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A STATE government decision to allow a Mount Cotton greywacke quarry to almost double in size was raised at last week's Senate inquiry into the Newman government. Greens state treasurer David Keogh raised the issue at last week's Toowoomba hearing after making a submission to the inquiry last year. Mr Keogh told the hearing former deputy premier Jeff Seeney "called in" the project in September 2013 and then approved it. He said taking decision- making power away from Redland City Council, which had twice rejected the proposal, was questionable. Mr Seeney said the quarry expansion was of "state significance", would benefit Queensland's construction sector and was in the state's interest. Since that decision, in December 2013, no expansion works have started at the Mount Cotton Road site. "I made the point the quarry resource was not of state significance as there are other nearby blue metal quarries in and close to Redlands with significant years of reserves," Mr Keogh said. "It seemed at every step, whatever objection, we put up dust, noise, koalas, traffic, flooding, the government totally overrode these serious objections." Cornubia resident Luke Daglish, who lives in Fabian Rod near the quarry, also spoke. He asked for a full public inquiry into the quarry approval. "We got a fair hearing from (Palmer United Senator) Glenn Lazarus, (ALP Senator) Joe Ludwig, (ALP Senator) Chris Ketter and The Greens Larissa Waters but we noted the absence of the two LNP Senators," Mr Daglish said. "It seems the LNP is still not listening. "Some residences are less than 200 metres from the proposed quarry pit but no one seemed to care about the health and welfare of adults and children from the impact of dust. "Expert advice that the quarry would be too close to residential development was repeatedly ignored from as far back as 1985." Under the inquiry's terms of reference, the five-senator committee will investigate the Newman government's approval process for development projects and funding arrangements for the LNP. The closing date for submissions is Friday, February 27, and a report is expected on March 27.

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