Truck fear on road

By Jade Lawton
THE owner of a proposed sand quarry in Lang Lang is seeking to triple the amount of trucks coming to and from the business each day.
The Milners Road quarry, which is not yet in operation, was originally approved on the basis of 28 daily truck movements – but is now seeking to amend the current permit to allow for up to 89 daily trips on the road.
The quarry builder’s application is also requesting a five-fold increase in the amount of sand taken from the quarry, from 200,000 tonnes to 1,000,000 tonnes annually.
Locals are concerned the increase will cause havoc on Lang Lang’s roads.
Alan Bullen, who owns a chicken farm on Milners Road, said the companies proposed traffic management plan was “sketchy.”
“What concerns me is I haven’t seen a road plan. Milners Road is a little dirt road and we haven’t seen any traffic plans since the original proposal,” he said.
“Truck management needs to be a major part of this application.”
Mr Bullen said Milners Road had a small number of truck movements already from his chicken business and another nearby sand quarry.
“You often see trucks pulled up in the nature strip; there isn’t a lot of room.”
Mr Bullen was part of a group of residents who took the original application to VCAT.
The quarry and the residents then settled on some special conditions to the quarry’s construction, like buffer trees, out of court.
“It took a lot of money, a lot of time lot of running around,” he said.
“We’ve had our argument about the quarry being there, and we have no concerns with that. Our concern is we agreed to an original concept, and now they’re saying we’ll have three times the amount of traffic.”
Mr Bullen said the proper management of traffic on Milners Road was important for the safety of residents, especially young children, and the drivers of the trucks.
Another Lang Lang resident, who asked not to be named, was concerned the quarry and increased traffic could impact on house values in Lang Lang.
“People won’t want to live next to a sandpit. Property values will drop, but I doubt rates will,” he said.
“At the moment if you meet a truck down the road, someone has to get off. The drivers from the chicken farm get off the road for you, but these new cowboys probably won’t.”
Cardinia Shire Council’s planning and development general manager, Phil Walton, said roads would be improved before the quarry began operating.
“Under the current permit, the quarry is not allowed to commence operation until the Lang Lang Bypass is constructed, with the operator of the quarry contributing to the cost of constructing the bypass,” he said.
The council’s assets and services general manager, Michael Ellis, said trucks would still need to access Milners Road after the bypass was constructed and the road would be upgraded so that it would be able to carry regular heavy vehicle traffic. Mr Walton said the application was currently up for public comment and that council would consider any comments or objections received from the community before making a decision on the application.