A simple proposal that went wrong
In early 2016 a local farming family submitted a work plan for a rock quarry to Earth Resources Regulation (ERR). The proposed rock quarry is behind an existing quarry and between two rural properties on Horseshoe Gap Road in the township of Everton, 20km south-east of Wangaratta in northeast Victoria.
The applicant believed that because there was already a rock quarry in the immediate vicinity and because they knew many of the local residents in the area, their application would be relatively straight forward.
ERR endorsed the plan. The applicant advised their immediate neighbours about their proposal but not to the wider community as there was no legal requirement for them to do so. The applicant was also provided advice by their consultant that they did not need to consult with the community until required to via the planning permit process.
The applicant then applied to the Rural City of Wangaratta for planning permission, but the application was met with a number of objections from the local community who felt it was thrust upon them with no consultation.
Compounding the situation, the application also contained a number of errors, mainly relating to the distance between the operation and sensitive uses (residential areas). As a result, the applicant withdrew their application to Council and ERR.
Not engaging early put the community offside
The applicant decided to resubmit their work plan. Given the strong community interest in the proposal, ERR strongly recommended that they include community engagement as part of the re-submission. This was over and above the Rural City of Wangaratta’s public exhibition requirements.
The proposal was met with considerable opposition from some local residents who actively campaigned against it via social media and petitioned Council to refuse the application.
Those concerned said the applicant had not engaged properly or provided enough information during the work plan and planning permit processes.
Other concerns about the application included:
· whether there was any need for another quarry given there was already one in area
· haulage routes on an already busy Diffey Road would result in traffic impacts
· road safety and maintenance
· dust and noise
· blasting
· general environmental impacts
· amenity impacts.
There is no legislative requirement under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 for applicants to engage with stakeholders during the application process. However, it makes sense for them to do so.
In this case, the first time the local community became aware of the application was during the public exhibition stage of the planning permit process and the community felt blindsided by the proposal. This lack of engagement and consultation led to considerable opposition and distrust of the application and applicant.
Fixing the problem with an information session and newsletter updates
In response to community objections, the applicant sent the community a newsletter introducing themselves and the proposal, as well as a summary response to the objections received by Council.
The applicant held a community meeting in early November 2016 at the local Country Fire Authority offices in Everton. Around 30-40 local community members, Council representatives (the Mayor and two Councillors) and an ERR Stakeholder Relations representative attended. Many of the attendees were local residents who lived in the immediate vicinity of the subject site and knew the applicants personally.
At the meeting, the applicants went through the objections submitted to Council and responded to the feedback provided. This was an opportunity for the community to discuss their concerns with the applicant who was able to dispel mistruths that had worked their way through the community via social media and the grapevine.
Most attendees were very positive about the meeting and one participant thanked the applicants for taking the time to discuss their application and respond to feedback. They also pointed out that the session clarified a lot of misinformation that had been in the community.
There were some tense moments in discussion, particularly from vocal opponents of the proposal who felt hard done by, believing the applicant was being secretive and dishonest. The applicant had the opportunity to set the record straight in front of the larger community, which was important given the errors in the previous application and the misinformation spreading throughout the small community.
At the end of the meeting, the applicant offered to answer any individual questions post-meeting and also offered to arrange a site visit for interested parties to walk and talk through the application on site. A number of residents took advantage of this offer and a site meeting was conducted two weeks after the initial community meeting.
The applicant has now resubmitted their application to ERR and is currently being reviewed by the work plan Approvals Team.
Main lesson: talk early, talk often
This case study demonstrates the importance of stakeholder engagement at all stages of the work plan process, in particular at the very early stage, even though it is not legally required.
The opposition from the local community highlights the importance of a ‘social license to operate’, particularly in close-knit, rural communities.
A key issue was the large amount of misinformation in the community on social media. Social media can be very detrimental to a proponent’s application as the community may rely on it in the absence of information provided by the applicant.
Establishing good working relationships with stakeholders, neighbours and other businesses early on is crucial in the success of an application. It will help maintain a healthy relationship during the operational phase of a mine or quarry.
ERR will continue to work with applicants, their consultants and industry groups to make sure they understand the importance of stakeholder engagement. Engaging early is important to minimise opposition further down the track.
For further information
Community Engagement Guidelines for Mining and Mineral Exploration in Victoria:
http://earthresources.vic.gov.au/earth-resources-regulation/licensing-and-approvals/minerals/guidelines-and-codes-of-practice/community-engagement-guidelines-for-mining-and-mineral-exploration
For comments and feedback on this article please contact:
Christian Vasconcelo, Senior Adviser Stakeholder Relations, Earth Resources Regulation
Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
Level 19, 1 Spring Street Australia
Telephone: 03 8392 6049
Email:
Everton Quarry Proposal – Case Study, February 2017