The Liberal government will not allow any development of the Stevens Quarry over the next four years, says Energy, Mines and Resources Minister John Streicker.

He issued the statement last Thursday afternoon in response to a query from the Star.

The statement confirms a Liberal promise made during the recent election campaign to residents of the Lake Laberge riding.

During the campaign, Liberal candidate Tracey Jacobs provided voters with a one-page paper outlining the party’s position on three issues.

The position paper was also signed by Ranj Pillai, the Liberal candidate for Porter Creek South and the former minister of Energy, Mines and Resources.

The paper laid out the Liberals’ position on the Stevens Quarry, development permits on agricultural land and Shallow Bay zoning.

“I will maintain the administrative hold that is currently in place on Stevens Quarry,” Streicker said in his statement to the Star.

“It will not be developed during our current mandate. In my new role as minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, I look forward to continuing dialogue with residents and First Nations about this area.”

The Stevens Quarry is one of the largest, if not the largest, untapped gravel deposits in the city. The site is located between the Alaska Highway and the Takhini River, just west of the North Klondike Highway and Alaska Highway intersection.

Some companies have argued the quarry needs to be opened up to provide gravel in close proximity to development, particularly in Whistle Bend, at a reasonable price.

The former Yukon Party government proposed to go ahead with development of the quarry in 2012.

The Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board recommended the project be permitted, but also recommended the quarry be developed in stages rather than all at once.

The government did not pursue development.

Norcope Construction submitted a proposal to the assessment board last July to open up a section of the quarry.

After the application was filed, the government filed a notice with the assessment board that it would not be accepting any land use applications for the Stevens Quarry site.

The assessment went forward, as it’s the board’s obligation to process proposals it receives.

The assessment board recommended approval of the project.

The Yukon government accepted the recommendation, as it is required under the assessment process to make a decision.