A major concern to local residents is the effect that the proposed expansion would have on residential property values. There is little doubt that negative impacts to the local environment and visual amenity have the potential to dramatically decrease property values.
The expansion proposal threatens removal of the hillside known locally as Callums Ridge, a natural environmental buffer which currently protects residents, schools and businesses from dust, noise and other quarrying activities. Many properties surrounding and adjacent to the quarry would be looking down into the pit instead of up at the ridge. With the hillside removed, the quarry would continue to operate for as long as it takes to remove the stone (depending on the rate of extraction and the possibility of further expansion proposals). Residences and factories surrounding the quarry would be subjected to varying degrees of decline in property values.
Residences that currently view Callums Ridge would be likely to be sold not as a 'quality homestead / nice place to live', but degraded to a 'price' driven base - who would want to live on a fantastic property that is looking into a dusty and noisy quarry with serious potential health risks attached? As well as the devaluing effect, it would also be very difficult for people who have to move from the area to sell their properties for a reasonable price - if at all!
Following council's rejection of the 1999 expansion application, significant residential development has taken place in the area under the governance of the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Building permits have been issued for many new houses as well as extensive renovations and extensions. Many residents have invested life savings into their properties based on the knowledge that expansion of the quarry had been 'knocked on the head' once and for all. Or so they thought...
Enough is enough! Boral should have got the message loud and clear when their application was so strongly rejected in 1999. It is distressing and insulting to local residents that Boral have come back for yet another attempt with a smarter, slicker, but unfortunately no less damaging 'proposal'.
