Plans for a sand mine at Gooburrum, north of Bundaberg in southern Queensland, have been given the go-ahead by council.

 

The Bundaberg council has approved plans for a controversial sand mine north of the city.

 

Australian manufacturer Austral Masonry lodged plans with council to produce up to 100,000 tonnes a year of sand from a site on Gooburrum Road.

 

The proposal received 88 official submissions against it, including concerns about traffic, the environment and public health.

 

Bundaberg council yesterday approved the project and planning and development spokesman Ross Sommerfeld says respondents' concerns were taken on board.

 

"Council's imposed 86 conditions which relate to concerns of the residents, the application was actually impact assessable," he said.

 

"Part of our background on the application detailed all the concerns that were raised."

 

Sand extraction is set to begin later this year and the mining is expected to last about two decades.