The owner of a neighbouring commercial property to the proposed Bobs Farm sand mine has been left bewildered after his business tourist venture approved in 2014 had been overlooked in consultants’ reports.
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Andrew Tindale, owner of the land that neighbours Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters on Marsh Road at Bobs Farm, said that he would have to put on hold his approved plans to build 20 eco-cabins, an eight-cabin horse retreat and a miniature animal farm.
He said the sand mine if approved would be just 60m away from his cabins and horses.
“I would have thought that with around 3500 pages of consultants’ reports the proponents Ammoss Resource Management would have every base covered,” Mr Tindale said.
“However, it appears that no one thought to ask me, as the [mine’s] nearest neighbour, what I thought about it?”
Development consultants Tattersall Lander spokesman Bob Lander admitted there had been an omission and that the development approval for the shark and ray centre would need to be included in their amended assessment.
“The application investigations were commenced in 2012 and the first SEARs (Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements) were issued on March 21, 2014,” Mr Lander said.
“The shark and ray development approval was issued after the SEARs and whilst we had checked with council if any other approvals were pending, we were advised that no DAs were active,” he said.
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“Since then the DA for the shark centre has been issued and the EIS was not amended, this was an omission so we will need to include in our amended assessment.”
Mr Lander added that impacts (noise, odour or vibration, etc) for the mine had not as yet been assessed against the proposed activities.
“It should be noted that if the impacts cannot be addressed there is an option under the SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policies) for the proposed mining operation to acquire the affected properties,” he added.
“All neighbours and others were notified in accordance with department guidelines.”
Mr Tindale said that he had spent a fortune upgrading the council road into the Bobs Farm property in June last year in order to commence construction of his eco-friendly facility, which included 12 of the 20 cabins situated on the lakefront.
“I was meeting with my town planner to start construction drawings on the eco-resort when I got hit with the news for a proposed sand mine. Only a lunatic would build an eco-retreat next to a sand mine.”
Mr Tindale believes the mine would have devastating consequences on his tourist development. He is also concerned that the wetland would be affected by the sand mine “as they propose to take out 50% of the catchment area for that wetland”.
“It’s hard to believe this has happened, even the proposal halts the whole project.”
State MP Kate Washington said that any impact on existing and approved business ventures in the area should be taken into account when the proposal is assessed by the state government.
“It’s ironic that the sand mine proposal could see an eco-tourism venture shelved by a sand mine.”
Mr Tindale said that he was preparing a submission for NSW Land and Planning to object against the proposed mine, which close on Friday, February 1.
Submissions can be made at at www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au or by mail to GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001.
