Martins Creek Quarry Project

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.
Daracon trucks use Brandy Hill Drive as one of their routes. This road is our only access into or out of the area in times of emergency and with the volume of quarry trucks planned, our movement will be inhibited.
The amenity of this rural/residential area is already affected detrimentally by truck noise, dust and pollution.The use of these suburban roads for heavy traffic is totally inappropriate. We have been residents here for nearly twenty years and strongly object to this expansion application.

The quarry's location is entirely a consequence of its proximity to the railway. That the product is now shipped by truck is ludicrous. Any expansion should be conditional on the use of rail transport for all but local area exports from the quarry.

I am a qualified Civil Engineer B.E. (Civil) with over 50 years experience with particular knowledge of road & quarry construction.

The Paterson community has coexisted with the quarry operations for near on 100 years, and is still prepared to as long as the proposed Martins Creek Quarry expansion does not happen. This is a idyllic historic rural area which has survived since early settlement through the initiative of the farming and village communities. The village has promoted growth through tourism, which is incompatible with the proposed quarry expansion.
The damage to property and to rural roads which are not designed for heavy truck traffic movement is unacceptable
to the informed.
The proposal may possibly conform to regulations, however Daracon, by its cavalier attitude has alienated all the
local community which has not improved during the long EIS period.

Regretfully if the Daracon proposal is accepted, the soured relationship will only get worse.

WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE MARTINS CREEK QUARRY EXPANSION

Our lifestyle for our family is being greatly impacted by the following.

We have lived in our home for 40 years. Since Daracon took over the running of the Quarry our house is crumbling around us. The continual vibration of truck movements & the shock waves from the blasting of blue metal rock, which requires extra force to break metal open is horrendous. We feel the shockwaves before we hear rumbling of the blast. We have major cracking on our exterior & interior walls on our home. Our concrete inside & outside our house has major cracks. We have doors & windows that wont open properly. When the blasting happens our house shakes & rattles, it sounds and feels like a mini earthquake.

Who is going to repair our problems? Who is going to give us our true value for our property when we want to sell? Our house & property is going to be substantially devalued as no-one is going to want a damaged property with all these issues. That is, if we still have a home standing.

We are very angry & upset as the management of Daracan don't seem to give a care about us & our community.

Family & friends that come to visit, are unable to sit outside, in the once tranquil rural setting. The noise of continual trucks makes living inside & outside our home impossible for us. Twice a week I have to go around our home & straighten all our photos & pictures on our walls because of continual vibration from trucks & quarry movements.

It is a rare occasion that trucks do the correct speed limit along the roads. Trucks hit their brakes & use their exhaust brakes to slow down, including Daracon drivers, the noise is piercing to our ears. We have grandchildren that catch school buses along the road & the speed & noise frightens them to the point they grab hold of us petrified that something dangerous is going to happen.

When we built our home there was no gravel moved by trucks, all taken out by train. With the existing spurline already running into the quarry, a large amount of the rock should be moved by train, therefore cutting down the number of truck movements.

When the coal industry expanded the export volumes increased. Coal transport went from road to rail. Though prior to rail transport, coal was carried on the New England Highway by trucks, roads that were properly designed & built carried these heavy loads. Not like our country roads, they are not designed to carry trucks & their dog trailers. The blue metal industry has gone in the opposite directions - rail to road which is a major step backwards. Coal mines would give anything to have a railway close to their mines, something
Daracan don't appreciate or simply don't care about.

Deterioration of our roads are becoming worse with the increase of truck movements. The road is not built for the weight of these trucks going over it daily. Road repairs are ongoing these days. It's only a matter of time before an innocent driver of a car is taken out by one of these trucks, due to excessive speed & the state of the roads. Our taxes have to pay for repairs. A trip to Maitland can add 15 to 30 minutes onto your trip because of traffic control on road & bridge repairs. It is downgrading the life of residents living here.

Our lifestyle in this once peaceful, tranquil rural community is slowly being destroyed by the greed of this Company. Leave us alone Daracon. You are slowly destroying our families, our lifestyle & our homes.

We as a whole community do not want their expansion ever.

It is common sense that Daracon need to find a way of carting huge amounts of metal out by rail. Rail is designed to carry toneage - country roads are not.

I appose the Martins Creek quarry expansion
I am extremely angered at the prospect of an expansion to the Martins Creek Quarry. It is already a very onerous imposition to have the existing quarry. We have numerous cracks in the walls of our house from the blasting. You will only further damage the area and destroy the community by increasing dangerous truck loads. We will see traffic fatalities, and it will be on your heads. We will see further damage to our roads. We will have increased noise pollution and fouled air quality impacting on mental and physical health. Local habitat and wildlife is compromised by this aggressive land clearing and real estate values are affected negatively. There will be political fallout. We do not want this Trump style crash and burn approach to our community. Please desist...rest assured we will resist.

I do not support the expansion of the Martins Creek Quarry.
The following are the basis of my objections:
1) The current capacity is 470Kt and the EIS as submitted states that the quarry export is based on 900Kt and requires an increase from that figure of 900Kt to 1.5 Mt. This is not correct the 900Kt has not been approved and forms a fatal flaw in the EIS proposition. The quarry should remain at the existing 470Kt and that formal application be made for any increase from this datum point.
2) The hours of operation for loading and despatch by road must be carried out from 7.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday and & 7.00am to 12 midday on Saturday. The other mine operational hours can remain to suit.
3) The line-up and parking of trucks in Station St , Martins Creek needs to be addressed due to the imposition on the amenity of the immediate residents of Station St. Trucks are closely parked as they wait for the loading operations to start. There must be a study carried out to gauge the health affects of diesel fumes etc being emitted into the local residential area. Also the ability for the adjacent residents to safely and willingly exit or enter their driveways.
4) There must be stricter process to monitor the blasting operations carried out. This process needs to have very tight controls to ensure that blasting is carried out in a sensitive and considered manner.
5) Airborne dust measuring and reporting must be significantly enhanced and transparent; similar to existing extractive industries such as local coal mines.
6. A mechanism for ensuring that the quarry is complying with all of the conditions of operation and that a permanent link with the Martins Creek/Paterson communities is provided for such as a Quarry Reference Group that would report to the Local Council.
7. The current prime issue that needs to be addressed is the ingress and egress of trucks to the quarry. It is assumed that the frequency of truck passage on the local main distribution roads is considered is that they are "haul roads" and that the damage to the road pavement surface requires constant maintenance. Currently the quarry does not contribute towards this maintenance of our local roads.. The future estimates of truck movement frequency , when added to the existing road usage would make the passage through the immediate townships such as Martins Creek,Paterson, Lorn, Largs and Brandy Hill intolerable. The disposition that Paterson would incur would create a constant flow of traffic through the village thereby making the crossing of the main Streets: Duke and King, dangerous to children and older people. A pedestrian crossing would be required.
8. That a road route study be instigated to examine the best method and route for truck movement through the townships. The current EIS on exhibit suggests that the Tee intersection of Duke and King Streets in Paterson be modified to allow for ease of turning . This modification is to reduce the pedestrian walkways beside the then busy road and impinge on the Heritage values of the town. This is not acceptable as it is dangerous and reduces the amenity of the village.
9.) Paterson has a gazetted Heritage rating and this must be preserved for historical value. The frequency of road use by the proposed truck movements will have a detriment impact on the Heritage buildings, vibration, structural cracking, foundation settlement, that are fronting onto the main road.

There are alternative ideas to consider for any increase for the future that may mitigate the issues:
a) that the quarry only be allowed to increase their output to 700Kt pa and that the truck movement be controlled to provide a constant road use rate during the whole of the daily use hours of 7.00am to 5.00pm. This would then reduce the "peak" mass volumes of trucks and the outcomes would be measured by increased safety by the road users and pedestrians.
b) Remove the extra activities that require truck movements to bring other 'binding' materials to the quarry and...... examine that the quarry could store their product at a tail load-out facility located on an existing rail load-out loop. This would serve for stocking , binding etc and despatch. Bloomfield Collieries, located at Ashtonfield could be suitable for this conceptual processing and despatch system and coupled with the above preceding concept in a) above would need to be examined.
c). Examine the potential increase of product by rail. There must be a better and more efficient method of conveying the products by larger wagons; such as in the coal industry who have 100t capacity wagons.
d) That the Martins Creek Quarry engage a specialist in designing and for recommendations of material transport of the products. In this concept I infer that the solids can be pumped to a destination stocking point and dewatered with the solids remaining and the water returned back for solids transport again to the stocking station. The pipeline route would need investigation ( rail corridor ? ).
e) That bypassing the township of Paterson by creating an alternative road thoroughfare such as a cutting or tunnel through the Gresford road alignment on the north side of Paterson and circumscribe the township and rejoin the Tocal road near the intersect of Paterson and Tocal roads at the steel bridge.

Please find attached letter

Uploaded Document

There has been volumes written on the increase in traffic through Paterson and other towns. We have not seen anything about the increase on Horns Crossing Road Vacy which is a 100 kph zone with many properties accessing it. plus it is also a school bus route.

Please find attached specific comments/objections to the EIS from my wife and I.

I oppose the Martin's Creek Quarry Expansion. I have been a resident in the Paterson area for 22 years, moving here to raise a family in a peaceful and scenic country environment. The proposal to increase truck movements to 80 per hour threatens to destroy the very essence of why people choose to live in such an environment. It was utter chaos back in 2014/2015 when truck movements were around 40 and upwards per hour. Paterson is a small historic town and the existing road infrastructure is not suitable to support constant truck movements. The noise, dust and vibrations from such truck movements is intolerable and threatens the demise of many historic buildings. It is also a major safety concern for families with young children and elderly people who frequent the town businesses and for school children waiting for buses. Paterson businesses also suffered greatly from truck noise - nobody wants to be in Paterson when these trucks are passing through the town. It makes no sense whatsoever to allow the proposed expansion when the majority of local people are opposed to it.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion for the following reasons:

1) Cultural and lifestyle denegation. No longer will our area be a quiet rural setting In particular the residents of martains creek and surrounds will suffer tremendously from the noise, dust, vibrations and general activity of the proposed development.

2) Inadequate and poorly maintained road and bridge infrastructure which is failing under current use, let alone the eight and frequency of transport movements if the proposed quarry development was to proceed.

3) The safety of every person using our roads, bridges and walking in our villiages will be at increased risk.

4) Economically
- Reduction in the viability of local small businesses due to lower area visitor numbers and difficulty sopping and parking in villages.
- Devaluation of the market value of the land and property assests because of reduced desire to live here.
- Increased costs of living for local residents due to rising council rates to cover infrastructure maitanence and improvements.
- Higher running and maintanence costs of our vehicles from the damage done to our road system.

I have not made a reportable political donation. I appreciate the opportunity to make these remarks.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Marsh

I have lived in the Paterson and area for many years and I live here for the same reason as everyone else. peace and quiet and the small town way of life. I strongly object this quarry expansion. its 5.40am now and the trucks are rolling through already. one after another. I don't live on the road but it must be awfull for those that do. I have friends who live close to the quarry and its terrible for them with the constant blasting,noise and dust. its a disgrace that one company,s arrogance and greed can be allowed to affect so many people. the proposed amount of truck movements coming through Paterson will simply be too much. I don't object too the quarry but an expansion of it will have devastating effects on these small towns and its people.it cant be allowed to happen.

As an employee of Daracon and being heavily involved in quarries the expansion of Martins Creek will secure my position and involvement within the company and keep a income to support my family .

Objection to the proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry
NSW Government Planning and Environment
Application Number SSD 14_6612

I am writing to object to the proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry. The key issues that I am most concerned about are the social and economic impact on the local community, the traffic and transport implications of the quarry expansion, the rehabilitation of the quarry site and the violation of the current consent. I will address these issues separately and outline my concerns.

Paterson is a picturesque and historic rural village located on the Paterson River. It services the surrounding localities of Duns Creek, Martins Creek, Butterwick, Woodville, Tocal and Bolwarra Heights. The residents of these areas are able to go to Paterson to access the services of a doctor, pharmacist, vet, mechanic and various other tradespeople. Paterson has a well-stocked supermarket for groceries, a butcher shop, a shop supplying agricultural needs, a clothing store, cafes, art gallery, B and Bs, service station, post office and hotels. In addition there is a nine hole golf course, playing fields, tennis courts, train station and a public school with an enrolment of approx 100 students. Numerous community groups such as Rotary, Rural Fire Service, Paterson Progress Association, Red Cross, CWA, Church groups, Sporting groups and the Historical Society meet in Paterson on a regular basis. This is a township which provides the many services that are vital to the lifestyle of its residents. Needless to say it is a popular destination for tourists being an easy drive of just over 2 hours from Sydney.

The social amenity of Paterson is already adversely affected by the heavy truck haulage through the town centre. Local residents and visitors go to the cafes and B and Bs for social interaction, sustenance, as well as getting away from the city for a short stay in a rural setting. Imagine being woken up by the noise of passing truck and dogs before 6am when you are supposedly having a holiday! In the age of social media, negative feedback is detrimental to businesses who are unable to control the increasing traffic noise outside their establishments. Social connectedness is vital for rural residents who may not have close neighbours so therefore a trip into town to collect mail and buy groceries etc can also become an opportunity to meet for a coffee and have a yarn. However, if there is a convoy of trucks passing through town (which is typical) it won't be the pleasant experience it should be. The majority of businesses in Paterson are owner operated and the local residents who are employed rely on their employment to support their families. They are not itinerant workers looking for a holiday job - they are members of the community who need to earn a living. The residents and businesses of Paterson and surrounding areas must NOT be allowed to suffer socially and economically because of the proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry.

It is obvious that the roads through the township of Paterson were not built to accommodate the heavy haulage trucks which currently drive through. Traffic congestion, safety concerns and noise and pollution levels present the greatest threat to residents and visitors. The volume of trucks using the road in the morning creates congestion for residents trying to commute to work, schools etc. Students commuting by bus must negotiate their way across the road to the bus stop without the safety of a pedestrian crossing. The proximity of homes to the main thoroughfare through Paterson used by heavy haulage vehicles means that families are exposed to unbearable noise levels and increased diesel pollution. I live in Duns Creek on a property that is 500 metres from Paterson Road and 900 metres from Tocal Road (as the crow flies) with dwellings between me and those roads. Even at that distance I am subjected to significant and constant noise from trucks using those roads from early in the morning to approx 10am. The EIS states that properties on Butterwick Road (also used by heavy haulage vehicles) were deemed to be set back far enough from the road so as not to warrant an assessment of noise levels. This is an arrogant assumption and disregards the amenity of these residents. There is no clarity around who will maintain the roads and ensure how the roads will remain safe and fit for purpose. More use of the available rail corridors for transportation of materials must be made to reduce the road transport impact on our rural community!

Regarding rehabilitation of the quarry site the EIS states:

"It should be noted that this SRP should be considered a concept plan for site rehabilitation, with the extent of works required for adequate rehabilitation to be identified in a regularly updated n Site Rehabilitation Report for the subject site. The Site Rehabilitation Report will provide an ongoing detailed revision required for this SRP and the requirement for the preparation of a detailed plan for rehabilitation may be part of the consent issued for the development (see clause 17 of the Mining SEPP). It is proposed that the rehabilitation plan be undertaken as the resource extraction areas in Lot 5 and 6 reach their extraction limits. As such, it is proposed that the rehabilitation works be implemented progressively over the next 25 years, as: · Ancillary disturbed areas are no longer required for ancillary activities; · Quarry benches and extraction faces reach their extraction limits."

What is meant by a concept plan for site rehabilitation? It is proposed that rehabilitation works will take place over the next 25 years but is there a timeline or any details for this process? It seems that to date there hasn't been any rehabilitation of the quarry site carried out by Daracon (Buttai Gravel Pty Ltd). The community needs a guarantee that Daracon will act responsibly to rehabilitate the leased land from which they have extracted materials and operated a profitable business. The Daracon website states:

"We place the upmost importance on public safety and environmental protection throughout all of our activities as we foster a strong sense of responsibility and continually strive for excellence in ensuring community well-being and environmental integrity."
It is imperative that Daracon show evidence of any rehabilitation that is already being undertaken at the quarry site.

Finally, I must question why this proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry is being considered by the Department of Planning and Environment when Daracon (Buttai Gravel Pty Ltd) has clearly violated the consent requirements of Dungog Shire Council and for this reason are currently involved in legal proceedings in the Land and Environment Court. It is absurd that they want to "regularise" existing operations at Martins Creek Quarry which already exceed their current consent. They must be brought to account for acting outside the existing regulations that govern their operation.

I strongly oppose the proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry (application number SSD 14_6612) based on the detrimental social and economic impact on the Paterson and surrounding communities, the destructive and harmful effects of heavy haulage traffic, the environmental need to rehabilitate the quarry site and Daracon's violation of current consent regulations.

I have been employed by Daracon for just over 7-1/2 years. Working for a stable and progressive company I intend to retire with Daracon in about 6 years. I've been lucky enough to be employed through the downturn in the mining industry and the GFC.
I have lived and worked in the Hunter Valley all of my life. Daracon is an integral part of the future economic growth of the Valley being involved in many infrastructure projects supplying high quality material from the Martin's Creek Quarry. The expansion of the quarry will help to maintain the jobs of over 850 employees, over 1000 contractors and the many suppliers to Daracon.

Please see pdf attachment.

I write to Object to the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion as proposed in the Buttai Gravel (Daracon) EIS 13th October 2016. The existing operations of the quarry impose a huge burden on the citizens of all the LGAs where impacts such as blasting, rock crushing, heavy machinery noise and truck movements occur. The truck movements alone constitute a major imposition on amenity in the town of Paterson where impacts such as noise and safety on people plus impacts on road surface are almost constant impositions from heavy vehicles from the quarry. Road damage in other LGAs used by the trucks is a daily imposed risk to other road users.

The proposal, as tabled in the EIS, intends that 80 truck movements per hour would be the norm for the village of Paterson. This alone constitutes a major assault on the amenity and quality of life for all who live in the village and surrounding areas. The massive increase in noise, risks to human safety and damage to roads and property is totally unacceptable for reasons I shall outline below.

I was involved as an expert witness (social impacts) in the case of the 2012-13 Bulga Milbrodale Progress Association Inc v Minister for Planning and Infrastructure and Warkworth Mining Limited[2013] NSW LEC 48. I am of the opinion that this EIS contains within it very similar social impacts as those presented to the Land and Environment Court. Justice Preston concluded that:

"In relation to social impacts, I find that the Project's impacts in terms of noise, dust and visual impacts and the adverse change in the composition of the community by reason of the acquisition of noise and air quality affected properties, are likely to cause adverse social impacts on individuals and the community of Bulga. The Project's impacts would exacerbate the loss of sense of place, and materially and adversely change the sense of community, of the residents of Bulga and the surrounding countryside."

I submit that excessive truck numbers, truck noise, diesel fumes from trucks, dust from truck loads, road damage by trucks and loss of amenity to the village of Paterson and all properties within the rural LGAs affected by this proposal makes it unacceptable. The village of Paterson cannot cope with such an imposition and the rural amenity of hundreds of people along the trucking routes will be severely compromised.

The negative impact on 'sense of place' (which I have professionally defined as solastalgia) is so large that the citizens of the village of Paterson would no longer be able to conduct their normal lives. No development has the right to destroy public such amenity. The impacts on local tourism and real estate values must also be considered as negative.

In conclusion, while there are economic benefits associated with the mine expansion, they cannot compensate for the loss of sense of place entailed in the desolation of a whole rural village and the quality of lives people living along the trucking route. The judgement of Justice Preston in the Land and Environment Court in the Bulga case set a precedent for the inclusion of sense of place in all subsequent cases where development impacts are obviously negatively affecting social amenity. The loss of social amenity in this Expansion Proposal is so great, that on this issue alone, the proposal should be be totally rejected.

I object to the proposed expansion AND the consolidation of existing leases as per my attachment

It is my view that the Daracon expansion is unacceptable for the following reasons:
The township of Paterson is a classic attractive small NSW town with a quality of life and tourism potential that will be destroyed by the Daracon proposal.
The truck flow through the township is totally unacceptable and shows a disrespect o the citizens of Paterson and surrounding districts by Daracon. It appears to be a private business seeking to over- ride the wishes of the Paterson community with the support of the planning system.
The fact that there is a rail spur into the quarry makes this proposal even more unacceptable. It seems to be gravel at any cost and certainly of more importance than the residents quality of life.
The current truck flow through the township means that often a resident driver is faced with 3 trucks and dogs in front of them and three coming the other way. It is like driving at a mine site with unacceptable noise and dust levels.
The tight 90 degree corner through Paterson is a major hazard requiring oncoming motorists to swerve to avoid trucks now and poses a significant risk in the busiest section of the town.
Diagonally across this intersection are two important historical buildings in the tourist industry under the new proposal their value will be nil.
Crossing the road is already a high risk occupation in Paterson.
If this proposal is approved it represents ends justifies the means planning by this state government. Gravel before people, it is not a good look in a civilised society. The government can expect an "Orange-like" protest if this proposal is approved.

I object to the proposed expansion of Martins Creek Quarry and its effect on the amenity of this region.