cr154124

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA: Cairns Regional Council

LOCATION: The resource is located in the Mulgrave River valley about 10 kilometres west of Gordonvale on the Gillies Range Road (see map KRA 11).

EXTRACTIVE RESOURCE: Quarry Rock

EXTRACTIVE RESOURCE DESCRIPTION: The extractive resource consists of a thick basalt flow, which forms gently sloping ridges between the Mulgrave River and the Gillies Range road near the Mountainview Hotel. The resource has been the site of a major quarry supplying large volumes of concrete aggregate and bitumen screenings (with minor road pavement gravels), making it one of the major producers for the Cairns market. It is currently inactive, but significant resources remain.

SIGNIFICANCE: The resource is sufficient for at least 20 years at normal production rates, and is strategically situated to supply the broader Cairns market.

SEPARATION AREA: The southern, western and northwestern boundaries of the Key Resource Area are along the crests of ridges that are higher than the quarry. These boundaries are about 600 metres to 800 metres from the face and processing facilities. The northern boundary is along the edge of the existing residential subdivision and thence down Roos Creek to the river, at about 800 metres from the face. The Mulgrave River forms the boundary on the east.

TRANSPORT ROUTE: Rock is transported directly onto the Gillies Range road on the southwestern side of the resource.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: The Key Resource Area is adjacent to Little Mulgrave Forest Reserve on the western and southern boundaries. A small area of 'endangered' vegetation under the Vegetation Management Act 1999 occurs between the western edge of the resource/processing area and the Gillies Highway. Some parts of the resource/processing and separation area are covered by Strategic Cropping Land Trigger Mapping under the Strategic Cropping Land Act 2011 administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. This indicates the location of potential SCL and further on-ground assessment against the SCL criteria is required to confirm whether the area is or is not an SCL.