By JONATHON HOWARD
A NEW asphalt plan at Leslie Dam has been given a green light from Southern Downs Regional Council, securing at least nine new jobs.
Hutchinson Quarries Pty Ltd owner, Denis Middleton, was this week given approval to construct a new asphalt plant at Pink Gum Lane, Leslie Dam.
The plant will start producing about 15,000 tonne of asphalt in its first year but production will increase to more than 75,000 tonnes by 2018.
Mr Middleton said the plant would require roughly six contractors to construct and this would later result in three permanent staff to operate the plant.
He said advertising for the positions would commence in the coming weeks.
Southern Downs Regional Councillors were asked to consider the asphalt plant during council’s monthly general meeting on 28 August.
The asphalt plant was expected to provide welcome relief across the Southern Downs where the council is desperate to continue speedy road repairs.
The asphalt plant will be a mobile operation which can be relocated to other sites if and where needed.
The applicant intends that the plant would remain on the site, but if the market declined, or there was a specific short-term need elsewhere, such as emergency repairs after a major flooding event, they would have the option of relocating the plant for a limited period of time to the site of need.
According to council records, the plant will operate a parallel flow drum Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) plant; specifically the 80TPH NOMAD Portable Drum-Mix Asphalt Plant.
Due to the lower production temperature of WMA plants, less fuel is needed to heat the aggregate resulting in lower emissions, making it the preferred type of plant commonly in built up areas.
This portable unit comprises four separate operational units: a portable drum-mixer, a portable tank for heating and storing the liquid asphalt cement, a portable hopper for loading trucks, and a potable control house.Initial earthworks will be required to establish the asphalt plant and to contour the operating area to suit water drainage.
The standard hours of operation will be 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 6am to 12pm on Saturday. The applicant is further seeking approval to operate 24-hours a day, six days a week (excluding Sundays), during times of high demand, such as during flood repairs or emergency operations.
