The community has raised environmental and health concerns over a proposed sand mine on Perth's southern fringe. But the proponent and a mining expert says sand is a "priority" resource that is necessary to ease the city's housing shortage. The Department of Water and Resources is assessing the plan.
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00:00Underneath this Banksy woodland lies a dormant sand deposit.
00:06These plots of land down the Swamp Coastal Plain.
00:09The backdrop of debate happening in local communities across Australia.
00:13Environment versus development.
00:16We came out here to bee bunks the nature and the bush
00:20and we don't want to cut it down.
00:22The proposed Ulbrew Sand Quarry is only a couple hundred metres away from Mr Morrow's home.
00:27There's silica sand in here so the dust is already pretty bad out here.
00:32We can live with that but when you're mining it and digging it up it's going to be ten times worth.
00:37Plans to mine the site have been bubbling away for decades.
00:40Development was approved after mediation by the State Administrative Tribunal in 2015
00:46but Heidelberg Materials were forced to apply for an amendment to a clearing permit late last year.
00:52That move allowing the local Shire of Serpentine and Jarrodale to veto the approval.
00:59We understand that development needs to happen.
01:02However there needs to be consideration for what we're passing on to our future generations
01:07and that's got to be based on the information that we have available to us now.
01:11The Department of Water and Resources is now assessing Heidelberg's application.
01:15It can't commit to a time frame on a decision as it is still waiting for more information.
01:19Some mining experts say the lack of available sand is impacting new builds in Perth South.
01:24We can get to a lower resource impact future but we're not going to do that tomorrow
01:29and we've got people who need houses today.
01:31In a statement Heidelberg Materials say the sand quarry provides a vital local resource
01:36for residential construction at a time when demand is high and sand available locally is low.
01:42The company said it's committed to an environmentally responsible approach and restoring and offsetting the impact.
01:49But not everyone is convinced, concerned the project will adversely affect the habitat of the Carnaby black cockatoo.
01:55I think you know companies might have the very best intentions and reality is often very different.
02:01It's death by a thousand cuts.
02:03We can't keep clearing at this rate and we can't rehabilitate.
02:08For now the fate of this native bushland and the sand deposit beneath remains uncertain.
02:13What is the amount of time to reference?
02:14What is the NFT?
02:23Shimizu, the sanct ее Technology.
02:27Heidelberg Materials484929393940821ll.
02:35data