Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project

Please find attached letter opposing the Bluestone quarry. Baseline data and ongoing monitoring are of major concern.
As our property is directly opposite the applicate I have significant concerns for water which is harvested from our roof. I would suggest that additional filtration be provided for our water supply. Air quality data is modelled from Cessnock Airport and is not relevant to us.
Community consultation was poor and occurred in hours not considerate of local residents. A local town Hall featured over two hundred locals which far surpass the local consulting period.
Overall community engagement was poor and haphazard.
A detailed outline of my objection is enclosed in the attachment.

I write in support of the proposed Bluestone Hardrock State Significant Development (SSD) quarry and respectfully encourage its approval.

New South Wales continues to experience significant population growth, particularly throughout the Hunter Region, bringing with it an increasing demand for housing, transport infrastructure, renewable energy projects, industrial development and essential public infrastructure. Every new home, school, hospital, road, bridge and utility relies on a secure and affordable supply of construction materials.

Hard rock quarry products are not optional resources—they are fundamental to the delivery of modern communities. Crushed rock is required for concrete, asphalt, road construction, drainage, rail infrastructure and countless other applications. Without locally available quarry products, communities face increased construction costs, delays to essential infrastructure projects and greater reliance on transporting materials over long distances.

The Bluestone Hardrock quarry represents an important opportunity to provide a reliable, long-term source of high-quality construction materials for the Hunter Region. A local supply reduces transport distances, lowers freight costs, improves supply chain resilience and assists in maintaining competitive pricing across the construction industry.

A key consideration when assessing quarry developments is that quarries cannot simply be established wherever it is convenient. Unlike many other industries, extractive industries are entirely dependent on the location of the natural resource. High-quality hard rock suitable for construction exists only where geological processes have created it over millions of years. If the resource is not developed where it naturally occurs, it cannot be relocated to another site.

This means planning decisions should recognise the strategic importance of protecting and responsibly developing identified construction material resources. Rejecting a suitable quarry proposal does not remove the community's need for construction materials—it simply shifts production further away, increasing transport distances, heavy vehicle movements, fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately the cost of building homes and infrastructure. Locating quarries as close as practical to the markets they serve is both an economic and environmental benefit.

The economic benefits extend well beyond the quarry itself. The project will generate direct employment through quarry operations, maintenance, environmental management, administration and logistics. It will also support numerous indirect jobs across transport, equipment servicing, engineering, civil construction, manufacturing and professional services. Most importantly, the availability of competitively priced construction materials enables the broader construction industry to continue building homes, commercial developments and public infrastructure, sustaining thousands of additional jobs throughout the region.

Like any industrial development, quarrying has the potential to create impacts such as noise, dust, traffic and visual change. However, modern quarry operations are highly regulated and operate under comprehensive environmental management systems designed to identify, monitor and minimise these impacts.

It is also important to recognise that construction materials must come from somewhere. If local resources are not developed, the demand for aggregate does not disappear—it is simply sourced from more distant quarries. This results in increased transport costs, more truck movements across regional road networks, higher emissions and increased costs that are ultimately borne by home buyers, businesses and taxpayers.

The Bluestone Hardrock quarry has the potential to become an important long-term supplier of construction materials that will underpin regional growth for decades. The project represents an investment not only in local employment but also in the continued delivery of housing, roads, renewable energy infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other community facilities throughout the Hunter Region.

While environmental and community impacts must always be carefully considered, the planning process provides robust mechanisms to ensure appropriate mitigation measures are implemented, monitored and continually improved. With effective management and regulatory oversight, these impacts can be minimised to acceptable levels while delivering substantial public benefits.

For these reasons, I strongly support the approval of the Bluestone Hardrock SSD quarry. The project will provide essential construction materials, create local employment, support the wider construction industry, strengthen the regional economy and contribute to the sustainable growth of our communities.

Submission of Objection
Attn: Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

Project Name: Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project

Application Number: SSD-76210271

Dear Assessment Officer,

I am writing to formally declare my strong objection to the proposed Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project at Elderslie. As a resident of this rural community, I believe that extracting up to 1 million tonnes of hard rock per annum for 30 years will fundamentally disrupt our community's safety, tank water supply, biodiversity, and local infrastructure.

My specific grounds for objection are outlined below:

1. Severe Haulage Risks and Critical School Bus Safety Window
The proposal to route heavy haulage trucks along Springvale Road, Stanhope Road, and Elderslie Road is entirely unsuited for our local road network and presents an unacceptable safety hazard to local children.

School Bus Vulnerability: There are four school buses operating on these specific country roads every weekday during school terms. Forcing massive "truck and dog" configurations to share these narrow corridors with frequent-stop school buses presents an extreme safety hazard.

Conflict Windows: The project's heavy transport movements will directly conflict with children boarding and exiting school buses during the peak weekday windows:

Morning Peak: 7:30 am to 8:30 am

Afternoon Peak: 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm

Personal Impact: My grandchildren regularly board the bus on Elderslie Road during these exact hours, and I am deeply concerned for their physical safety.

Road Infrastructure & Bridge Bottleneck: These winding rural roads lack appropriate shoulders, overtaking lanes, or dedicated school bus bays. Furthermore, the historic, heritage-listed Elderslie Bridge (built in 1890) creates a major single-lane structural bottleneck. Navigating this crossing alongside heavy industrial haulage vehicles introduces an entirely avoidable risk to life for local students.

2. Tank Water Contamination and Air Quality
Elderslie is a rural community without town water infrastructure; residents rely entirely on rooftop rainwater harvesting for our drinking and household supply.

Dust Deposition: The mechanical processes of drilling, blasting, and crushing 1 million tonnes of rock annually will inevitably generate significant quantities of fine dust.

Public Health Risks: Wind-blown particulate matter will settle on residential roofs, directly contaminating our primary source of drinking water with toxic sediment and creating a severe long-term public health risk.

3. Noise, Blasting, and Loss of Rural Character
The tranquil, rural lifestyle is the primary reason residents choose to live and invest in Elderslie.

Industrial Noise: Introducing heavy machinery, rock crushing, and regular explosive blasting will completely shatter the ambient peace of the area.

Blasting Impacts: Regular blasting presents a direct risk of structural vibration damage to nearby rural properties, livestock distress, and disruptions to the local Elderslie Airport operations.

4. Destruction of Critical Biodiversity
The development footprint spans over 63 hectares, directly threatening Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).

Ecosystem Loss: The site clearing will permanently destroy sections of the critically endangered Central Hunter Valley eucalypt forest and woodland ecological community.

Threatened Species: The project directly impacts critical foraging habitats for vulnerable species, including the Large-eared Pied Bat, which cannot easily relocate to other fragmented pockets of land.

Conclusion
This project shifts the heavy environmental and safety burdens entirely onto a quiet rural community while providing minimal long-term benefit to local residents. The adverse impacts on our roads, children's safety, public health, and environment far outweigh the economic arguments presented by the proponent.

A similar precedent was recently upheld in the NSW Land and Environment Court regarding the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion, where a project was refused primarily due to the clear, unacceptable traffic, safety, and social impacts on a rural community. I urge the Department to similarly refuse consent for the Bluestone Hardrock Quarry.

Thank you for considering this submission. I request that my personal details be kept confidential.

Sincerely,

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing on behalf of Olympic Fencing NSW P/L in support of the proposed Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry at Elderslie.
Olympic Fencing employs 55 people across multiple locations throughout Australia and works on projects across the residential, commercial, industrial and government sectors.
Our business is closely tied to the construction industry. From new housing developments through to major government-funded infrastructure projects, we see first-hand the level of construction activity taking place throughout the Hunter Valley.
For businesses like ours, confidence in the future of the construction industry is important. A secure and reliable supply of construction materials gives developers and contractors the confidence to keep projects moving, which in turn provides certainty for businesses like ours to continue employing people and investing in the future.
We understand that major developments can raise concerns within the community, and we believe those concerns should continue to be addressed through the planning process and the conditions placed on any approval.
From our perspective, projects like the Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry are an important part of supporting the Hunter's continued growth. They help provide the materials needed to deliver homes, industrial developments and infrastructure, while supporting local jobs and businesses throughout the supply chain.
For these reasons, Olympic Fencing supports the approval of the Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry.
Thank you for considering our submission.
Yours faithfully,
Graham Braithwaite
Managing Director
Olympic Fencing NSW P/L

Having the option to be able to source aggregates, road base and manuafactured sand from different local quarries keeps us in a better position to have our yard continuously stocked and keep up with our customers demands. Helps us as a business to remain price competitive as we are not travelling as far and can keep our transport costs lower. It also helps to keep the money in our own region.

I have been fortunate to have knowledge of this State Significant Development proposal and would like to express my support for the proposed Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry.
As a local builder and developer operating in the Singleton and Hunter Valley region, I have experienced ongoing challenges over recent years in obtaining sufficient quantities of quarry materials for residential construction projects. Material availability has at times impacted project schedules, site preparation work for the foundation of construction, and overall project delivery and costs.
The proposed Bluestone Quarry would provide an additional local source of quality construction materials to support the growing demand for housing, infrastructure and civil works throughout the region. Greater competition and increased supply capacity are likely to improve the reliability and availability of quarry products for local businesses and contractors.
A significant benefit of the proposal is the reduced transport distance compared with sourcing material from more distant locations. This has the potential to reduce freight costs, lower construction costs for consumers, and decrease fuel consumption and associated vehicle emissions. Having a local supply source is both an economic and environmental advantage for the region.
The project would also support local employment and contribute positively to the regional economy. In addition to direct jobs created by the quarry itself, there would be flow-on benefits for local transport operators, mechanics, equipment suppliers, fuel providers, contractors, and many other supporting businesses. These economic benefits are likely to be felt throughout the wider community.
In summary, I strongly support the Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry proposal. I believe developments such as this are important for maintaining a reliable supply of essential construction materials, supporting local employment, reducing construction costs, and helping to meet the ongoing demand for housing and infrastructure within the Hunter Valley region.
Yours faithfully,
Andrew McIntosh
Director
Hunter Prestige Homes Pty Ltd
Singleton NSW

To Whom It May Concern,
Re: Support for the Proposed Bluestone Hardrock Quarry – Stanhope, NSW
I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed Bluestone Hardrock Quarry development at Stanhope near Singleton.
As a local carpenter and concretor working for Hunter Prestige Homes throughout Singleton, the Hunter Valley, and surrounding areas, I regularly rely on quarry products including road base, aggregates, drainage materials, and crushed rock for construction projects.
The proposed quarry is important for several reasons.
Firstly, the closure of existing local quarries, including Alandale in the very near future , is creating concern regarding the future supply of quality quarry materials within our region. As local sources become unavailable, contractors are forced to source materials from greater distances, increasing transport costs, project costs, fuel consumption, and delivery times.
Secondly, the availability of affordable quarry products is critical for the construction industry. Every residential, commercial, civil, and infrastructure project requires quarry materials. Increased haulage distances directly increase the cost of housing, roads, subdivisions, concrete works, and public infrastructure. These additional costs are ultimately passed on to homeowners, businesses, developers, and government projects.
The Bluestone Hardrock Quarry would provide a reliable local source of essential construction materials and help maintain competitive pricing for the building industry throughout the Hunter region. This is especially important given ongoing demand for housing and infrastructure growth.
The project would also provide economic benefits for the local community through employment opportunities, support for transport and haulage businesses, contractor engagement, and increased economic activity within the region.
From my experience in the construction industry, access to local quarry materials is essential to keeping projects viable and ensuring businesses can continue to operate efficiently. Without replacement quarry capacity in the area, local businesses will face higher operating costs and potential supply constraints.
For these reasons, I strongly support the approval of the proposed Bluestone Hardrock Quarry at Stanhope and believe it will provide long-term benefits to the construction industry, local businesses, workers, and the wider Hunter Valley community.
Ryan Thomas Fletcher

As a local developer in the Maitland - Singleton & Cessnock LGA areas, we want to support the Bluestone Hardrock Quarry development as it would be very beneficial for the Maitland, Singleton & Cessnock areas as there is only one other Quarry in those areas which is currently under the pump for the supply of road base materials and concrete aggregates for construction projects.

I strongly object to the proposed project know as Bluestone Hardrock Quarry at Stanhope NSW.

I am a resident of the part of Stanhope which is located on the eastern side of Mt Tangory. When we purchased our property 20 years ago, we looked forward to peace and quiet in the middle of nowhere and over the years we learned about the unique microclimate that enables vulnerable and endangered flora and fauna to call Mt Durham and Mt Tangory home. Just to name a few: powerful owl, yellow bellied glider, quoll and all the other amazing wildlife we come across daily, birds, mammals, insects and reptiles alike. The southern myotis is not the only threatened animal around here, therefore the Biodiversity Assessment is vague and insulting. I read that 20 hollow bearing trees will be spared from felling, do they honestly believe that any hollow dwelling animals are going to raise their babies amidst the proposed excavating, drilling and blasting? This is nonsense and patronising; we can all say goodbye to the Tangory Nature Reserve as there won’t be any wildlife left to see or hear, the bush will go silent.

The late Great Greta Coal Mine destroyed the creek bed of a nearby creek which altered the watercourse, I am wondering what the quarry is going to destroy. I do not believe that every precaution will be taken to stop something like that from happening, after all, mining companies do not care if operations go wrong. They care about profit as portrayed in the numerous articles I have read in the media about mining companies destroying first and then shrugging shoulders next. The amount of rock they propose to extract is preposterous, it will forever alter the environment.

The Traffic Assessment is vague as well, they make it sound like Stanhope Road, Elderslie Bridge and Elderslie Road can support 110 laden trucks per day. These are country roads which often have potholes as big as my car due to poor maintenance of poorly built roads. The roads track over long, sometimes steep hills which will cause delays for other road users, excessive smelly exhaust production, noise and even bigger potholes. Can’t wait for an East Coast Low to show up, these weather systems produce phenomenal amounts of rain, damaging roads with bad drainage. The trucks will only add to the destruction of our fragile infrastructure which means that we, the rates payers, have to pay for the repairs done by Council. Unacceptable.

The Noise and Vibration Assessments sound peachy too, whoever has prepared this should come and visit when the Hunter Valley coal mines are blasting or when the army is training at the Singleton Army Camp. Although quite a long way away, my house shakes on its foundations, and we are on the eastern side of Mt Tangory which should in principle protect us from the vibration. No such thing, I can just imagine when the quarry starts drilling and blasting. I may only hope that Bluestone is going to pay for the damage to my house.

Only 15 full time jobs and of course, the haulage contractors who may or may not live in the area, most likely more exhaust pumped into the atmosphere. Another assessment states that the quarry will provide more trade for local businesses, does that mean that the truck drivers are going to stop for a pie at the local bakery? I don’t think so. Again, nonsense. No real economic impact to speak off.

The application states that the quarry is necessary for the supply of gravel and aggregate to build roads and concrete housing. To me it looks like there is no shortage of gravel and aggregate if you look at, for example, the developments in Huntlee, Aberglasslyn and Thornton where massive concrete jungles were established in just a few years. I don’t think it is necessary that we residents who live in the vicinity of the quarry and along the truck route will be forced to put up with noise, dust, air pollution, traffic nuisances and the destruction of our beloved area for the sake of profit. I truly hope that the Government will choose to protect us citizens and most of all protect the precious and unique environment we live in.

Thank you, with kind regards.

Submission attached.

To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing on behalf of Fenech Demolition in support of the proposed Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry at Elderslie.
Our business has been operating in the Hunter Valley construction industry for more than 20 years. We are a family-owned business that employs local people and works on demolition and site preparation projects across the region.
Demolition is often the first step before new homes, industrial buildings, commercial developments and public infrastructure can be built. We have seen first-hand the amount of development taking place throughout the Hunter and the demand for new projects continues to grow.
From our experience, every construction project creates work well beyond the building site. It supports local transport companies, machinery operators, suppliers, trades and many other small businesses that rely on a steady pipeline of work to keep local people employed.
We understand that large developments can raise concerns within the community. We believe those concerns should be properly managed through the planning process and the conditions placed on any approval.
In our view, the Bluestone Hard Rock Quarry will help support the long-term growth of the Hunter Valley by providing the materials needed for future development while supporting local jobs and local businesses.
Thank you for considering our submission.
Yours faithfully,
Julian Fenech
Director
Fenech Demolition Pty Ltd

Hi, Please find attached our objection to this proposal.

This will be great for the area, it will create jobs in the area, which will be great for all the local business in the surrounding areas as well

I strongly object to the Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project in its current proposal. My objection is based on the use of Elderslie Road by vast quantities of massive and heavy trucks. This is a residential road, designed and built for civilian and farming traffic. It is used by residents to get to the Hunter Expressway, to get into Branxton, or to the shopping district of Huntlee. It is also used by tourists to access the wineries such as Pierre's Wines. It is used by school buses with children standing on the edge of the road waiting for the bus. Turning right out of my street, Radford Parkway, onto Elderslie Road towards Branxton, already requires extreme caution due to approaching traffic from the left suddenly appearing at 80 kmh over the crest of a hill. There would only be 100 meters of room for the traffic to slow down if I have already started to make my turn and they appear. This corner and no doubt many others on Elderslie Road would not be able to be used safely if heavy haulage trucks are barreling towards civilian traffic at 80 kmh. The volume and weight of the trucks will destroy the road surface making it even more dangerous for residents to use. Elderslie bridge is a single lane bridge not engineered for use by heavy haulage trucks numbering in their hundreds per day. Turning into or out of Elderslie Road from the hundreds of roads that lead onto it will become exponentially dangerous due to the number of trucks their speed and their weight. I would like to see an alternative purpose built road, not in a residential area, for the quarry trucks to use.

I am a professional consultant currently working at Wedgetail. I have worked within the Hunter Valley for over 20 years providing professional consulting services in planning and ecology. Wedgetail employs 25 staff providing both ecology and planning approvals advice to private and government entities. I have through my employment at Wedgetail provided both ecology and planning advice to the proponent of the Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project.

I support responsible development of the State's natural resources, recognising the significant benefit these projects provide to both the industry I work within and the communities that both myself, my colleagues and our families live. These benefits stem from the economic boost to consulting services and biodiversity offsets of which I directly benefit, it provides employment directly and indirectly that support the services and amenity both myself and my colleagues take for granted. In addition, the products the quarry produce provide a critical component to concrete and aggregate for houses, roads and infrastructure of which are essential to a thriving community.

With suitable conditions and a responsible operator I think the Bluestone Hardrock quarry can provide a significant contribution to the local community and New South Wales.

To Whom it may Concern,
The Bluestone Hardrock Quarry project has my full support! I am and have been part of the building and construction industry for the past 25 years. The community and the and the Hunter region seriously needs this project to succeed. In the last three years we have seen unprecedented rising costs in the building industry. Majority being material costs, government fees and charges and recently fuel costs. All these costs typically put a strain on the building industry and eventually finds its way to being absorbed by the end user, the public! Housing is apparently at an all time shortage whilst being unaffordable. By moving forward with the Bluestone Hardrock Quarry Project it would help to streamline the logistics and reduce the economic impact on the local and wider community.
The location of the proposed quarry is relatively close to the processing plants which would use the stone for manufacturing of concrete. It would also be used on local roads. It would be absurd to freight blue stone from greater distances when it can be sourced locally.
From my understanding one of the major resistance to this project is the projected increase in traffic (heavy vehicles.)
This in fact is a complete miss understanding of the logistics and the process involved to getting the stone to the end user.
The actual fact is the same amount of product would be sourced however it would be now locally and therefore reducing the distances the raw product is being transported . The transport of the product becomes more efficient and fewer trucks would be required on the road for shorter periods of time.
Another complaint towards this project going ahead has been the environmental impact. Where the proposed quarry is located would be well suited to that development. The country is overgrown with invasive species and it is also starved and depleted of nutrients. It is not prime agricultural land!
You would be naive and foolish to think you don't need quarries. A quarry is the start to the building blocks of forming a community, landscape and infrastructure. If a community wants to prosper and succeed then we need to come together and allow these types of projects to move forward or we will end up going from a lucky country to a third world country in a very short space of time.
Thanks Regards,
Warrick.

I have worked in the engineering industry in the Hunter Valley for over 30 years and in that time have seen a decline in availability of quality quarry rock for road pavements. Given the forecast housing development in the lower Hunter Valley over the next 30 years this project represents a vital part of ensuring future government and council road infrastructure and housing targets are met. Its central location in Branxton and close proximity to the Hunter Valley Expressway is ideal. I note the proposed traffic route does not pass through significant urban development unlike other recent local projects. This project should be supported as it will provide long term economic benefit to the Hunter Region at a time when the mining industry is shrinking.

AcroCert Pty Ltd is pleased to provide this letter in support of the proposed Bluestone Hardrock
Quarry currently under assessment.
AcroCert is a locally owned building certification company based in Maitland, providing building
certification and regulatory services throughout the Hunter Region for over 20 years. We currently
employ 22 staff and work closely with builders, developers, consultants and homeowners across a
broad range of residential, commercial and industrial projects.
Housing growth is fundamental to our business. As building certifiers, much of the work we undertake
is directly linked to the delivery of new homes and residential communities. We see first-hand the
demand for housing across the Hunter Region, and understand the importance of increasing housing
supply to help address the well-publicised housing shortage throughout NSW.
As a business that works across the construction industry every day, we understand that new housing
and infrastructure cannot be delivered without access to the resources required to build them. A
reliable supply of locally sourced quarry materials is fundamental to the delivery of new homes, roads
and other essential infrastructure. Maintaining that supply helps reduce transport costs, minimise
delays and ensures development can continue to meet the needs of our growing communities.
For these reasons, AcroCert supports the proposed Bluestone Hardrock Quarry. We believe projects
such as this will play an important role in ensuring the Hunter Region has access to the resources
needed to support sustainable growth and help address the increasing demand for housing.

To whom it may concern,
We are a local earthmoving business that has been operating throughout the Hunter Valley for over 30 years and currently employs 9 local people.
Over the years, we've worked on roads, subdivisions, industrial developments, farm work and general earthworks. All of these projects rely on a steady supply of quality quarry materials.
The Hunter continues to grow, so does the need for construction materials. Without local quarries, materials have to be sourced from areas further away, adding to delivery costs and delays in projects.
Projects like this will help keep local contractors like us, truck drivers, mechanics, concrete suppliers and many other local businesses working. Small businesses rely on a steady pipeline of work to keep local people employed.
After 30 years in the industry, I believe the quarry is important for the future growth of the Hunter Valley and the many local businesses and families that depend on the construction industry.
Thank you for considering my submission.
Yours sincerely
Greg Mexon