Sheridan’s Hard Rock Quarry Pty Ltd has been fined $15,000 by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for over extraction of quarry materials at Hernani.
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The EPA received a request from the licensee in June 2017 to increase the extraction limit as part of the operator’s Environment Protection Licence.
In July 2017, the EPA contacted the licensee requesting the quarry’s extraction records from the 2016-17 licence period (ended on 11 April 2017).
The quarry operator was found to have extracted more than 40,000 tonnes of material in the 2016-17 licence period than was permitted under their licence. The licensee also exceeded the fee-based activity scale limit of 50,000 – 100,000 tonnes extracted per annum.
EPA Regional Director North, Adam Gilligan, said the licensee blamed an administrative oversight as the reason for not applying to vary the licence during the 2016-17 licence period.
“Whilst this breach is administrative in nature with no evidence of environmental harm, it is essential for the EPA to take action on this matter to ensure the integrity of the regulatory system is maintained,” Mr Gilligan said.
“In failing to follow the proper process, the licensee has avoided over $10,000 in licence fees and exceed their licence limits by over 50%.”
It is the obligation of all licence holders to apply to the EPA for a licence variation if it anticipates that any change at the premises (operational or administrative) may impact on its compliance with a licence condition. Such applications must be made prior to any non-compliance with a licence condition occurring.
