WITHSTANDING the earth-shaking blasts from the Mt Coot-tha Quarry is akin to living in a war zone, according to Mt Coot-tha residents.

“I thought my house was falling down this morning,” one resident told a community meeting on June 24.

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive resident Philip Best, who lives across from the quarry site, called the meeting with state Labor MP for Mt Coot-tha Steven Miles and representatives from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines. He wanted more noise and vibration testing at Mt Coot-tha properties.

Mr Best (pictured) said testing at an affected home would prove the quarry was not operating to best and legal practice and was to blame for damage to their homes.

“The blasting is completely out of control, completely random, and affecting everyone in the area negatively,” Mr Best said.

Homeowners showed photographs of cracks in their kitchen tiles and retaining walls, which they said was a result of the heavy vibrations from quarry blasting.

They said noise from trucks and other quarry operations was also a constant frustration.

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection executive director Andrew Connor said extensive testing had been done and the quarry was found to be operating within legal noise and vibration limits.

He committed to further week-long noise testing at a resident’s home, but said he was satisfied current vibration tests complied.

Mr Miles welcomed further testing.

“If council is determined to operate a quarry so close to peoples’ homes they have an obligation to run it to the highest possible environmental standard,” he said.

“After hearing what it’s like to live near the quarry, I’m not convinced they have been.”

Quarry owner and operator Brisbane City Council was not invited to the meeting but assured residents strict environmental conditions were in place for quarry activities. A BCC spokeswoman said blasts were monitored by an independent blasting expert.

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