A Grass Valley farmer is fighting back against a proposed quartzite mine she says is an illegal operation that has been incorrectly classified and poses health and environmental risks.
Sheep farmer and florist Milly Dempster has been battling against the mine since 2018, when it was proposed, because of the potential health effects on her farm residents from respirable dust.
Perth-based miner Resource Group WA submitted an application for a 10-year development approval to the Shire of Northam in 2018 — and outlined an expected quarrying operation of 30 years.
In its application to develop the mine, Resource Group WA said it anticipated a second 10-year licence upon the expiry of the original licence.
In October 2024, Resource Group WA applied for an amended development application — rather than a new development application — outlining the reduction of four pits to two for the “reduction of its working footprint area” by 4.68ha.
Under the proposal the mine was categorised as a “hard rock” quarry but will produce solid crystalline silica, an engineered stone that has since been banned.
The supply, manufacturing, process, and installation of engineered stone was banned under the Work, Health and Safety Regulations (Engineered Stone) on July 1 last year.
Documents from a council meeting in February 2019 showed Resource Group WA’s confirmation of quartzite extraction in response to public submissions questioning public safety as a result of dust and fumes from blasting activity.
A Worksafe spokesman said quartzite extraction was classified as “hard rock” mining as it involved breaking and processing solid rock and was “commonly” referred to as a hard-rock material.
“Authorities assess each mining proposal on its merits, considering factors such as dust, noise, blasting vibration, fly rock, traffic and geotechnical stability,” he said.
“Appropriate controls must be in place to manage impacts on nearby communities, which the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation primarily regulates in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration.
“Local government also has a role in regulating noise, dust and vibration from mines located within towns, as well as in managing issues related to extractive industries.”
Ms Dempster’s home, and a worker’s house, sits within 500m of the proposed mine site — her sister’s home on the opposite side of Clydesdale Road is within 1km of the mine.
Grass Valley Merino Poll and Stud, owned by Ms Dempster and her sister, is home to 10 people — including five children.
She said the proposal did not take into account five houses within the 1.5km exclusion zone that must exist around an engineered stone mine.
“There’s not to be any houses within 1.5km of the pits because it’s a quartzite pit — it’s not a granite pit — and when blasted it produces respirable crystalline silica dust,” Ms Dempster said.
“We’ve got three houses that are within a kilometre of the pits . . . our house is historical and there was no sort of proper measurements of the blasting or what blasting they would be doing.”
Quartzite produces a respirable crystalline silica dust when cut, sanded, polished, drilled, or crushed — and is known to cause lung cancer, emphysema, kidney damage, chronic bronchitis, scleroderma and acute, accelerated, and chronic silicosis.
A spokeswoman for the Shire of Northam said the application is still under consideration and further information has been requested from Resource Group WA.
“An application for an extractive industry within the Grass Valley locality was advertised earlier this year,” she said.
“Following advertising further information was requested from the applicant, however, at this time the additional information has not been submitted.
“A number of issues will need to be considered by the shire including potential environmental, social and public health impacts as part of the planning process.”
Resource Group WA general manager Greg Kennedy said the proposal met the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, and had been signed off by the Environmental Protection Authority and Environment Minister Reece Whitby.
An appeal against the EPA’s decision was dismissed in January 2024 by Mr Whitby who reasoned that there were “statutory mechanisms” available to regulate the environment impacts of the quarry.
Ms Dempster estimated she had spent more than $100,000 in legal fees fighting the mine since the initial proposal.
