The Gunlake Quarry Continuation Project

Gunlake are seeking approval for 750 truck movements per day ( 375 each way ). Gunlake current movements according to their website are about 220 per day ( 110 each way ). This is approximately a 400% increase in truck movements. The Hume Highway between Marulan and Sydney is already very heavy with truck transport.
Gunlake were required to do a complete study of a rail option. I can see no mention of this in the EIS and other documents on exhibition? This needs to be fully assessed.
Gunlake were required to do major upgrades to the primary haul route.
Gunlake were required to undertake comprehensive community consultation in preparing the EIS. There has been none as far as I'm aware.

I object to the Gunlake Quarry Project SSD-12469087 and have attached a supporting document outlining the details of my objection which are in summary:
Gunlake should use rail not more trucks because of road safety and multiple crash risk, increased emissions, extended travel times on local roads and Hume Hwy, local property devaluation.

In principle my foamily support the Project BUT as Gunlake already know as we have had correspondence with them before, our MAJOR concern is still the amount of truck movements along Brayton Road, generally, directly past our property!
We have asked numerois times with no real answer WHY Ambrose road is not used for truck transport one hundred percent for truck transport north bound? There is no reason for and heavy vehicles to go past our property travelling north, all trucks can use Ambrose Road by turning left from the Highway by passing Marulan or if they need fuel or food from Marulan, still turn left out of Marulan, travel north, past the weighbridge,then one kilometer up the road turn left onto Red Hills Road / Ambrose Road bypassing all the properties on Brayton Road in Marulan.
We were told by Gunlake that Ambrose Road was built by the company for this reason, but trucks still do not use the road exclusivly for north bouthbound as they should.
Again, going south towards Goulburn is a different story but that being said, why is a turn right and merging lane built at the intersection of Ambrose / Red Hills Road / Hume Highway ? We are told it too dangerous but the Quarry at Carrick "Divals" has that ability turn right or left and it is safe enough??
If that was the case all trucks from all the mines north of Ambrose could use it thus no trucks going through Marulan, a lot safer for residents.
All trucks would then have to go through the weighbridges north and south, what's wrong with that as we are all about safety ???
I would like an explanation of why that right hand turn, merge lans cannot be construsted? it cant be the cost really??

The increase in the use of the roads could be dramatically reduced if a condition of consent was to require that the quarry's products be transported by rail.

I am very concerned about the increase of B-double trucks on Brayton road and also on the Hume Highway which is already congested with trucks. The noise and fuel pollution from them will be greatly increased. Noise and dust pollution from extended quarrying will also increase. We live in the country for peace and quiet and clean air. This is being eroded. Brayton Road is a school bus run and all these trucks make it dangerous for school children and their families. There are always dead animals lying beside the road and their number will increase. Gunlake was offered the use of the rail line developed by Holcim if they added an extra section. I see this as being an ideal solution. Thank you.

As the owner of two agricultural properties in the area we have concerns about the impact resulting from:
1.Increased traffic regarding noise and safety issues
2.Increased road usage leading to damage to the roads

* Increased trucks will cause delays. Cars can drive from the quarry to Hume Highway in 5 minutes, trucks take 8 minutes. Gunlake can dispatch a truck every 1.5 minutes. So regularly cars will crawl behind trucks for the 8km trip.
* Increased trucks will multiply crash risk. Gunlake, recognising this, are advocating a speed limit reduction from 100 to 80kph but no upgraded intersections or overtaking lanes.
* Increased trucks will impact property values. Nobody wants to drive home on a quarry haul road with those problems plus emissions, dust etc..
* Gunlake started just over 10 years ago with approval for average 100 truck movements per day (50 each direction). Gunlake continue to keep getting approval for more trucks – now seeking up to 750 a day—When will it stop?
* Gunlake will be larger than Boral Peppertree Quarry and slightly smaller than Holcim Lynwood Quarry. These quarries transport virtually all their product by rail.

: I object to the Quarry products being transported by truck rather than by rail.

750 truck and dog movements per day operating 24 hours per day is ludicrous. I frequently use part of the haulage route and the current situation with the number of trucks is dangerous. Adding more trucks onto the road will just make a bad situation worse. I would suggest a better planning outcome would be to transport the majority of the rock by rail just like the two other quarries in the area.

Camsons supports the project because the Gunlake organization is a well respected and compliant company that cares about the community. Gunlake operates and safe and affective quarry that provide the construction industry with much needed metatrails in a safe and efficient manner.

There is too much truck traffic already on that road, it disrupts the country community. The expansion should utilise rail, not more trucks

Other Quarries in the area are using Rail more than Trucks, which keeps the Community happier, Traffic safer with less Accidents & Pollution.
Not forgetting protecting more of our Wildlife with less vehicles on the Road!
Property's with increased Traffic will also impact Peoples homes with more noise & Under Value properties as well.
Quarries need to be mindful in over expanding their Company at the cost of others Health & the Village atmosphere in small Towns!

The reason why I support this project is because the Marulan and surround communities will benefit due to more jobs and more money being spent in these local communities. Gunlake already supports the local community and will do into the future. Yes there will be more trucks on the road but only on the primary route ( red hill rd ) which the Gunlake company built to keep trucks out of Marulan. The positives far out way the negatives and I hope you see this and approve the continuation project for Gunlake Quarries.

I believe it is a necessity for this project to happen, with the decreasing access to materials to Sydney and the Southern Highlands and an increasing demand, it makes sense to increase an existing resource rather than allowing more operations to open up, or having to travel further to get the extra materials required. Traveling further only puts more "truck hours" on the road network. I believe the current infrastructure that Gunlake have built in terms of road widening and haul road directly to HWY make its impact on the local area minimal.

The additional truck movements will make access to and use of the Hume Highway not viable. Any maintenance works on the Highway limiting it to a single lane will result in massive back ups. The space between trucks will be insufficient to allow crash avoidance. The statistics from the Marulan overhead cameras are available to prove these statements. Apart from this project there will be additional trucks resulting from the sand mine at Sutton Forest and the new adjacent quarry to Gunlake.
Rail transport is the only solution - if Gunlake want the additional profits they have to pay the additional costs - not the residents.

I operate a bulk haulage company and have been both a customer and a contractor for Gunlake Quarries since the project started in Marulan NSW.
I believe the Quarry provides great employment opportunities and financial benefits for the surrounding district and this will only be enhanced by the approval of the project into the future.
In my opinion the location of the quarry is ideally suited for the supply of quarry products into Sydney, Canberra and all surrounding areas. With minimal impact to the community on any of the road transport routes used for this supply.

I Support this project as a carter into Sydney and a Supplier for all Major government projects.

See attached submission.

I am concerned by the limited amount of public consultation made by Gunlake in connection with this EIS.

They have conducted a survey by telephone by a consultant in Brisbane. The people consulted were organized by Gunlake and consisted mostly of organizations to which Gunlake has made financial contributions. Very few individuals were consulted. While I was one, it was only because I asked to be interviewed.

Gunlake did do a letter box drop, but this was limited to residents on the haulage route. The many locals who use the route, but do not live on it were ignored. This is a serious problem as the traffic hazard is a major impact of the expansion.

Owing to the restrictions caused by Covid 19, Gunlake was asked to support a request to extend the period for submissions and to hold a public meeting to explain the impacts of the expansion. This request was rejected.

I believe that Gunlake has failed to reasonably inform local residents of the effects on local residents.

Refer attached document detailing objection

The EIS commissioned by Gunlake does not appear to be independent and Gunlake's main argument for its rapid expansion from the original 100 truck movements per day to the proposed 750 movements per day is based on the 'SSD' title that has been given to this project. This SSD title appears to have given the operators of Gunlake unfettered privilege to expand at an unprecedented rate with very little consultation with and consideration of a significant majority of local residents. There has only been limited consultation with representatives of selected interest groups, many of which benefit financially from Gunlake (eg Fire Brigade, Marulan Chamber of Commerce).

I am not objecting to the actual quarry but now that Gunlake has approached its 'latest' proposed output of 4.2mtpa, it should be mandated that this and all future increase in tonnage MUST be freighted BY RAIL to Sydney. Holcim and Boral BOTH USE RAIL. Holcim's output is 5mtpa, Boral's output is 3.5mtpa. Both of these quarries have first class practices, they contribute more to the community than Gunlake does and have done so over many more years. It is highly undesirable that a privately owned company, that clearly considers only profit, should be allowed to continue to put more trucks on the local rural roads and indeed the Hume Highway, already overburdened by trucks.

In spite of many very reasonable objections by concerned residents over the past five years, Gunlake has continued unabated to increase truck numbers to an already unacceptable number..... please NO MORE TRUCKS!!!