A photograph of the Sibelco Mine at Galong, taken this week.
Harden Shire Council has unanimously approved an amendment to the limestone mine processing and dispatch facility at LOT 102 DP1083781, Galong, for Sibelco.
Sibelco are a multinational miner who employ over 10,000 people world wide and operate on 221 sites in 41 countries.
Since purchasing the mine from former owner Boral, the company has set about a community engagement strategy that has seen tens of thousand of dollars go to local community groups in the Galong and Harden area. Sibelco has been presenting the project ‘320’ for over 18 months stating that they didn’t need to build the road as they were not intending to dispatch 500,000 tonnes of limestone from the mine, as previous owner Boral had intended. The Southern route will receive an additional 120 thousand tonnes on top of its current 190,000 tonnes whilst the Northern route will not change and will continue to carry only 10,000 tonnes along the Kalangan Road. The Southern route travels through the village before exiting on to the Burley Griffin Way at the Galong cross roads.
The amendment to the development means Sibelco will be able to operate under the current development consent for 40 years. The mine can operate 24 hours a day whilst blasting is limited from 9am to 3pm Monday to Sunday. Processing can occur 24 hours a day seven days a week whilst trucks dispatching lime will occur from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, with no dispatching of product allowed on Sundays.
Truck movements and truck noise have been a flash point at several meetings held this year at the Galong Hall. Residents of the town have stated that house prices will drop and noise levels will increase however Sibelco has been mindful of this and has offered in to insulate houses and carry out work where asked to help limit noise inside residents homes.
A Voluntary Planning Arrangement model has been agreed upon by Harden Shire Council and Sibelco as a way to compensate residents of the Shire and the Galong Township for the increased traffic movements and noise as well as wear and tear on the roads. An in-depth focus on What the new development consent will mean for the twin towns will be in next week’s Twin Town Times. Below is a media release from Sibelco following the decision.
Harden Shire Council Approves Project 320
At a meeting held at the Harden Shire Council Chambers last night, Sibelco’s application to increase dispatch from its Galong Limestone mine to 320,000ktpa was approved in a unanimous vote. This increase will ensure a long-term economical local supply of Aglime for the local agricultural industry.
All six Councillors, including the Mayor, John Horton, representatives from the Harden Chamber of Commerce and Galong residents attended the meeting to reveal the outcome of the application, which was submitted to Council in June following extensive consultation with the community and stakeholder groups within the Harden Shire community. All community members had the opportunity to review the application and make a submission during the public review period, before it was submitted.
Senior Regional Manager of Southern Operations, Brian Stokes, said he was very pleased with the outcome and is looking forward to continuing to work closely with the Harden and Galong communities.
“At Sibelco we look to implement sustainable practises that are focused on long term success and mutually beneficial outcomes for the communities in which we operate, for the Harden community Project 320 is exactly that.
“It’s been a very collaborative project so far between Sibelco and various community groups, and I’d like to thank all those who actively participated and supported us in achieving this outcome,” said Mr Stokes.
In addition to committing to a number of community sponsorships, such as the Harden Kite Festival, Harden Picnic Races, Galong Progress Association, Galong Patchwork Group, Binalong Arts Group, the Harden District Education Foundation, and Skate Park, Project 320 will also support local farmers and build on existing local employment.
“Operating at 320 enables us to deliver an expected 50% increase in direct employment opportunities at the Sibelco Galong mine, an estimated 105 indirect employment opportunities in the local region and an overall spend of $1.1 million in the local community,” said Prem Chand, Regional Operations Manager at Sibelco Galong.
