Glen Innes Severn Council’s director of infrastructure services Vanessa Menzie, has responded to queries about the reduction in Glen Innes Aggregates trading hours, saying the changes are largely related to work health and safety regulations and traffic management.
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“The quarry is actually a mine site, and so operates under the Trade and Investment Mine Safety Act, the same as the big mines in the Hunter Valley do,” she said.
“The general public cannot just drive into a large mine site at any time, and it’s the same with our small mine site.”
Quarry manager Mark Gallagher said the worksite is always changing, and as a result requires changes to be made when safety issues are identified.
“All changes are well thought out to achieve the preferred outcomes,” he said.
Mr Gallagher said it is important to remember the previous owner was operating a concreting business, trucking business, earthmoving business, and brick and paver franchise alongside the quarry business.
“The range of services Wayne McCarthy offered meant he had to be open 5.5 days a week,” he said.
“Council bought the quarry mainly as a backup water supply for times of extreme drought. The garden product part of the business was kept, as there was no another business offering similar products to the public.”
Mr Gallagher said most people carrying out projects around their property are well-organised and make a list of the materials required.
“They can then contact Glen Innes Aggregates and arrange for pick-up or delivery at a mutually-convenient time. If people need advice on products to use for a project, they can also phone us.
“We don’t have many customers who decide on the spur of the moment they will just come up to the quarry and get something.”
Mr Gallagher said providing gardening products was not viable to the core business of quarrying.
“Council has been trying to identify a garden centre or retail outlet to sell these products,” he said.
“Interest has been shown and if things progress, Glen Innes Aggregates will supply wholesale quarry products to these interested parties. This will enable people who require small quantities of quarry products to pick them up from a retail outlet, instead of a mine site.
“Obviously this would be safer.”
Claims that council has poured money into the quarry to keep it financial are incorrect, according to Mr Gallagher. He said that provision has been made for a loan to buy a new loader if the ageing quarry loader fails.
“This loader will also service other areas of GISC,” he said.
“However, the money will only be used if needed. At this stage nothing has been borrowed for the quarry other that the original purchase price. The quarry is, and will continue to be, self-funding.
“With the exception of my position, we also still have the same staff as the previous owner.”
Mr Gallagher said council is committed to continuous improvement at Glen Innes Aggregates.
“The quality material has been extracted from the north pit, and this will be transformed into a water storage facility. We have also built five new sediment ponds and a series of separation containment walls, relocated storage tanks to bounded areas and planted 500 native trees on the western side of the quarry, with 500 more to be planted.
“We are always striving to find the best outcomes for environmental, financial and safety issues at the quarry.”