To remove riverine quarry materials you will need to obtain both a:

• quarry material allocation
• development permit.

You must have received both these authorisations before beginning operations.

Depending on the circumstances, you may also need other authorisations, such as owner's consent and vegetation clearing permits. Check with your local government for any additional requirements.

Quarry material allocations

A quarry material allocation authorises you to extract a given volume of material from a specific location in a watercourse or lake. Quarry material allocations are granted for a maximum of 5 years. They can be renewed and transferred to another person.

Quarry operations plans

You may need to supply a quarry operations plan along with your application so that we can properly assess your request. Contact your local business centre before applying to confirm whether an operations plan is required.

How to apply

Complete the relevant application form and lodge your form by email. See our lodgement and payment options for further details.

How we assess applications

We will consider the impact the removal of the quarry material will have on the long-term sustainable use of the watercourse or lake, including the:

• physical integrity of the watercourse or lake, including bed and bank stability
• condition of the watercourse or lake, including its ability to function naturally
• supply of sediments to estuaries and the sea from the watercourse or lake
• quarry material available in the watercourse or lake and any existing quarry material allocations in relation to the watercourse or lake.

Development permits

The removal of quarry materials from a watercourse or lake is considered assessable development under state planning laws. You will need to apply for a development approval under State code 15: Removal of quarry material for a watercourse or lake.

Find out more about development applications and access the state code and guidance material.

Each month, you must advise us of the amount of quarry material, if any, that you have taken.

You may also need to pay royalties for any quarry material taken from state lands – watercourses and lakes not contained within a surveyed freehold land parcel are commonly state lands.

Concessional rates and exemptions

You are eligible for concessional rates if you remove material on behalf of a statutory body or local government. No royalties are payable if you remove material on behalf of a Queensland Government department.

In either case, you must obtain a certificate of royalty exemption from the statutory body, local government or state government department. Make sure you obtain a signed certificate, then upload it when you lodge your monthly return.

Lodging your monthly return and royalty payment

You can lodge your monthly return along with your royalty payment online.

Submit your monthly return

Note: You can also lodge your monthly return using a hard-copy form. See our lodgement and payment options for further details.

You may need to provide an operations plan along with your application to extract riverine quarry material.

We will determine if a plan is required and what information needs to be provided. Contact your local business centre before lodging your application for advice.

An operations plan is a combination of documents, sketches and drawings to explain:

• where the proposed extraction operation is to be located
• when it is to occur
• how it is to occur
• any impacts that may need to be managed
• follow-up rehabilitation required.

The type of information that may be required in an operations plan include:

• operational requirements (e.g. site access, site plan, volume and method of extraction)
• technical requirements (e.g. geomorphology and condition of the stream reach, sediment replenishment rate, hydraulic regime)
• impacts and how they will be managed (e.g. wastewater disposal, turbidity, noise, dust)
• proposed rehabilitation (e.g. timing, methods, revegetation, performance measures).