A LANDHOLDER seeking the go-ahead for a proposed stone extraction operation in Boorolite has taken the Mansfield Shire Council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) with representatives from both attending a practice day hearing in Melbourne last Friday,

Council had determined not to support the application, refusing planning for the business at 138 Hearns Road on land that has significant landscape and environmental overlays.

The application was the second made in relation to the property with the first application being made in 2021 and later withdrawn by the applicant.

The landholder has cited the application is predominantly for pasture improvement.

However objectors have questioned the viability of spending tens to hundreds of thousands on rock removal and remediation of the site to effectively increase grazing rates by an additional cow or two per hectare per annum.

"It would have to be the most expensive pasture improvements ever proposed in Australia," one objector said.

Anticipating Mansfield Shire Council would deny the application, the landholders on May 19 had presumptively applied to VCAT for a hearing prior to the handing down of the verdict at the council meeting on May 21.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said council knew many community members were concerned by the impacts of stone extraction operations.

"We always listen to our community’s concerns when we consider planning applications, and we decide each application based on its merits," he said.

The mayor also affirmed council was always ready to work constructively with applicants during the planning process.

"We want to find ways their vision can work while contributing positively to our community," Cr Rabie said.

He said it was disappointing when an applicant decides to apply to VCAT to challenge decisions ultimately made in the best interests of the community.

"It’s important that we defend these decisions so we can keep what we love about our little shire, but unfortunately these challenges bring significant costs to our ratepayers," he said.

"We minimise these costs where we can by using our expert planning staff instead of consultants to defend our decisions in VCAT."

In 2018, council was taken to VCAT by the landholders of 399/401 Buttercup Road, Merrijig after their application for stone extraction was refused.

The cost to council - and ratepayers - overall to defend this decision in VCAT was over $30,000.