The Oldbury Sand Mine has been a bone of contention with some locals in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale for more than a decade.
Approximately two weeks ago, a couple who live within a few hundred metres of the Oldbury site organised a rally to share their disappointment with the proposal to extend the mine’s clearing permits.
Ian Morrow said he was concerned about the effect of the sand mine on the surrounding environment.
“I like trees and plants, and I’m quite into environmental science and know the impact of clearing bush,” he said.
“What we’ve got left we need to retain. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.”
Mr Morrow said the rally gained a lot of attention from people who were passionate about preserving the land for the cockatoos.
“We had a lot of great feedback from a lot of people who said they had a good time, and they learnt a lot,” he said.
“We had a botanist rock up. She just came to be a part of the rally and then she was getting quite emotional so she asked if she could have a go on the microphone.”
Mr Morrow’s partner, Dannie Bennett, said they organised the rally to create awareness about the environmental impacts of the sand mine proposal.
“We just felt like we were getting a bit stagnant with the whole progress of what was happening with the sand mine, and I felt like we needed to raise more awareness,” she said.
“So many of our neighbours don’t know what’s going on.
“In the bigger picture, it’s actually quite scary how quickly we are destroying our land and our earth.”
Ms Bennett said since her family moved from Thornlie to Oldbury, the importance of preserving land was a shared value in the household, including amongst the couple’s children.
“We moved out here to be close to nature. We get to see these black cockatoos almost daily,” she said.
“My kids are really involved with the conservation of these animals and it’s really important to them.
“We had kids activities surrounding the black cockatoos, so it wasn’t just for a mature audience.
“We were getting kids involved because they are our future and if they don’t know about it then they’re not going to look after it.”
Approximately only 40 per cent of the banksia woodlands – which are only found on the Swan Coastal Plain in WA – remain untouched, with approximately 50 to 60 per cent of the bushlands cleared.
Ms Bennett said the sand mine proposal at Oldbury is just one piece of the puzzle to conserve the land and animals.
“It’s not just about the cockatoos, it’s not just about the animals that are being impacted here, it’s a bigger picture at a large scale with all the banksias on the Swan Coastal Plain,” she said.
“Our main goal is to protect the banksia woodlands because that is a critical food source for the black cockatoos, and they are struggling as it is.
“We’re not alone in this battle.”
Heidelberg Materials – who rebranded from Hanson, the original owner of the Oldbury sand mine in 2024 after acquiring it in 2007 – said mining of the sand was critical to improve the WA housing market.
“The Heidelberg Materials’ Oldbury Sand Quarry will provide a vital local resource for the residential construction industry in Perth at a time when demand is high, and sand available locally is low,” a spokeswoman for the company said.
“The sand mine will supply building sand to be used in local housing developments, not silica sand for export as has been previously reported.
“By supplying sand locally, it reduces the need for long-distance transport, thereby minimising traffic congestion and emissions on our roads.”
The spokeswoman said restoration to the Banksia Woodlands would begin following the end of the sand mine.
“Heidelberg Materials adopts an environmentally responsible approach when undertaking clearing at operational sites and holds a proven track record in biodiversity restoration,” she said.
“Since 1995, more than 400 hectares of leases have been returned to Banksia woodlands across the Swan Coastal Plain.
“As part of its commitment to restoration and offsets at Oldbury, Heidelberg Materials will sequentially restore the 11.6 ha clearing area; improve the condition of an additional 0.9 ha through restoration; protect and manage 11.6 ha of remnant vegetation in perpetuity under a conservation covenant; and provide a financial contribution to purchase 35.46 ha of remnant vegetation, which includes habitat for black cockatoos.”
In 2015, the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) stepped in to approve Hanson mining sand in Oldbury, a motion that was originally rejected by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
Mr Morrow said he feared this was an issue that would happen again with the extension proposal going to SAT in the coming weeks.
“The mining approval, which is granted by the shire, is about to go to trial and hopefully SAT lets the shire choose what they want to do,” he said.
“Ten years ago, the shire had no choice, they had to approve it.
“We are a bit worried. SAT can just make a decision and that’s final.”
Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale President Rob Coales said community consultation of the previous developments in 2015 led to opposition in the project.
“The Shire is known for its natural bushland which makes the area special,” he said.
“These natural spaces support native plants and animals and are a big part of what makes the Shire unique.”
