Brandy Hill Expansion Project

Please find my submission in the attached PDF

Brandy Hill EIS response submission.

Just a brief history about myself and my family. I lived at Brandy Hill in the late 80's with my parents as a 20 year old. I moved back to Brandy Hill in 2007 (brought the house next door) to be closer to my parents. My wife and I had been trying for a child for quite some time and were finally successful in 2008. I have one daughter who is now 8 years old. I wanted to raise my child in a semi- rural environment to try and give her a traditional upbringing and which I felt would be safe next to her grandparents who are now 80 years of age.

Since moving back I have found the truck noise to be very intrusive. I am awoken at approx 0500-0515 hours every morning to the sound of trucks hammering up Brandy Hill Drive. I noted that Hanson stated that they have a 24 hour/ 7 day per week permit to undertake quarrying operations. I sourced their current council operations agreement (1920) and the original quarrying operation EIS from 1983 from Resource Planning. Reading through the dialogue from the 1983 EIS from which Port Stephens Council based their operational agreement on, it clearly states that the hours of operation as 6am-6pm Monday to Saturday (see page 69 section 6.12) . I find Hanson's statement in their EIS submission to be clearly misleading.

As s stakeholder of this area I do not understand why you would want to operate 24 hours/ 7 days a week. With close to 900 truck movements a day and 78 at night it will destroy any public amenity we have left. When contracts are on, trucks travel in convoy accentuating noise effects with no respect for resident's wellbeing. When the road is in disrepair with major potholes the noise is like a frenzied attack on your senses. You become quite aggravated that such a wonderful rural life style is being severely impacted upon by excessive noise, dust and harmful diesel fumes. When the Christmas period shutdown (when it is quiet) is on you really realise the impacts of the quarry operations.

I worry about sleep deprivation. I travel a lot for my job and undertake a lot of driving. The impacts of a good night's sleep on health are well known. Not receiving enough rest concerns me because I have a family to provide for and as stated previously I moved to this area to be close to my elderly parents and to bring up my daughter in a traditional rural setting. Under local council restrictions I cannot start my mower up before 7 am on week days and 8 am on Sundays due to respect to my neighbours rights to a quiet time for rest while this operation if it gets the go ahead 24 hours/7 days a week will be " free to do what they want".

I find the expectations of Hanson to be extremely arrogant which is evident in their EIS submission. For those individuals who would like to walk near their homes along Brandy Hill Drive, if they are game, are expected to drive to other areas such as Seaham or Medowie ( 50 minute round drive) so that they can walk in safety.

The implications seem to suggest that in the interests of Hanson's quarry operations desire for maximum profits- the residential community should align with company expectations and accept an erosion to their lifestyle/threat to human health in terms of noise, dust and toxic diesel emissions. Please see https://youtu.be/dyVBuOdEnzs There is also a concern of the real estate value of our properties because of these negative impacts.

As stated previously trucks often travel in convoy, and I am concerned about the impacts of children exiting school buses, and crossing the road. If there were to be a mishap there is no way possible that heavily laden trucks could pull up in time- it is a recipe for disaster. There are also issues with entering and leaving your property especially when you may be towing a heavy boat or caravan/horse float with trucks bearing down on you.

On closing, I thoroughly oppose this expansion. I plead with you to take a holistic view on this proposal. Martins Creeks/ Daracon want a 1.5 million tonne yearly extraction rate also and there is also the proposed Wallalong residential development which will also impact on the area in the future. I would like to think that individual community's health, amenity wellbeing, and lifestyle should mean more than greedy company profits. Why should we have to move because we are cannot sleep and are being "smashed" by trucks, dust, noise and diesel fumes? There needs to be a balance.

Please find attached submission

refer attached

See PDF attachment herewith.

Please see PDF attachment herewith.

I object to the Brandy Hill Quarry survey based on the objections outlined in the attached document.

I am registering a formal objection to the BHQ proposal, as supported by the attached submission document:
BHQ_Proposal_KitchenerD.pdf

I have major concerns regarding Brandy Hill Quarry Expansion project affecting not just the community in close proximity but the wider community.

Attached is my submission. Please contact me if you have any difficulty with the attachments.

Regards
Rhonda Docherty

Submission attached in PDF format

submission uploaded on PDF format

Attached submission document and attachments stating my major concerns regarding Brandy Hill Quarry Expansion project impacts on the surrounding community immediately impacted and the associated risks to the wider community. What happens in theory never is the reality and true cost when talking about the health and wellbeing of a community and it's people.

Please contact me on mobile 0419 998792 if you have difficulty with the attached files.

Comments are in PDF Attachment

I have attached my submission

I have attached by submission

I have attached my submission

Uploaded document.

See attached

See attached

See attached