c) measures that will be taken to educate truck drivers as to the operating hours of the quarry; d) strategies to prevent trucks arriving and queuing outside the site before operating hours; e) actions to be taken in the event that trucks attending or exiting the site do not comply with the Truck Management Plan. Complaints Register 25. The operator must keep a register of any complaints by the public concerning the operations and the register must be made available to the Responsible Authority on request. Drainage 26. The site must be drained to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority and no concentrated or sediment laden storm water may drain or discharge from the land to adjoining properties. 27. Runoff from any workshop and/or re-fuelling areas must be appropriately bunded in accordance with current EPA Best Practice Guidelines to prevent contaminated stormwater from leaving the site. Vehicle Access and Parking 28. Prior to the use commencing, the developer must: a) upgrade the existing vehicular crossing to a Rural B-double access standard with a minimum thickness 40mm Type H Asphalt surface for the whole of Sandy Creek Road where the required shoulder widening is to occur and the driveway to the gate. The works shall be undertaken in accordance with the requirements and standards of the City of Greater Geelong, or otherwise as approved and shall have drivable endwalls; b) remove any redundant vehicular crossings to Sandy Creek Road and reinstate the area to match existing conditions in the road. All to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority. 29. Prior to the use commencing, the developer must construct the car park including access ways, surface with an all-weather surface to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority. Native Vegetation 30. No native vegetation shall be removed other than that marked on the endorsed plan, to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority. 31. In order to offset the removal of one (1) scattered tree approved as part of this permit, the applicant must provide a native vegetation offset that meets the following requirements, and is in accordance with the Permitted clearing of native vegetation – Biodiversity assessment guidelines and the Native vegetation gain scoring manual: The general offset must: a) contribute gain of 0.002 general biodiversity equivalence units. b) be located within the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority boundary or City of Greater Geelong municipal district
Public notification of the application comprised letters to adjoining land owners and occupiers and via two signs on-site in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. It is noted that there has been significant media and social media interest in this application. Interested third parties have provided information on various websites detailing how to object to the application. Given the above and the substantial number of objections received, it is considered that adequate public notification has been carried out and that objectors have raised many varied grounds. Assessment State and Local Planning Policy Frameworks Relevant State and local policies encourage economic growth by building on the region’s competitive strengths and encouraging the extraction of natural resources in accordance with acceptable environmental standards, whilst protecting the environment and agricultural land from inappropriate development and effects. It is considered that the proposed use will encourage economic growth through the construction industry without compromising the continued use of surrounding land for agricultural production and other stone extractions, as has been demonstrated in the written submission and Work Plan provided with the permit application. It is noted that all relevant referral authorities have provided consent to the statutory endorsement of the Work Plan prior to the lodgement of the planning permit application and have not objected to the application when referred from Council. It is acknowledged that there are strong state and local policies regarding the protection of agricultural land and to limit incompatible land uses that may conflict with agricultural uses. However there is equally strong state policy regarding resource exploration and extraction. Clause 14.03 (Resource Exploration and Extraction) encourages exploration and extraction of natural resources in accordance with acceptable environmental standards and to provide a planning approval process that is consistent with the relevant legislation. This policy also directs the assessment of planning applications to consider the Geelong Supply Area - Extractive Industry Interest Areas – Geological Survey of Victoria Technical Record 1999/2. This document acknowledges that: Geelong is an important centre dependent on locally derived extractive industry resources which are used as raw material for the manufacturing industry; and Geelong is also a regional centre with a substantial population and an important use of quarry products. The site and a substantial area surrounding it is identified as an Extractive Industry Interest Area (EIIA) in the document. Amongst other things, the purpose of the EIIAs is to provide a basis for ensuring the long term availability of stone resources for use by the community and at minimal detriment to the environment, and to create awareness that extractive industry is a possible land use within these areas.