proceed with the resheeting near Highbury (Station) until there’s a determination,” he said.
Describing the situation as “ridiculous”, Cr Davies said there was “a big possibility it will not be done before the wet”.
He also noted that transporting the gravel from another quarry was not a solution, given the cost involved and was concerned about how the situation may continue to impact council if the operator did not choose to establish an ILUA.
“We would have to bring gravel from hundreds of kilometres away if he (the quarry operator) says ‘no don’t worry about it’,” he said.
“Coupled with that is the damage done to the roads by bringing the material in you may be repairing one part of the road and damaging other parts of the road,” Mr Foster replied.
Ms Kirk said the issue had blindsided council and the matter had been raised with the Department of Transport and Main Riads.
“We were not alerted to the issue until we commenced discussions with the quarry operator,” she said.
“This is something that happened very recently and without any warning to council or DTMR by the sounds of it.”
