‘Without quarry materials, there would be no roads’

“Everyone must understand that quarries must expand if we want development and a strong economy,” president of the Pancyprian association of quarries Antonis Latouros said on Monday.

“Without quarry materials, there would be no roads, ports, hospitals or houses,” he added.

He was speaking after 22 quarry companies across Cyprus halted product sales for 48 hours, in support of three quarries in Xylofagou that have been on strike since last Thursday.

The strike and sales suspension highlight a long-standing dispute over quarry expansion within the sovereign base area (SBA) in Dhekelia.

Latouros said Xylofagou operators submitted expansion applications in 2018 when their reserves were running low.

At the time, there was no policy statement for the British bases, and the applications were submitted under the old regulatory framework.

The agriculture ministry’s mines and quarries service supported their requests, urging the bases to include the expansions in new urban planning zones.

When the policy statement and updated plans were published in 2022, the requested extensions were not included.

One Xylofagou quarry has already closed, and the remaining two are expected to close within one to two months, leaving parts of Famagusta and Larnaca without local quarry materials.

Latouros warned that relying on materials transported from other provinces would increase carbon emissions, traffic and costs.

He also said the issue is repeated in other areas, such as Androlykou, potentially depleting reserves elsewhere.

The Xylofagou quarries proposed three solutions: immediate approval of the 2018 expansion request, permission to start preliminary work in the new zone under current regulations, or allocation of a new temporary site near the ceasefire line and British firing range.

The mines and quarries service confirmed it has submitted the necessary proposals to secure medium-term reserves. The association urged authorities to act immediately, citing serious risks to construction activity, employment, and the broader economy.