The Boral Dunnstown Quarry is one of the company’s most significant regional operations in Victoria, providing aggregates to customers around Ballarat, the Melbourne metropolitan area, and the central and western regions. The rock at Boral Dunnstown Quarry is known as sheet basalt from the Quaternary Newer Volcanics. The basalt resource has a variable overburden cover ranging 3m to 6m in depth.
The resource rock itself is dense, grey, non-vesicular basalt with a thickness of up to 15m and is regarded in the construction industry as being a high quality resource from which aggregates are produced.
The site employs 22 people and many more local contractors. The site produces a high-grade basalt aggregate suitable for road construction, rail line construction and the manufacture of asphalt and concrete.
The plant is located on the quarry floor (‘in pit’), in line with current industry best practice. As the plant sits ‘below’ the surface of the surrounding landscape, the aesthetic appearance of the site aligns better with the rural character of the surrounding Dunnstown area.
Materials from Dunnstown have been included in a range of public and private infrastructure projects in recent years, most notably the Western Highway bypass of Ballarat, the Regional Fast Rail upgrade between Ballarat and Melbourne, the Waubra Windfarm project and the Ballarat West Employment Zone.
Positive relationships with the community are an important part of conducting our business activities. To help facilitate ongoing communication with neighbours and other local stakeholders, the Boral Dunnstown Quarry operates an Community Reference Group (CRG).
The CRG will act as a two-way link between Boral and the communities that members represent in order to:
- Provide an avenue for community involvement with the current and future operations of Boral’s Dunnstown Quarry;
- Ensure that those affected by the quarry’s operations have an opportunity to provide a local perspective on the development of Boral’s community partnership framework; and
- Support opportunities for communication and engagement between Boral and neighbouring communities that benefit the local community, businesses, and interest and industry groups.
Information about the Community Reference Group and its role, please download the Terms of Reference or contact Boral.
You can view meeting notes from meetings held:
- 20 February 2024
- 20 December 2023
- 20 November 2023
- 20 September 2023
We are continuously improving processes at our site.
Our teams will continue to engage with our local communities to understand how our operations impact you. If you have any feedback please email community@boral.com.au.
The Boral Dunnstown Quarry satisfies its obligations under Work Authority 82 for environmental emissions. Dust mitigation at the quarry is mandatory, and is conducted through various methods.
The crushing plant uses a number of water sprays to supress dust levels, as well as ‘in-process water adding’ to make a wet product. A water truck with a fast-fill water supply system is also used to ensure that roads and stockpiles are kept moist during working activities.
The Dunnstown Quarry was established in 1978-79, with Boral Resources (Vic) Pty Ltd purchasing the quarry in 1980.
The quarry's main approval is Extractive Industry Work Authority 82 (WA822), issued under the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990. This allows the operation of extractive activities at the site.
WA82 is supported by Planning Permit 053/97, issued by Moorabool Shire Council, which provides planning permission to operate the quarry. This permit is itself a requirement of WA82.