A controversial quarry operation is using land and water inside a South Australian conservation park, according to The Advertiser.
The leader of Residents Against White Rock Quarry, Demetrios Bastiras, says the community group have discovered 7.5 hectares of the land used by mining company, Hanson Australia, is actually part of Horsnell Gully Conservation Park.
“The apparent destruction of Horsnell Gully Conservation Park by Heidelberg Cement Group’s Hanson White Rock Quarry is completely unacceptable, whether licensed or not,” Mr Bastiras said.
“If there is any illegal activity whatsoever, we demand an immediate revocation of their right to mine anywhere within the private mine boundary, let alone in the Conservation Park.
“We demand that the destruction of the area concerned is reversed, and that the area be rehabilitated.”
A spokeswoman for the Energy and Mining Department said use of the land as part of the quarry operation “predates” the Horsnell Gully Conservation Park.
“The existing (Environment Department) lease permits use of the land for ancillary quarry activities such as water supply and stockpiles… There is no active mining of quarry material within the lease area,” she said.
Hanson Australia said in a statement: “Hanson has a current and longstanding agreement to use a small portion of Horsnell Gully Conservation Park for water retention and stockpiling.”
Source: The Advertiser.
