Residents of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula are pushing back against a proposed quarry at Arthur’s Seat over fears of silica exposure.
The company behind the proposed expansion, Hillview Quarries, has applied to expand the site of a disused quarry adjacent to the the Arthur’s Seat State Park.
More than 120 doctors have voiced their concern over the potential health risks at the site, in addition to health experts and community members, who have launched a petition to prevent the quarry from going ahead.
The concerned residents and experts cite the risk of airborne dust and silica exposure from the site, in addition to the long-term health effects of silica exposure which can cause silicosis and other chronic health conditions.
The main concern of residents is that the site is merely 800m away from a school.
Experts have explained that there is no safe level of exposure to silica dust, and while Victoria is bound by strict legislation regarding minimising risk to workers, residents are concerned that the dust from the site will expose them to unavoidable risk.