The exhibition period for the planning proposal to permit a tip at the Kerns Rd Quarry site in Kincumber has been extended by 14 days and will now close on Wednesday, September 3.
Cr Bob Ward put forward an Urgency Motion at Gosford Council’s meeting of Tuesday, August 12, calling for the extension.
According to Cr Ward, the planning proposal incorporates both economic benefits and unfavourable social impacts on local residents, due to the location of the quarry.
The land in question forms part of the existing Rexdor Kincumber Quarry landholding, which has been subject to quarrying for more than 60 years and is currently operating under “existing use rights” provisions under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Use of the tip would be confined to existing cleared and degraded areas within the quarry.
Cr Ward said he thought an extension of the exhibition time was necessary due to the importance of the planning proposal to local residents and the large number of elderly residents who may wish to make a submission but need more time to obtain the appropriate information and submit their concerns.
A petition against the proposal is currently circulating which lists a number of reasons why people should be concerned including health impacts, truck and vehicle impacts, noise, stench, impact on local schools and sporting fields, loss in property values, consistency with zoning and environmental impacts.
The petition states: “It is highly inappropriate to re-zone land to permit a Resource Recovery Facility where a large family orientated housing estate is located within 150 metres of the site and there are a number of residences within 50 metres.”
“A proposal that rezones land to allow waste recycling plant should not be permitted near large clusters of residential housing.
The petition goes on to say: “It is clearly inappropriate to have land surrounded by residential homes re-zoned to permit: grinding and crushing large volumes of demolition waste, concrete and bitumen which creates toxic dusts; processing of vegetation, agri-waste food and restaurant waste to turn it into compost; and dumping and processing of wastes such as engine oil, scrap metal, tyres, vehicle batteries and electronic waste.”
Gosford Council Agenda
UM.4, 12 Aug 2014
Website, 14 Aug 2014
Items on exhibition,
Gosford Council
Email, 7 Aug 2014
Ruth Ross, Kincumber