July 20, 2016
An application by the Maidenwell diatomite mine to have several Council roads included in its mining lease has been rejected by the South Burnett Regional Council.
Tenement administration company UTM Global applied to the Council on behalf of Maidenwell Diatomite to have the Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road and several unnamed road reserves on the surface of its mining lease included in the lease.
At present, Maidenwell Diatomite has a mineral exploration permit over an area about 10 kilometres south of Brooklands.
The permit covers both sides of Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road but excludes that road and other local roads in the area.
Councillors were told the Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road is graded as a Class 4B Collector Minor Road.
But it is bitumen sealed for its full length between Kingaroy-Cooyar Road and the Maidenwell-Bunya Mountains Road, which are both State Controlled Roads.
And at present, average traffic volume on Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road ranges between 75 and 115 vehicles per day.
“It is an important link in Council’s road network that should be maintained in its current location,” Council officers said.
They also said that an unnamed and unformed road going west from the Brooklands-Pimpimbudgee Road may not be used at the moment, but may be required in future to access separate land parcels in the area.
It should be retained for this reason, officers said.
Councillors agreed, and turned down UTM’s request.
