Roads minister says community concerns over a truck route from a mine in Far North Queensland will be addressed
By Brad Gardner | October 13, 2011
Queensland’s roads minister has pledged to address community concerns over a proposed truck route from a copper mine in the far north of the state.
Craig Wallace has written to residents of Herberton, south-west of Cairns, who petitioned for an alternative to allowing trucks from the Baal Gammon copper mine to travel down the main road of the town.
Presenting the petition last month, Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth claimed there would be 30 round trips a day of ore trucks between 6am and 10pm. He warned of safety risks to children and the elderly if the proposed route went ahead.
“I note the concerns raised by the residents of Herberton and surrounding districts and the request to designate an alternative route away from the main street of Herberton,” Wallace wrote to residents in a letter tabled this week in Queensland Parliament.
He says discussion with mining company Kagara and the local council are underway concerning the route between Herberton and Mount Garnet.
“I can assure you that the department will work with Kagara Ltd and council to address the issues raised by the community,” Wallace says.
Kagara struck a deal with Minto Minerals in May on the Baal Gammon mine. It will mine, process and sell copper concentrate and take responsibility for development costs and approvals and regulatory requirements.
