Four years after the small community of Bobs Farm was left reeling from the shock announcement of a sand mine off Marsh Road and two years since the proposal was put on hold, plans from the developer to mine 10 million tonnes of sand over 15 years have resurfaced.
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Land owner Ammos Resource Management has flagged its intention to extract and process 750,000 tonnes of sand per year over 15 years.
In 2014 the proposal stunned the Bobs Farm resident and school communities into action, generating scenes of protest, placards and a ‘Say No To Sand Mining in Bobs Farm’ Facebook page.
Many of those same people will be in attendance at a public meeting at Bobs Farm Community Hall on Wednesday, October 10, from 6pm, where Raymond Terrace consultants Tattersall Lander, working on behalf of Ammos, will detail the newly proposed operation.
In addition to the 10 million tonne mine, Ammos is seeking approval for extraction material process and transport infrastructure, plus truck access and movements.
Tattersall Lander is also acting for Regusa, a Soldiers Point-based company which only last month applied to mine 50,000 cubic metres of sand per year over 30 years from a site off Nelson Bay Road in Anna Bay, which is located in close proximity to three existing sand mine operations .
The Bobs Farm public meeting is being held as part of the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement and associated project management for the former fig farm site.
Shea Brunt, an action group member and mother-of-three children, including two who attend the nearby Bobs Farm Public School, said that she believed many of the issues which concerned residents four years ago remained.
“We are concerned about the increase in number of trucks along Nelson Bay Road, the potential impact on the ground water and threat to species such as koalas, owls and gliders,” Ms Brunt said.
“There have been a few new residents move into the area in the past couple of years who are very keen to attend the meeting. Let’s hope the applicant is a little better prepared this time round.”
Ms Brunt is urging all Port Stephens families to attend and have their say.
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