Quarry operator near Yarrawonga rocked as authorities call out restoration works

Resources Victoria has revealed a company responsible for a quarry between Yarrawonga and Shepparton had prematurely applied to surrender its work authority on the site without properly completing the rehabilitation process.

Legislation in Victoria specifies that rehabilitation is the final stage of quarrying and obligations from operators can only be met once the land is restored in line with the site's work plan.

Upon a recent visit to the location, Resources Victoria officers deemed the rehabilitation incomplete due to the excessive slope of the quarry pit, missing top soil and vegetation, excessive weeds and erosion and denied the quarry operator's work authority application.

Resources Victoria chief executive Matt Vincent said the site would continue to be closely monitored to ensure it is properly restored.

"Staff from our Earth Resources regulator regularly visit quarries to ensure they are meeting their obligations and doing the right thing," he said.

"Rehabilitation is an important part of the quarrying life-cycle, if it's not done properly then the costs can fall to the state - which is unacceptable.

"Once quarries are rehabilitated they can become community assets, lots of parks across the state were once used to extract rock or sand."

A Border quarry operator was fined more than $9000 in May 2023 for pumping thousands of litres of wastewater onto a road reserve that drained into a billabong at Wodonga.