Montrose residents are expressing concern about the potential expansion proposed by Boral Resources (Boral) at the Montrose quarry.
The site, located in a mixed industrial and residential zone on the township’s border with Kilsyth, has been in operation for over 70 years and the proposal is designed to extend its life by 30 more.
Montrose residents Katie and Ian, speaking on behalf of a larger group of concerned residents, said there has been a significant level of community concern and their petition has now received 1900 signatures.
“A local Facebook group has grown rapidly, with hundreds of residents participating in discussions, asking questions, and offering to assist,” they said.
“We’re also hearing from people in surrounding suburbs — including Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, and Mooroolbark — who believe they may be affected by environmental or traffic impacts associated with the proposed expansion.
“Community members continue to volunteer their time and skills to raise awareness and encourage others to participate. Many residents remain unaware or are only now becoming aware of the proposal, let alone its scale and potential long-term impacts.”
Over 70 residents attended a community meeting on 5 November to express opposition to the proposal, which was also attended by Yarra Ranges councillors Len Cox, Tim Heenan and Jeff Marriott who expressed opposition. Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino attended and also expressed opposition, a representative for Casey MP Aaron Violi attended to convey his intention to advocate for the community’s concerns and Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child has written a letter to planning minister Sonya Kilkenny expressing concern that Boral applied for an Environmental Effects Statement (EES) referral without making the council aware until after.
A Boral spokesman said Montrose Quarry is an important part of their metropolitan quarry network, supplying the south-eastern Melbourne market.
“The expansion of the Montrose Quarry will therefore allow continued supply of construction aggregates to enable major infrastructure projects, and provide vital materials for residential subdivisions, road construction, and general concrete and asphalt supply,” he said.
“Montrose Quarry is located in a Special Use Zone (Extractive Industries) under State planning provisions.
“The site’s purpose is to supply vital cost-effective construction materials close to market and made available for development when needed – which is now.”
The proposal to expand the extraction boundary requires the following statutory approvals:
A Work Authority and Work Plan Variation under the Extractive Industries Development Act 1995 for the extended quarry operations.
A Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) to the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme and a planning permit under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
A Works Approval and Licence under the Environment Protection Act 1970 for the increased water discharge volumes associated with the quarry activities.
Katie and Ian said there have been three previous major community campaigns opposing quarry expansion — in 1965–66, 1996–99, and 2003–2008 — and this is significantly larger than the previous application.
“There is a growing call for the application to be withdrawn considering historical precedent, transparent consultation, and independent assessment before any decisions are made,” they said.
“These campaigns relied on strong local participation, expert evidence, and consistent advocacy to highlight environmental, health and social concerns.
“This long history of organised community action gives residents confidence that public sentiment and evidence-based advocacy will again play an important role in shaping the outcome.”
Community concerns are centred around the proximity of the quarry to schools, homes, traffic ans safety issues and environmental and health concerns.
The Boral spokesman said they will work with all stakeholders, including local community members, to address their questions and ensure they have transparency into how Boral conducts its operations in line with permits, licences and strict national safety regulations.
“Prior to this, Boral informed Yarra Ranges Council in September 2024 that it was considering future expansion plans and this information was added to the council’s website,” he said.
“We shared an overview of our quarry expansion plans during a community open day held at our Montrose site in November last year, attended by about 200 people from the local community.
“Since then, we met with Council officials and provided Councillors a briefing regarding the project and we’ve notified immediate neighbours and the Montrose Environmental Group in writing regarding the lodgement of the application and established a dedicated project website. Broader community notification and awareness activities are also planned.”
Community members can find information, provide feedback and sign up for updates on the project website at boralmontroseproject.com.au.
The Boral spokesman said they work collaboratively with regulators to make sure our controls meet and, where possible, exceed required standards to safeguard the health and safety of our people and the community.
“The proposed pit design moves quarrying activities away from more densely occupied Ash Grove and Kirkwood Court towards less populated areas to the south and southwest of the site. Strict national safety regulations apply to protect neighbouring homes, buildings and public places from the potential effects of blasting that are well below the vibration levels which could cause structural or cosmetic damage to structures,” he said.
“With regard to dust, we understand that communities close to our quarry sites have questions. With the application of dust management and mitigation strategies, potential impacts on airborne dust due to the project would be avoided, minimised or managed to required standards to ensure that the health and wellbeing of employees and nearby residents would be protected.
“We take very seriously our commitments and responsibilities to manage airborne dust across all of our sites. We undertake personal and workplace area dust monitoring, as well as regular environmental (boundary) monitoring at relevant sites.”
In May 2023, Boral was fined $180,000 in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay almost $14,000 in costs after pleading guilty to a single charge of failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work due to workers being exposed to harmful crystalline silica dust.
WorkSafe inspectors had visited the site in September 2019 and observed potential exposure hazards from dust that was generated during processes including the blasting, crushing, mixing, screening and transferring of quarried rock.
An investigation found atmospheric monitoring conducted by Boral Resources confirmed that several workers had been exposed to levels of respirable crystalline silica that exceeded workplace exposure standards.
The court found it was reasonably practicable for the company to have reduced the risk of serious injury or death by requiring workers to wear respiratory protective equipment that was adequately fit tested and by providing supervision to ensure workers did so.
Katie and Ian said they would certainly welcome meaningful engagement from Boral — consultation that goes beyond minimum statutory requirements.
“In its Extension Referral Form (page 46), Boral states that its intention to extend the pit was
discussed during a community open day in November 2024, attended by more than 250
People,” they said.
“However, after contacting Boral several times by phone and email for further information — such as meeting notes, attendee lists, and materials provided — the community has not yet received a response.
“At the heart of this issue is a simple principle: communities deserve transparent, good-faith consultation and protection from industrial developments that may affect their health, safety, and long-term livability.”
While it’s currently too early to accurately predict a timeline for when expansion would begin if the project is approved, Boral estimates it would be in six to eight years.
