Thursday, 24 September 2026

 David HODGETT (Croydon) presented a petition bearing 799 signatures:

Communities and professionals of Monbulk, Croydon, Bayswater, and Evelyn electorates have major concerns around Boral’s Montrose Quarry, including potential cumulative long-term impacts of site operations, dust, airborne particulate matter, blasting, noise, vibration, landslip, habitat and vegetation loss, groundwater, waterway, cultural heritage, traffic and associated amenity impacts.

• Montrose Quarry does not meet the EPA’s 500-metre recommended separation distance for quarry operations, nor the planning scheme’s 1-kilometre buffer for asphalt plants.

• Boral’s proposed Montrose Quarry Extension seeks to extend operations 30-plus years beyond current life expectancy, and increase extraction area by approximately 12 hectares, significantly encroaching upon homes, schools, businesses, childcare, aged-care, and other surrounding land-uses.

• Boral’s proposal includes an additional extraction area almost 60 percent larger than its previous expansion application, which Yarra Ranges Council unanimously rejected (2007). State Government declined Boral’s request for intervention (2008). Councillors recognised incompatibility of expanding operations with surrounding sensitive land-use.

• The Minister for Planning determined an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required due to significant environmental and community impact potential. Human health impacts have not been identified within the Minister’s Statement of Decision or Reasons for Decision.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Assembly of Victoria call on the Minister for Planning to guarantee any forthcoming EES Scoping Requirements will, before release for public comment:

a. Mandate a comprehensive, fully independent Human Health Impact Assessment (HHIA);

b. Ensure this Human Health Impact Assessment examines actual and cumulative health impacts associated with dust, fine particulate matter, silica exposure, pollutants, noise, blasting, vibration, traffic, emissions, amenity loss, mental health, and any other quarry-related impacts on nearby sensitive receptors;

c. Require that the Human Health Impact Assessment outcomes be given substantial weight in determining whether the project can lawfully or safely proceed, should health, safety, or environmental risks be demonstrated.

Ordered that petition be considered tomorrow.