Greens and Socialists join Labor MP in push against Montrose quarry expansion

State member Aiv Puglielli urged Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to “stand up” to Boral.

Author

Matthew Sims
December 16, 2025

The Victorian left has joined the voices campaigning against Boral’s attempt to extend the lifespan and boundary of its Montrose quarry.

❓How we got here: In October, Boral announced the plans, which would increase the boundary by about 30 acres and provide access to about 26 million tonnes of rock over about 32 years.

🌳The Greens speak up: On December 3, North-Eastern Metropolitan MP Aiv Puglielli (Greens) urged Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to “stand up” to Boral and refuse the plans.

  • 🗣️“The local member [Monbulk MP Daniela De Martino] does not want the expansion,” said Puglielli. “What is the point of having a government MP if they are being ignored by their own government?”

  • Labor’s De Martino says she is “strongly opposed to the expansion of the Montrose Quarry” and is hosting a “Back off Boral” petition on her website.

“Massive scar on the edge of Mount Dandenong”: Montrose locals rebel against planned ridge impact

If approved, the project will result in the removal of about 21.7 acres of native vegetation.

🪧Local activists: Victorian Socialists North-East member Jack Gardner said the party believed the Montrose community “should make decisions about what happens in its own community”.

  • 🗣️“I think it's a classic case of a massive corporate giant just running roughshod over an entire community,” Gardner told the Eastern Melburnian.

⏭️ What’s next: The power to approve or decline the extension sits with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, with a state government spokesperson saying the proposal "will be considered on its merits".