There is a business at Nullaki which digs lime out of the ground. Farmers need lime. It corrects soil acidity. The nearest reliable alternative is 350 kilometres away. Diesel is currently three dollars a litre.
The lime diggers wanted to dig more lime. Not a new mine. Not an expansion. An amendment. It came for a vote at local council. Council voted 8 to 3 to refuse the amendment. The business took it to the State Administrative Tribunal.
The trucks are too noisy. The noise experts confirmed the trucks comply with Western Australian noise regulations. The worst-case exceedance is 45 seconds, less than 5 per cent of the time, at the closest dwelling. This was unacceptable. The noise complies with the law, but it is an amenity issue.
The trucks are too dangerous. There is no crash history on the route. The risk assessment rates it as low. The trucks are speed-limited to 40 kilometres per hour. This was still dangerous. It is a perception issue.
The dust is a concern. Dust was observed on site to be minimal. Dust controls are a condition of approval. The dust remains a concern. It is a combined-impact issue — in combination with the noise that complies and the traffic that hasn’t crashed.
The operation will disturb the Australasian Bittern. The bittern is disturbed by noise above 56 decibels. The actual noise at the wetland is in the high 30s. The bird calls at night. The quarry operates during the day. The bird’s call is 80 decibels. The truck noise cannot mask it. The bird remains the central issue. It is a precautionary matter.
The official local government report did not consider demand for lime, transport emissions, food security, or the 700-kilometre return trip alternative. These matters were not relevant. They were not relevant because this was a planning matter. Transport, emissions, and food security have nothing to do with planning.
The City estimates the hearing will cost ratepayers $160,000. Meanwhile, the lime comes from 350 kilometres away. The trucks burn more diesel. The emissions are higher. The cost is higher. The food is more expensive. The ratepayers are poorer. The business is poorer.
Nobody is to blame. Not a single additional tonne of lime has been produced. But the process has been followed.