The High Court has ruled against one of Stradbroke Island's largest mining companies' bid to sell sand to construction companies.
Sibelco, the parent company of Unimin, has for years extracted sand from Stradbroke Island for sale.
The company went to the High Court to appeal against Redland City Council's 2008 decision to reject Sibelco's application to sell 500,000 tonnes of Stradbroke Island sand over the next 100 years.
The High Court this morning ruled against their appeal.
The Stradbroke Island Management Organisation welcomed the High Court's decision and spokeswoman Nikki Parker said it reflected community views.
"We believe the High Court decision reflects community attitude that Straddie should not be used as a quarry," she said.
Ms Parker said she did not believe the decision would hurt the future of the island.
"Stradbroke Island has a diverse economy," she said.
"The mining company is attempting to say in a very lavish advertising campaign that Stradbroke is just going to break up and fall apart if mining ends on the island.
"We believe that it has a strong and diverse economy, which is close to Brisbane, and we believe it has a very bright future once mining is allowed to end on the island."
Sibelco sustainability manager Paul Smith said the application was an old request from a former company, Consolidated Rutile, to use sand from tailings reserves for construction.
"It was lodged with the council many years ago and we lost on the first go, we won on the second round and then we lost on a technicality under the Integrated Planning Act," he said.
Mr Smith said the sand reserve was not significant.
"As far as the project goes, well we still believe it has merit, but at the moment it is not something we are considering," he said.
Mr Smith said an upcoming court case in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 14 was more significant, because Sibelco was challenging the state government's ruling against them being able to sell sand to construction companies.
"We went to the government to find out what sort of permit we should use and the permitting said we couldn't get it approved," he said.
"It is just a permitting issue. Basically the state and we are disagreeing on what sort of permit it should be."
Mr Smith said Sibelco had permits under forestry legislation and had paid royalties on about $3 million worth of sand over 10 years.
"It is not the $80 million that people are making out in the press, that's for sure," he said.
"This sand is B-grade sand, left over as a by-product of Silbelco's main sand mining operation to sell sand for glass manufacturing."
Ms Parker said the Queensland government should bring forward its plans to stop sand mining on Stradbroke Island.
The government has allowed some, but not all, mining leases to run until 2025 to allow mining companies time to economically adjust to the decision.
"In 1976, sand mining was stopped on Fraser Island in just six weeks. There is no justification for 14 years more mining on Straddie,” Ms Parker said.
Sibelco, the parent company of Unimin, has for years extracted sand from Stradbroke Island for sale.
The company went to the High Court to appeal against Redland City Council's 2008 decision to reject Sibelco's application to sell 500,000 tonnes of Stradbroke Island sand over the next 100 years.
The High Court this morning ruled against their appeal.
The Stradbroke Island Management Organisation welcomed the High Court's decision and spokeswoman Nikki Parker said it reflected community views.
"We believe the High Court decision reflects community attitude that Straddie should not be used as a quarry," she said.
Ms Parker said she did not believe the decision would hurt the future of the island.
"Stradbroke Island has a diverse economy," she said.
"The mining company is attempting to say in a very lavish advertising campaign that Stradbroke is just going to break up and fall apart if mining ends on the island.
"We believe that it has a strong and diverse economy, which is close to Brisbane, and we believe it has a very bright future once mining is allowed to end on the island."
Sibelco sustainability manager Paul Smith said the application was an old request from a former company, Consolidated Rutile, to use sand from tailings reserves for construction.
"It was lodged with the council many years ago and we lost on the first go, we won on the second round and then we lost on a technicality under the Integrated Planning Act," he said.
Mr Smith said the sand reserve was not significant.
"As far as the project goes, well we still believe it has merit, but at the moment it is not something we are considering," he said.
Mr Smith said an upcoming court case in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 14 was more significant, because Sibelco was challenging the state government's ruling against them being able to sell sand to construction companies.
"We went to the government to find out what sort of permit we should use and the permitting said we couldn't get it approved," he said.
"It is just a permitting issue. Basically the state and we are disagreeing on what sort of permit it should be."
Mr Smith said Sibelco had permits under forestry legislation and had paid royalties on about $3 million worth of sand over 10 years.
"It is not the $80 million that people are making out in the press, that's for sure," he said.
"This sand is B-grade sand, left over as a by-product of Silbelco's main sand mining operation to sell sand for glass manufacturing."
Ms Parker said the Queensland government should bring forward its plans to stop sand mining on Stradbroke Island.
The government has allowed some, but not all, mining leases to run until 2025 to allow mining companies time to economically adjust to the decision.
"In 1976, sand mining was stopped on Fraser Island in just six weeks. There is no justification for 14 years more mining on Straddie,” Ms Parker said.
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