BY IAN CROUCH
Port Stephens residents opposed to the expansion of the Brandy Hill Quarry say they're shocked and dismayed after Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley approved the development.
It clears the way for 52 hectares of prime koala habitat to be cleared to make way for the expansion.
In announcing her decision, Sussan Ley stipulated the expansion can proceed as long as it includes a 74 hectare koala habitat corridor.
However, opponents say this doesn't exist because it's already cleared land which needs to be planted out and will take years to establish.
Chantal Parslow Redman from Save Port Stephens Koalas has told the ABC the quarry expansion is 'incredibly frustrating, given the groundswell of our campaign'.
"I really thought we would have won this one, because we really need to start winning these campaigns, because we don't have time left to play with anymore," she said.
The decision comes despite high-profile opposition from celebrities such as Olivia Newton-John, Jimmy Barnes and Magda Szubanski and a parliamentary inquiry which found koalas will become extinct in NSW before 2050 unless urgent action is taken to protect their habitat.
Port Stephens MP and NSW Shadow Environment Minister, Kate Washington says the approval is a reckless decision.
"This is a shameful decision that our children and grandchildren will live to regret. We are robbing them of this iconic Australian species, and we are doing it knowingly," she said.
The quarry expansion will see the creation of 20 jobs and will double production to 1.5 million tonnes of rock per year to meet growing demand for construction materials in Sydney.
Sussan Ley says the Brandy Hill expansion, to be staged over 25 years, "will not rob the are of critical koala habitat" and the 74 hectare koala corridor will play a critical role in nurturing the local koala population.
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| Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has approved the controversial expansion of the Brandy Hill rock quarry Picture: theherald.com.au |
