Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel votes to approve proposed Skippings Road sand mine in Boyanup

The Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel has narrowly voted to approve a proposed sand mine at Boyanup. Presiding member Tony Arias was forced to use his casting vote to approve BCP Materials’ $3.55m plan to mine sand from a property on Skippings Road after both Shire of Capel members of the panel opposed the development. The project, if developed, would see mining take place on 12.78ha of land in eight stages over a five-year period. It is the second time the proposal had been in front of JDAP, after it was knocked back 3-2 in August last year. BCP then took the decision to the State Administrative Tribunal for mediation, following which a number of changes were made including reducing the total area mined and increasing setbacks to neighbouring properties. Nearby resident Bob Horsfall expressed his concerns about the development, which would be located 136m away from his house at the closest point. “The (sand mine) will make the property unviable for the purposes we purchased the property for,” he said. Boyanup resident Donna Brown expressed environmental concerns, while fellow objector Penny David questioned BCP’s dust management plan and sound acoustic report. Element’s Daniel Lewis spoke on behalf on the developer and told the panel concerns over dust emissions should be put in the context of neighboring properties, which had “no pasture cover” and strong westerly sea breezes. “Should potential dust impacts be such a health concern as claimed, it is reasonable for the panel to expect any reasonable measures to be put in place for any potential dust,” he said. “However, no such management occurs.” JDAP rejected BCP’s request to have detailed conditions of a dust management plan removed, instead requiring it to monitor and test the soil if requested by the Shire of Capel. Cr John Ferguson spoke against the approval, saying he had “fundamental issues” with it. “I think that the distance between it and the adjoining property is totally unacceptable,” he said. The approval was tied 2-2, with deputy presiding member Lindsay Baxter for and Cr Peter McCleery against the development. Speaking after it had been approved, Mr Arias said it had been a complex matter. “I know it has been emotional for a number of the submitters and I appreciate that this decision is probably not to many people’s satisfaction,” he said.