TWEED Shire Council is opposing plans to increase truck movements in and out of a Chinderah sand quarry following concerns over increased traffic on Tweed Coast Rd.

Tweed Sand Quarry has applied with the Department of Planning and Environment to increase its original development application from 10 trucks an hour to 18 trucks an hour.

The additional number means 36 separate truck movements would occur on Tweed Coast Rd, Chinderah, each hour.

The council voted 4-3 on Thursday in favour of its submission to the government that the modification should not be approved.

"I don't think it's appropriate, Tweed Coast Rd is already highly congested,” Mayor Katie Milne said on Thursday.

"We have a submission to get (Tweed Coast Rd) updated to four lanes but we haven't gotten the funding yet.”

If the modification is approved, the council has provided conditions it would like met, including consideration of carbon emissions, testing of the surrounding aquatic environment and consultation with cane growers. The council will also request the applicant defer any increase in truck movements until Tweed Coast Rd is expanded to four lanes.

"This is a national iconic landscape and this is in the middle of our community area,” Cr Milne said.

"We need to make the government realise that this is a really significant fragile area. The water quality and Tweed environment area needs to be preserved.”