By Oliver Lees
A senior lawyer with experience in the area of occupational disease has flagged concerns at the health risks that might arise from the development of a sand quarry in Moorabool.
On Thursday, March 3, Moorabool council endorsed plans from Hanson Australia for the development of a sand quarry on Seereys Road in Coimadai.
Once complete, the site will be used to extract sand and gravel through the use of heavy machinery, which will then be loaded into trucks and transported to Hanson’s Darley quarry, 1.5 kilometres down the road.
The proposal drew 67 formal objections from the community, with many submitters tabling their concerns regarding increased traffic congestion and noise.
But Tess Dickie, a principal lawyer at Gordon Legal, said she believes that council and the community should be aware of the potential exposure to airborne dust that can cause severe illness.
Ms Dickie said there is strong evidence that silica dust exposure can be dangerous for those working in proximity to sand quarries, but that the jury is still out on how it affects those surrounding such developments.
She said she is not principally opposed to quarry developments, but believes that examples such as the proposed in Coimadai, which is located close to Coimadai Primary School, may not be appropriate.
“There is a potential risk that low-level non-occupational exposure could contribute to developing severe lung conditions or exacerbate underlying lung conditions such as asthma in years to come,” Ms Dickie said.
“If the long-term health implications on the nearby community and school children are difficult to predict, it might be worth considering alternative sites.”
Ms Dickie has previously been invovled in opposing a similar quarry project that was proposed in the Mornington Peninsula, but was ultimately abandoned due to the strong public campaign opposing it.
Moorabool council and Coimadai Primary School did not respond to Star Weekly’s request for comment.
