Inchbonnie Quarry
Management Plan
June 2015
CONTENTS
Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
Section 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4
Section 2: Background ............................................................................................................................... 4
Section 3: Financial .................................................................................................................................... 5
Section 4: Performance Measures............................................................................................................ 6
Section 5: Council and Contractor Responsibilities................................................................................ 6
Section 6: Site Specific Methodology ....................................................................................................... 7
Section 8: Quarry Restoration, Rehabilitation and Expenditure Plan ................................................. 9
Section 9: Quarry Permits and Consents .............................................................................................. 11
Inchbonnie Quarry Management Plan 2015
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Summary
This plan sets out the history and future plans of Incbonnie Quarry so there is a record of any
major decisions, expenditure, permits and consents.
It identifies the objective of the quarry as well as the methods of monitoring the condition of
the quarry and rock, and determines the annual funding and expenditure needed to retain the
safest and most cost effective plan possible.
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Section 1: Introduction
1.1
Purpose of a Quarry Management Plan
This Quarry Management Plan defines the objective and performance standards of
Incbonnie Quarry for which the West Coast Regional Council has the ultimate
responsibility.
This Quarry Management Plan:
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Identifies the service level for the quarry
Describes the background of the quarry
Describes the methods used to maintain the service level of the quarry
Complies with the regulatory requirements of the current Health and Safety in
Employment Act/s Regulations thereon and all relevant Permits/Consents.
Section 2: Background
Incbonnie Quarry is located in Incbonnie, 66.6km inland of Greymouth at the end of
McArthur Road.
Inchbonnie Quarry is a standalone Granite rock outcrop with typical heavy jointing with
a subsequent tendency to produce large (10 tonne plus) individual rocks as part of the
quarry cycle. Operated by WCRC for the exclusive production of Armour Grade
Protection Rock (AGPR) with a range of .25 tonne through to rocks with an individual
weight of 10 tonne plus.
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Section 3: Financial
3.1
Direct and Overhead Costs
The below costs do not include the “stock adjustment” which is applied when product is sold or quarried.
That adjustment reflects the “cost of rock sold” and is not a cost of operating the quarries.
The below costs include direct costs and allocated overhead costs.
Year To
Incbonnie
Quarry
Specific Cost
30/06/2006
30/06/2007
30/06/2008
30/06/2009
30/06/2010
30/06/2011
30/06/2012
30/06/2013
30/06/2014
Part Year
31/03/2015
$399.00
$9,225
$16,849
$14,376
$70,961
$40,327
$69,320
$46,798
$1,464
$479.00
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Section 4: Performance Measures
The overall performance measure is to operate Inchbonnie Quarry in the safest and
most cost effective manner possible.
The following procedures will be adopted to ensure the adequacy of Safety and
Efficiency.
Annually
Rock production meets specific target(s)
Procedures meet Health and Safety requirements
Performance Measure
Waste to rock ratio – 20% waste 80% rock
Lost time due to injuries/incidents
Random Health and Safety Audits
Section 5: Council and Contractor Responsibilities
To achieve the primary aim of the Regional Council Inchbonnie Quarry it is essential that
both the Contractor and Council ensure that all responsibilities under existing Health and
Safety in Employment Law and relevant amended acts and regulations are recognized
and acted upon.
5.1
Contractor Responsibilities
It is expected that the goal of a ‘Zero Harm’ working quarry environment is achievable,
operation expediency over safe work practices in WCRC quarries will not be tolerated
under any circumstances.
It is expected that all contractors operating in WCRC quarries will follow industry
accepted best quarry practices at all times.
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Section 6: Site Specific Methodology
6.1
Drill and Blast Methodology
Due to large size of rock produced from Inchbonnie Quarry, the quarry now has
excavator and drill access to the top of the formation and it is possible to downhole drill
as well as use horizontal holes to facilitate production of large dimension Armour Grade
Protection Rock (AGPR).
A combination of downholes and toe holes have proved to be the most effective primary
blasting technique to produce large dimension AGPR consistently.
The Contractors blaster in charge will get a feel for the minimum explosive qualities
required to break the rock without excessive fragmentation.
The Inchbonnie formation does not lend itself to large production blasts and in the main
is more suited to a “drill and pop” operation due to the very pronounced jointing present
throughout the outcrop.
6.2
Faces and Benches
WCRC has ensured that developed faces currently lie approximately north/south and are
currently retreated toward the east.
Apart from the occasional removal of dangerous overhangs on either side of the outcrop
as they occur during normal quarry operations the easterly retreat shall be maintained
due to the limited width of the bench at the upper level.
As the face/s retreat the rock at the lower levels out to each side of the main outcrop
can be extracted as a function of the quarry to ensure the maximum available resource
is eventually extracted at Inchbonnie.
6.3
Future Approximate Face Heights
Face heights in all WCRC quarries should be limited to 7-8m as a maximum but because
of the particular geological considerations present at Inchbonnie i.e. very wide and
distinct jointing separating extremely large individual blocks of rock these heights may
vary widely.
In all cases where the recommended face heights are exceeded because of rock failure
due to pre-existing geological factors and which lead to over height faces and face
instability all due care and practicable steps must be taken to ensure that safety is not
compromised in any way.
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6.4
Bunding
Recent changes to the Health and Safety in Employment Laws and all acts and
regulations there on have made bunding in quarries mandatory. This bunding
requirement includes all road edges, benches, faces, tip heads and associated terminal
drop-offs where there is a risk of vehicle roll over or falls.
However, due to the nature of the outcrop at Inchbonnie Quarry it will be difficult but
not impossible to construct continuous bunding at the upper levels and care will need to
be taken while construction is underway.
Where bunding is not practical at the upper level due to limited room and work is not
underway at the time, it will be necessary to place a full physical barrier at the top of
the access road to close it off completely.
In all cases bunding must be the preferred methodology to deal with Terminal drop-offs
with the final height of all bunds to be set out at least 2/3 the height of the largest
wheel operating in the quarry.
6.5
Waste Dump Management
Due to the very high quality of rock available at Inchbonnie and with its propensity to
break with very little waste, the limited volumes of waste generated can be used to
ensure level AGPR stockpile areas.
Wherever possible waste product will also be used for the construction of bench edge
and access road bunding at the upper levels as it is required.
6.6
Rock Stockpile Areas
At Inchbonnie Quarry AGPR will generally be stockpiled on the western end or in the
area immediately adjacent to the cattle race on the northern aspect of the formation.
The WCRC Quarry Manager will ensure that these areas are marked out prior to
commencement of quarry operations.
Although all quarry product ex the face shall be weighed as it is broken out prior to
loadout to stockpile, the actual stockpiles shall be constructed in such a manner that
facilitates physical measurement of rock volumes in the stockpile (regular shape, straight
sides, consistent height etc.).
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6.7
Hazards and Issues specific to Incbonnie Quarry
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6.9
Quarry adjacent to operational dairy farm
Herd/stock movement management issues
Steep terrain
Geological considerations
Fly rock potential
Very limited bench space at upper levels
Difficulties in constructing upper level bench edge bunding
Limited operational area
School bus route on main road
Potential dust hazard along access road
Dwellings in near vicinity
Access Road Regrading and Future Haul Road Maintenance
It will be necessary to maintain the access road from the end of GDC gravel road along
the farm raceway to the quarry and this may require a grading and spread of a GAP 40
gravel product from time to time.
Liaison between WCRC Quarry Manager, the land owner/sharemilker and the Contractor
will be necessary during quarry cycles to ensure that adequate fit for all purpose access
road conditions are maintained.
Section 8: Quarry Restoration, Rehabilitation and Expenditure Plan
The Restoration/Rehabilitation efforts of the last few years in the Council’s quarries
mean that overall the future requirements have been somewhat reduced at all sites but
in any case this Restore/Rehab expenditure must be viewed as a function of the ongoing
quarries operation. It is therefore important to ensure that each quarry has a dedicated
budget line to maintain a meaningful Restore/Rehab programme into the future.
The level of annual expenditure should remain reasonably constant being more or less in
lock step with annual production volumes unless a large flood event or similar occurs.
In this situation Restoration/Rehabilitation costs will increase in line with any production
surge but based on averages should equate to around $0.15 (15 cents) per tonne of
armour grade rock produced to also provide an additional lump sum at
closedown/decommissioning.
This lump sum will be required to deal with:
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Roading issues
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8.1
Public access
Long term safety issues
Pit slope and face stabilization
Drainage
Contouring
Landscaping
Land ownership/transfers etc.
Expenditure Requirements for Inchbonnie Quarry
As at 1/09/2014 year one restore/rehab programme and expenditure requirements for
Inchbonnie Quarry are as follows:
Landscaping/contouring to extent of main floor area
Planting using the “clump” methodology wherever
possible
Weed control etc.
Total first year expenditure
$1500
$1050
$750
$3300
Thereafter: An annual expenditure of $1650 will be required to carry out the
Restore/Rehab at Inchbonnie Quarry.
At the current rate of extraction the minimum life of Inchbonnie Quarry is expected to
be 20 years.
Therefore assume 20 years at 7500t per annum will total = 150000t + 20% waste =
180000 all up.
Using an average of $0.15 per tonne the provisional sum for decommissioning at
Inchbonnie Quarry totals: 180000t X $0.15 = $27000 LS at closedown.
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Section 9: Quarry Permits and Consents
9.1
Crown Minerals Permit GAZETTED
Permit Number
Permit Term
Commencement Date
Expiry Date
Area
9.2
West Coast Regional Council Consents Held
Resource consent
Number
99/245
9.3
GAZZETTED
Date
Granted
Sec 94
hold
Term
Withdrawn
Expiry
date
Withdrawn
Purpose
Discharge to air
Other Consents Held
Consent
Number
RC08068
Issuer
WCRC
Date
Granted
19-06-2009
Inchbonnie Quarry Management Plan 2015
Term
35 Years
Expiry
date
19-06-2044
Purpose
Land use
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