Bass Point Quarry

I support it

Neighbourhood Forum 5

Wollongong’s Heartland

Coniston, Figtree, Gwynneville, Keiraville, Mangerton, Mount Keira, Mount St Thomas, North Wollongong, West Wollongong, Wollongong City.



SUBMISSION from Wollongong City Neighbourhood Forum 5
to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure July 2011
Re BASS POINT QUARRY PROJECT 08_0143


Neighbourhood Forum 5 operates under the auspices of Wollongong City
Council. At its meeting of 6 July 2011, Neighbourhood Forum 5 resolved to make a
submission objecting to both the proposed lifting of a curfew on grain truck
movements to the terminal and removing the current limit of 200,000 tonnes per
annum on road haulage of grain to the Port Kembla Grain Terminal (PKGT).

Similar community based concerns are now raised by the application by
Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd (Hanson) to expand the rate of production of
its Bass Point Quarry from a present level of about 1.5 million tonnes per annum
(mtpa) to 4 mtpa over time, using both road and ship transport. The concern is
heightened at this time when the Hanson ship has ceased operation.

The withdrawal of the ship, the Claudia I, was reported by the Sun Herald on
10 July (p19) in an article "Ship out, congestion in". In summary, more than 200
extra trucks are now on Sydney inner-city roads after a ship which used to carry more
than 9000 tonnes of gravel into Sydney arbour each week was withdrawn from
service by Hanson Concrete of Glebe. The ship Claudia 1 which made three return
trips a week from the company's quarry at Bass Port to Glebe, carried 3100 tonnes per
trip. The company was reported as looking for a replacement vessel. However, it was
also noted that this could take some time.
The failure to use ship also means that there are also a further 200 extra trucks
are now on the Mount Ousley Road and other main roads, not only in Wollongong
City and Sutherland Shire, but also the City of Shellharbour.
The withdrawal of the ship, Claudia I, may raise issues of compliance with the
existing consent with any conditions on mode of transport of quarry products.
In respect of the present application Neighbourhood Forum 5 is concerned that
appropriate conditions are placed on any consent to lift extraction tonnages, with firm
conditions requiring the use of shipping to move quarry products from Bass Point to
Sydney. In addition, a limitation should be placed on the maximum tonnages that may
be moved by trucks from Bass Point to Sydney.

In this regard, we note Scenario One envisages 2.4 mtpa to be reached by
2014-15 with Scenario Two allowing up to 4 mtpa.

Despite the length of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and its Attachment
19 re Traffic and Transport matters, inadequate attention is given to current problems
with the existing road network and the cumulative impacts of more heavy trucks on
Mt Ousley and certain other Illawarra Roads. In fact, the Mt Ousley Road does not
appear to be mentioned at all. This is clearly an oversight, and the impact of extra
trucks on the Mt Ousley road should be dealt with in detail.

The total costs of any additional road transport, including those of the external
costs of the inevitable road crashes, noise and air pollution, are not mentioned.

* Coal trucks Wollongong's main roads to Port Kembla have no shortage of
coal trucks on public roads, over five million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to the Coal
Terminal, and a further 2 mtpa to the steel works.

During 2008-09 the NSW Department of Planning processed a Major Projects
application by the Port Kembla Coal Terminal (PKCT) to lift a long standing curfew
on road deliveries by coal trucks to the PKCT and to lift already high levels of road
haulage of coal of about 5 mtpa of coal to the PKCT to a maximum of 10 mtpa. The
application resulted in the Department of Planning receiving 122 written objections.
As noted by the 2009 Director-Generals Report concerned with the PKCT (p12),

"The main grounds for objection included:
- noise, road safety and driver behaviour, dust and air pollution, impact on
infrastructure and greenhouse gas emissions due to an increase in heavy traffic
movements;
- choice of road transport in preference to provision of a rail link, in particular the
completion of the Maldon-Dombarton rail line to transport coal more efficiently from
the Western Coalfield; …
- limited community consultation during the environmental assessment process."

Along with high numbers of trucks carrying coal, and trucks carrying general
freight, Wollongong roads have;

* Car imports. Here, the relevant development consent stated that by December
2011, some 20 per cent of car imports are supposed to leave Port Kembla by rail,
continue to all go by road. In

* In March 2011, the NSW Department of Planning gave conditional approval to
Stage 1 of an application (MP 08-0249) for Port Kembla Outer Harbour Expansion.

It is of note that in June 2010, the Submissions Report for the Port Kembla
Outer Harbour Expansion released by the Department of Planning included comment
by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority that after consideration of the impact of
Stage 1 Port Kembla outer harbour traffic volumes (bulk, general and limited
containers) if the predicted rail mode share could not be achieved, there would be
likely "… unacceptable impacts to road safety and traffic efficiency as well as
environmental issues such as amenity, noise and air quality."

* A recent proposal of the Port Kembla Grain terminal proposes lift a long
standing curfew (of some 25 years) and to have NO LIMIT on the amount of grain
trucks arriving at Port Kembla instead of a limit of 200,000 tonnes per annum by
road (with potential for an extra one million tonnes pa on road)
* The current application contains a proposal to put, over time, up to three
million tonnes of Quarry Products a year on Mt Ousley and other main roads.


Road Crash Risk
The Illawarra Mercury has ongoing reports of fatal crashes on the Picton and
other Highways. These reports by the Illawarra Mercury have been going on for years,
yet fatal road crashes not appear to rate a mention in the Bass Point Quarry Project
Environmental Assessment.


Road congestion
There is also the growing peak hour congestion on the Mt Ousley Road and
the freeway to Sutherland.

These busy roads have had to deal with expansion of the population of
Wollongong and Shellharbour with more people than ever commuting to Sydney for
work. Plus the start up of car-carriers in 2008 following expansion of the Inner
Harbour, and the lifting in 2009 of a long standing night etc curfew of export coal
truck movements with approval to conditional double road haulage coal from a hefty
5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to a massive 10 mtpa, the grain terminal
application and now the Bass Point Quarry Project application.


Noise
More effort should be made by NSW government authorities to reduce truck
noise, including late at night in the early hours of the morning.

The RTA notes (http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/heavyvehicles/reducingnoise.html),
"Noise from heavy vehicle engine compression brakes is a significant and on-going
cause of complaint for many NSW residents."

This website notes that a pilot fixed noise camera site was constructed at Mt
Ousley and has been operational since November 2007. Yet, truck noise has not
abated since then. There should be a demonstrable decrease in truck noise before any approval is given to allow for more heavy trucks to access Port Kembla.


Air pollution
Both diesel trucks and diesel trains are responsible for air pollution and small
particle emissions. However, to move grain, trucks use about three times more diesel
than trains to move a tonne of freight. This leads to three times the air pollution.


Road system costs
Neighbourhood Forum 5 notes that in 1990, Wollongong City Council formed
a Coal Transportation Task Force. The report of this Task Force, adopted by Council
noted, inter alia, that the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority had then suggested that an
average external cost of pavement wear and tear due to bulk haulage is 3 cents per net
tonne kilometre (see Task force praises proposed coal levy, The Advertiser, 20/6/90).


On this basis, a 80 km road haul using quarry product trucks incurs
pavement wear and tear costs of $2.40 per tonne. This does not include other costs
such as road crash risk, road congestion, noise and air pollution. Consideration should
be given to a surcharge on all additional road deliveries to the Port Kembla Grain
terminal to cover such costs.


Rail adequacy questions
When the NSW Government granted approval, c2004, for the expansion of Port
Kembla to accommodate car carriers, assurances were given that the existing road
and rail infrastructure would be adequate. However, the NSW Parliamentary State
Development Committee after conducting an Inquiry into Port Infrastructure in New
South Wales in a report released 17 June 2005 made two important recommendations:

Recommendation 12. That following the anticipated transfer of general cargo
stevedoring to Port Kembla in 2006, the NSW Government re-examine the freight task
out of Port Kembla to ensure that the anticipated increase in freight traffic is
supported by the necessary improvements in road and rail infrastructure.

Recommendation 13. That the NSW Government consider the feasibility of expanding
rail infrastructure into Port Kembla, including consideration of the Maldon to
Dombarton line, in conjunction with the AusLink program.


Encouraging coastal shipping
Getting expanded output from Bass Point Quarry onto coastal ships has not
really been addressed in the Environmental Assessment and to achieve this may
require a much more interventionist approach by the NSW government. So also may
getting the present output from the Bass Point Quarry back onto coastal shipping.


Recommendations

The present proposal to lift production of Bass Point Quarry with inadequate
consideration of transport proposals suggests that it be withdrawn, revised with a full
discussion of transport options and impacts and resubmitted later. The new version
should include detailed consideration of all cumulative impacts, together with
consideration given to:

a. A nominated maximum tonnage of quarry products by road (no more than the existing amount (with a ship operating) of 1,000,000 tonnes per annum).
b. An estimate of all of the external costs of any quarry product movements from Bass Point to Sydney by road.
c. A code of conduct for Quarry Products drivers (as per coal truck drivers).
d. An outline of measures to encourage more Bass Point Quarry Products onto coastal shipping or rail. These should include a surcharge on road deliveries to cover all external costs.
e. Referring the application to the Planning and Assessment Commission, and holding Public Hearings.

I have significant concerns about the impact the additional impacts the proposal will have on road safety & amenity for Shell Cove residents. I disagree with the following statement:

"The above listed current vehicle generation effects are best described as representing low traffic activity levels that can be readily absorbed with negligible impact by the surrounding road and land use environs with regard traffic flow efficiency, road safety and residential amenity considerations."

As a resident of (previously) Hicks Terrace and (currently) Gore Avenue I can state with certainity that the current impact on noise, amenity and road safety is more than "low". The proposed expansion of quarry operations will only exacerbate this problem.

I also believe that the impact heavy vehicles have on the condition of the road condition (particularly Shellharbour Road) is significant and should be given further consideration.

I object to the application on the following grounds:

1. There 'will' be a significant increase in vehicles accessing the quarry. By my calculations an increase of 50%. Not only will this increase traffic within Shell Cove and surrounds but also on the already congested Princes Highway through Albion Park Rail and Mt Ousley Road.

3. The residents will have to live with additional noise generated from truck movements.

2. There is a decrease in the percentage of material sent by ship. Considering the amount of material that is planned to be extracted in the coming years, with an estimated value of 2 billion dollars then the company should consider additional shipping movements or invest in a larger ship to transport more material by sea rather than road.

I object to the expansion of Bass Point Quarry Application Number 08_0143. I object on the followings grounds,

Noise issues - Noise from the increased truck movements (from 900,000 tonnes to 3 million tones, this is a massive increase of truck movements) along the Quarry Road and Shellharbour Road.

Health issues - sleep disturbance for residents that live next to and near the quarry road because of the truck noise during the night. Other health potential issues for residents that live next to and near the quarry road are headaches, ear pressure, and high blood pressure and worry (possible mental issues).

Traffic Issues - intersection of Shellharbour Road and quarry road can’t handle the increased traffic, trucks to carry 3 million tones of quarry material.

Social impact - Property vales will plummet, do you want to live next to non stop truck noise 24 hours, 7 days a week 365 days a year?

The residents that live near quarry haul road have been sold a lie by the developer of Shell Cove and the Quarry operator (HANSON). I was advised by Shell Cove Real Estate that the quarry would close in 15 years max back in 2005 when I enquired and purchase a block of land a street away from the quarry road. I was told by Shell Cove Real Estate that the quarry ship's the quarry material at night and then by truck during the day. I asked about the wall and the noise, I asked if there were any special requirements like double glaze windows etc – I was told not to worry about noise as it will be non existent soon and the truck noise is just during day.

I live on Stradbroke Ave Shell Cove and can clearly hear the noise from the trucks going up and down the quarry road during the night, and more noise when the trucks stop coming out of the quarry road and move onto Shellharbour Road. The truck noise is loud enough to disturb your sleep. My daughter wakes up regular during the night to the sound of truck roaring up and down the quarry road.

I have not complained to the quarry operator about the truck noise, because I told by another resident that nothing will be done, as they had complained previous. The quarry operator advised the resident that we (the residents) all new that the quarry was there first and about operating hours, noise etc.

The noise from the truck movements isn’t police now either day or night (The night time noise doesn’t comply with DECCW’s night time guidelines now as per the noise report prepared by Heggies). How will NSW department of planning or Hanson, police the noise from the trucks if the proposed quarry is approved?

The quarry operator (Hanson) needs to found another solution other moving the material by truck.

The truck movements and noise isn’t police now, what chance do I have in the future? Sell my house? Do you what to buy my house knowing that you will not be able to sleep at night? Please stop this development or amend it so that we the residents will be able to have a good night sleep in the future.

The current rules concerning noise restrictions need to be addressed by quarry operator (Hanson) priory to any proposed expansion.

My questions to the quarry operator HANSON and the planning department are,

How will the noise, truck movements going to policed?

Is there noise management plan?

How much noise is too much for a residental area?

Are homes going to sound proofing next to and near the noise wall?

What other measure’s are being taken to reduce the noise in what is now a major residential area .

What happens to property vales if they plummet because of the development?

Is the intersection of Shellharbour Road and the quarry road going to be fixed to handle the current truck traffic and what are the plans if the quarry is approved?

The possible health issues sleep disturbance, headaches, ear pressure and the worry (possible mental issues) from not being able to sell you home because of the proposed development

The planning dept should reject the current plans, the quarry needs to go back to the drawing board and find a better way to ship the quarry material and address the current noise concerns prior to any expansion.

refer attached

Please see attached.