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Executive Summary Quarries provide materials that have importance for all members of modern society. Sound management of extractive resources demands a careful balance between competing land use to ensure that sufficient resources remain available for future generations at an affordable cost.
In 1993, the Department of Energy and Minerals released the first report designating the Extractive Industry Interest Areas (EIIAs) in the Melbourne Supply Area (MSA). The first report was reviewed in 1996 to facilitate the protection of stone resources by revising EIIAs within the MSA.
It has become necessary to revise the 1996 report to include:
- changes in land use and zoning that have occurred since 1996,
- changes resulting from the planning reform process,
- new resource and geological information, and
- adjustment of EIIA boundaries resulting from submissions received by the Minerals and Petroleum Division in response to the consultation process undertaken in the preparation of this report.
EIIA designation is applied to land that has been identified as being likely to contain stone resources of sufficient quantity and quality to support commercial extractive industry operations. This does not mean that a quarry can be established as-of-right in these areas, nor does it preclude interested parties from applying for a Work Authority outside the defined EIIAs.
Significant sand and stone resources often occur outside EIIAs. It should not be argued that quarries be precluded outside EIIAs or that areas not defined by an EIIA contain resources of lesser value or importance. EIIAs are regarded as areas where extractive industry operations are more likely to be established, both for reasons of resource availability and limited planning constraints.
Proposals to establish an extractive industry will be considered in the context of the approvals process under the Planning and Environment Act 1987. Such proposals will be assessed against appropriate criteria.
The purpose of EIIAs is to:
- provide a basis for the long term protection of sand and stone resources from sterilisation by inappropriate land uses,
- provide a basis for ensuring the long term availability of sand and stone resources for use by the community and at minimal detriment to the environment,
- assist in considering extractive industry values in long term strategic planning and local strategic plans (such as Municipal Strategic Statements),
- ensure that planning or responsible authorities consult with all relevant agencies about land use proposals which may impact on the reduction of sand and stone resources within these areas, and
- create an awareness that extractive industry is a possible land use in these areas.
EIIAs do not:
- provide statutory protection for sand and stone resources,
- allow extractive industry as-of-right unless specified by planning schemes,
- imply that future extractive industry will be confined to these areas, or
- preclude the use and development of land for other purposes.
Reference to this report is made in the State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF). To meet the objectives of the SPPF, planning authorities, when preparing planning scheme amendments within the designated EIIAs should consider the impacts that any land use proposal or zoning changes may have on the continuing availability of stone resources and to consult with the Department administering the Extractive Industries Development Act 1995 on these matters. The SPPF also requires the long term protection of stone resources in Victoria is to be generally in accordance with:
- provisions and recommendations expressed in Melbourne Supply Area - Extractive Industry Interest Areas, 2003 (the current report), for stone resources in the Melbourne Supply Area, and
- the concept of the Extractive Industry Interest Areas expressed in Melbourne Supply Area - Extractive Industry Interest Areas, for the remainder of Victoria.
In addition to the SPPF, the Victoria Planning Provisions require that notice of the kinds of application listed below must be given to the Secretary of the Department administering the Extractive Industries Development Act 1995 in accordance with Section 52(1)(c) of the Act:
- An application which, if a permit is granted, would allow residential land use, rural residential land use or a land use with a substantial residential or rural residential component within an extractive industry interest area.
- An application which, in the opinion of the responsible authority, may materially affect an extractive industry site approved under the Extractive Industries Development Act 1995 or an extractive industry site in respect of which an application was made under the Extractive Industries Development Act 1995.
The above provisions will ensure that any proposed land uses which may reduce the availability of stone resources are considered in accordance with Government policies and that any decision is made in the interest of the whole community.
In addition to the above provisions the Department of Sustainability and Environment agreed, in principle, to create planning scheme overlays for each EIIA in the MSA and to increase protection for existing extractive industry operations. This decision should greatly increase the effectiveness of EIIAs.
The EIIAs are presented as a series of maps, together with written descriptions of the local resource. The maps indicate areas where extractive industries are unlikely to be permitted under current planning provisions and areas of environmental and landscape significance, where additional assessment criteria may apply.
Recommendations:
- Further investigations, including drilling, should be actively encouraged within EIIAs presented in this report in order to further refine the stone potential within these areas. The results of new investigations outside established EIIAs should be noted for future EIIA reviews.
- That EIIAs be identified as overlay controls in planning schemes.
- A review of the effectiveness of the EIIA model should be conducted on an ongoing basis.
- Municipal councils should be encouraged to further integrate the EIIAs into local strategic planning.
- Non-geological criteria used for refining the EIIAs should be regularly reviewed to incorporate improved information and changing community values.
- DPI should develop planning guidelines for EIIAs to protect current extractive industries from incompatible land-uses and to ensure that sand and stone resources within EIIAs are available for the future.
- DSE in conjunction with DPI should update the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy - Lang Lang to Grantville study area to reflect changes to the EIIA boundaries.
- DSE in conjunction with DPI should update the Victoria Planning Provisions to reference this revised report.
- DPI and DSE should ensure that the findings of this report are adequately addressed in the implementation of Melbourne 2030.
Bibliographic reference Olshina, A. & Burn, P., 2003. Melbourne Supply Area - Extractive Industry Interest Areas Review. Geological Survey of Victoria Technical Record 2003/2. Geological Survey of Victoria.
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