Community and land use

Lysterfield quarries

The two Lysterfield quarries are located approximately 35 kms southeast of Melbourne’s CBD. One is operated by Boral, the other by Heidelberg Materials Australia (Heidelberg).

The Heidelberg quarry site commenced operation in 1979. It is licensed to operate as a hard rock quarry and is assigned work authority WA385.

Heidelberg (formerly Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd) owns the land and is the work authority holder.

Current status

View the work authority area and location on Resource Licences Near Me.

The Heidelberg Lysterfield Quarry’s total work authority area is 76.51 ha. Annual production is approximately 1.2 million tonnes, used primarily for concrete.

Regulatory compliance

Works conducted on-site are regulated and managed under the conditions stated on the work authority holder’s approved work plan. Read more about regulatory compliance.

Common compliance enquiries and concerns raised from time to time by local community members about the quarry’s operations include truck movements, blasting and dust.

Resources Victoria’s Earth Resources Regulator is responsible for investigating community concerns about on-site activities including truck movements, hours of operation and blasting.

Truck movements

The regulator has previously investigated community concerns about truck movements and directed the work authority holder to stop loading and cartage from the site outside approved operating hours (between 6am and 6pm Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays). The work authority holder has to date complied with this requirement.

The site is regularly inspected by authorised officers to confirm site operations are within approved work plan conditions.

Blasting

The approved work plan allows for blasting between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). The work authority holder conducts blasting as part of regular operations, usually once or twice a week. Residents can sign up to receive 24-hour advance notice of blasting activity via text message.

Blast monitoring data is regularly collected from multiple locations (including three nearby residential properties) around the Heidelberg Lysterfield Quarry site. This data is collated by independent consultants and reviewed by the regulator for compliance purposes.

The data consistently shows the work authority holder to be blasting within the prescribed limits.

There may be other activities on-site that are allowed under the current work plan conditions that nearby residents may be able to hear outside of operation hours.

Community updates

Heidelberg Materials Australia is responsible for keeping the local community informed about operations at its Lysterfield quarry, including upcoming activities that may affect residents and actions being undertaken to address any potential impacts.

A webinar held in March 2021 enabled community members to learn more about how the two Lysterfield quarries are regulated. Speakers included experts from the Earth Resources Regulator, Environment Protection Authority Victoria, Knox City Council and the Department of Transport and Planning.

The Lysterfield Quarry Community Reference Group was established in 2016 to provide opportunities for residents to ask questions and access information about the Heidelberg Lysterfield Quarry’s operations.

Read more information, including about the community reference group and how to join it, on the Heidelberg Materials website.

Enquiries and concerns

Heidelberg Materials Australia is responsible for all aspects of quarry operations at its Lysterfield site, including risk management and complaints handling.

If you have an enquiry, concern or complaint about activities occurring at the site, please contact the quarry operator in the first instance on 9371 8000 or 0419 691 342.

This will enable the operator to respond promptly.

Should your issue or concern remain unresolved, please contact the regulator responsible for the area it relates to as outlined below.

Earth Resources Regulator

The Earth Resources Regulator is responsible for regulating activities within the boundary of the work authority area. See Resource Licences near me for the exact site boundary. If you have a question or concern related to quarry activities within the boundary, please:

For urgent out of hours reporting, the Earth Resources Regulator Compliance Duty Officer can be contacted on 0419 597 010.

Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA)

EPA prevents harm to human health from pollution and waste. Issues monitored by EPA include:

  • dust and other discharge from the site
  • noise emissions.

To lodge a report, contact EPA’s 24-hour pollution hotline on 1300 372 842 or online via the EPA’s reporting pollution page.

Transport Victoria (VicRoads)

Transport Victoria is responsible for Victoria’s road network including arterial roads such as Wellington Road.

To report an incident or issue caused by trucks using Wellington Road to enter or leave the quarry:

Knox City Council

Knox City Council is responsible for enforcing planning permit requirements.

More information and copies of planning permits for the Heidelberg Lysterfield Quarry (dating back to 1979 when the site commenced operation) are available on the council’s website.

Enquiries to Knox City Council may be lodged via email knoxcc@knox.vic.gov.au or phone 9298 8000.

Page last updated: 07 Mar 2025