Mt Coot-tha Quarry (MCQ) Major Events Blog 2016-2019

(Documents in PDF Format)

January 2020 - May 2020 MCLR Local Residents analysed the MCQ ground contours and created an estimate of the size of the MCQ mine-hole.

The used the services of Qld Spatial and Q-Globe to display the contour lines.
Using an approximation method known as Simpsons Rule, the total volume and surface area was calculated.
A managavle piece of MCQ Hornfels rock was measured to achieve the density and estimate the total removed mass = 42 Million Tonnes.
Based upon a 10 tonne truckload, this indicated a total of 8 million urban truck movements have so far been used. When we started analysing this data it became aparrent that the quality of the recordings matched that of all the other data. For the very first time, the MCLR people were able to see what the Quarry Manager had inflicted upon the innocent people inside their private homes immediately opposite the MCQ entrance.
The Simpsone rule To think that for more than one decade that the MCQ was only publishing the data from the much more distant locations, whilst the actual blast vibrations being experienced were 3 or more times stronger then what was being reported.
We have published this data in graphical form and also added the internal private home upsize factor of 2.6x ±0.03.
This is a Major Brisbane City Council Scandal, where the degree of illegal and untruthful bad practice, far exceeds anything comparable to the Zipline Project.
We seriously wonder "How Low can the BCC Go"!
Hopefully our 4th RTI application (asking again for all the same secret data) will show this, we expect this to be completed in July 2019. Our current data can be seen here.

January 2019 - July 2019 MCLR Local Residents completed their third RTI proposal asking for all the secret blast vibration monitoring done at the Mt Coot-tha Quarry Weighbridge Office

This data was kept secret and the MCLR only found out by accident.
Hence it took 3 RTI requests before the MCQ manager was finally forced to hand over the secret vibration data recordings.
When we started analysing this data it became aparrent that the quality of the recordings matched that of all the other data. For the very first time, the MCLR people were able to see what the Quarry Manager had inflicted upon the innocent people inside their private homes immediately opposite the MCQ entrance.
To think that for more than one decade that the MCQ was only publishing the data from the much more distant locations, whilst the actual blast vibrations being experienced were 3 or more times stronger then what was being reported.
We have published this data in graphical form and also added the internal private home upsize factor of 2.6x ±0.03.
This is a Major Brisbane City Council Scandal, where the degree of illegal and untruthful bad practice, far exceeds anything comparable to the Zipline Project.
We seriously wonder "How Low can the BCC Go"!
Hopefully our 4th RTI application (asking again for all the same secret data) will show this, we expect this to be completed in July 2019. Our current data can be seen here.

October 2018 - February 2019 The MCLR worked with the MCPA and Maiwar Electorate do defeat Lord Mayor Quirk's pet project - the Mt Coot-tha Zipline Proposal

We ALL worked extremely hard for a 5 month period to study, research and publicise all the facts regarding the Zipline Proposal.
The more we researched the Zipline, the worse it appeared with major concept bugs and hastily thrown together reports, it was clearly a huge and very costly mistake by the BCC.
Public support for our objection became very popular, as others found out about the serious issues and so the MCPA campaign took off like a fleet of jet planes.
When the BCC submitted the Zipline (to themselves) the objections stormed in like we have never before seen in Brisbane, with 90% of submissions not in favour.
A total of 20 other organisations objected to the concept and as some of these had many thousands of members, whilst the Zipline Australia Website submitted most of the in-favour submissions, the real number in favour of the Zipline at Mt Coot-tha turned out to be more like 1%.
The MCPA then lodged an appeal in the P&E court against the Zipline DA, which meant that the BCC and LM Quirk would have to tell the actual truth, the BCC withdrew from the entire Zipline Proposal and Lord Mayor Quirk resigned and quickly left the BCC scene.
The MCPA being the Mt Coot-tha Protection Alliance (which contains some MCLR members) took center stage, they became a legend in the City of Brisbane.

July 2018 - Local Residents complete a Series of Private Homes Vibration Measurements

10 blast vibration measurements were carried out on local residents private homes, for the purpose of measuring the effects of Mt Coot-tha Quarry blast vibrations.
The data obtained indicates that misreporting by the BCC of the MCQ Blast Vibration Footprint is continuing to be inaccurate.
The full list of measurements can be seen here: Blast Vibration Measurements

April 2018 - Well known Brisbane Statistician Clancy Birrell provides a statistical analysis

Clancy Birrell based his report on the BCC MCQ Blast Vibration Monitoring Data 2001- 2017.
This report incidates that misreporting by the BCC of the MCQ Blast Vibration Footprint may have occurred for approximately 600 blasts.
His 2-page report PDF file is here: MCQ Blast Vibration Data Report

April 2018 - Environmental Defenders Organisation Advises on Home Blast Vibration Monitoring

The EDO advised in their Advice Line Email that Private Home Blast Vibration Monitoring is legally relevant.

February 2018 - MC-QAG email to LM Quirk asking why MCQ has ignored 15 blast strength advice and other requests.

MC-QAG email to Lord Mayor Quirk: 23rd February 2018 about items that require a valid answer.
No reply has yet been received.
From now on all MC-QAG correspondence to the BCC will be Cc: to the BCC Ethical Standards Unit Plus the Qld State Ombudsman.

QLD SEQ Water provides details of their 60 Inch Water-Grid Pipeline Location

Pipeline 100m from MCQ Resource Blasting & Processing area and only 350m from MCQ blast Face
Pipeline Mt Coot-tha Road Crossing Close-up
Pipeline Original 1959 Water-Grid Mains Pipeline Drawings
It is a major residential concern that this old 1.6 metre diameter Water-Grid pipeline, which is only 100m from the KRA-42 defined MCQ Resource Blasting & Processing Area, is also near or under their homes.
Hence there exists the possibility of blast vibration damage, causing disruptive flooding and repairs.

December 2017 - BCC LM Quirk Replies to MC-QAG Report Documents.

Lord Mayor Quirk: First Reply to our Initial Commitee Proposal
In our Committee Proposal Report to the BCC, we were extremely careful not to include any details which were not totally true,
Hence we replied asking them to advise which areas of our report they believed were untrue. Lord Mayor Quirk: Second Reply to our email, ignoring the issues

seems to have ignored our entire report and emphasises that residents should contact the BCC JTLA-lawyers, we did this 2 years ago.
- Since then we have tried several times to progress the claim, but nothing has ever happened.
- We know of other residents claims which have a similar failure.
Almost all residents cannot manage to wait around with a damaged floor or wall for 2 years.
- Others don't bother because the damage cause is on-going and hence the problem cause cannot be solved until the quarry reduces their blasting levels.

November 2017 - MCQAG Report Documents to the BCC asking for a Mediation Committee.

MCQAG MCQ Advisory Committee Proposal 13th November 2017 MCQ Proposal Report
MCQAG Proposal Appendix I Analysis of RTI Data
MCQAG Proposal Appendix II Judy Magub 2002 Letter containing relevant data
MCQAG Personal Reports Phil Best Personal Damage Report
(some other personal and damage reports were provided to the BCC but are not published here).

September 2016 - QLD EHP Director Request to BCC:

EHP Letter Requesting reduced blasting levels and Community Engagement. To which the BCC replied saying NO!
EHP Email Stating Current MCQ Legacy License Maximum Blasting Limits
EHP Schedule F MCQ Blasting License Sehedule F

September 2016 - BCC LM Quirk Response to the 2016 Kenmore Council Listens Forum.

Some residents attended the 2016 Council Listens Forum and were prevented from using the microphone.
In the sessions after the forum, the residents showed LM Quirk and Cr Matic several photos of the damage to their homes by the quarry blasting.
The residents begged and pleaded with LM Quirk and Cr Matic for the BCC to stop damaging their precious homes, but everythig they said was ignored.
- We asked the Lord Mayor to stop damaging our homes, by complying with EHP requests and conducting more smaller blasts.
- The Lord Mayor said that we asked them to close the quarry.
Lord Mayor Quirk: Reply to the Council Listens Forum Residents Begging & Pleading to stop damaging our homes.

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