Rosa Glen residents in anxious wait on State Administrative Tribunal talks on Boronia Road gravel pit

Residents concerned about a potential gravel pit off Boronia Road in Rosa Glen have a nervous wait in store, with mediation talks between the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River and proponents to start this month.

Although the Shire council backed planning officers’ recommended refusal of the pit on January 25 because of noise, traffic and amenity issues, the item was already slated for consideration by the State Administrative Tribunal.

At the January meeting, affected neighbours queued up to speak on their concerns about the size and scope of the pit, the effect on their lifestyle, health and property values, and especially the construction period to make the gravel operation permissible under local laws because noise constraints didn’t apply.

Shire regulatory services manager Matt Cuthbert said the refusal was not based on amenity concerns.

Planners instead pointed to inconsistencies with the priority agriculture zone, landscape damage from the proposed noise bunds, and State and local planning policies, including the Shire’s update extractive industries policy.

The noise and visual impact were also considered to be incompatible with the setting.

However, planning consultant Joe Algeri, acting for proponents Graham and Nancy Minchin and land owners Kevin and Shelley Silverthorne, made clear he was a veteran of SAT proceedings on extractive industries and warned tough licence conditions were better than a refusal.

The proposal was lodged 18 months ago and a decision was overdue, and Mr Algeri said the tribunal very “technical” in its assessments and unlikely to consider neighbours’ concerns.