Martins Creek Quarry Project

I have been employed by Daracon for over 6 years, and can not speak highly enough of the organisation. It has supported my family by providing a stable working environment. I have seen first hand the products that arise from the Martins Creek Quarry during my time with Daracon, and know that these materials are a vital piece of the construction industry.

I am currently employed through Chandler Macleod as a labourer working for Daracon. Daracon has been a gateway for skilled and unskilled labourers like me to gain an opportunity in the workforce for fulltime employment. I believe it is vital to the employees, their families and wider community that the Martin's creek quarry continues to operate. Martin's Creek has been a major supplier of materials to all of the projects I have worked on and has contributed to Daracons ability to keep going through the tough times. I hope that the Quarry can stay operational to help Daracon stay viable so that more people like me can gain opportunities to find work. Thanks, Luke.

I have worked for Daracon for 1 year, providing me with a stable job to support my lifestyle.
Martins Creek Quarry is a big part of the organisation and supports many of the infrastructure jobs Daracon undertakes.
The success of the quarry helps maintain the jobs of over 850 direct employees, as well as over 1000 contractors and their families.

I have been amployed with Daracon for over 6 years. In this time we have been through some tough times and Daracon has stuck by me. My job is to install the NBN on new subdivisions. We receive most of our gravels and backfill materials from the MArtins Creek Quarry which makes it economical for our production. The quarry effects a lot of people directly and indirectly which filters down to a lot of workers, their familes and friends. The quarry plays a large part of daracons success in this area in the time that I have been here. It also provides materials that meet the local specs for local councils and RMS. It also provides materials to our competitors which in the end of the day helps them stay competitive also which is better for the whole industry. This means that people outside of Daracon in the hunter are also affected by the operation of this quarry.

I strongly support the operation of this quarry as it helps support hard workers like me and our families. Andrew Jarvis.

* The Success of the quarry helps maintain the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.
I am very distressed at the prospect of an expansion to the Martins Creek Quarry. It is already an onerous imposition to have the existing quarry. You can only further damage the area and injure the community by increasing truck loads at the cost of traffic fatalities, damaged roads, noise pollution and fouled air quality, resulting in poor health outcomes. Local habitat and wildlife is compromised by this aggressive land clearing and real estate values are affected negatively. This imposition bares comparison to the American Appalacia in style if not scale by any high handed bestowal of corporate privilege on Daracon. There will be political fallout. Please do not do this.

I am disappointed by this submission to alter the Gresford Road/Duke Street/King Street intersection. The changes to the intersection are only of benefit to the passage of heavily laden trucks through the area, and do nothing for (if not disadvantage) the local and usual users of this road.
The usual current traffic is well serviced by the current corner situation. This submission will disadvantage surrounding local businesses including the shop, bed and breakfast and post office as the road would experience heavy truck traffic with fewer safe on road parking options, and restrict quick safe access to these businesses.

Furthermore, such large change to infrastructure in front of original historic buildings such as the post office will ruin the historic charm of the area.

The pre existing rail line would surely be the best solution for this business to continue and expand operations with minimal adverse effect on the local community.

I have been employed with Daracon for 4 years and have enjoyed the stable employment it provides. Martins Creek Quarry is a big part of the organisation and supports many of the infrastructure jobs we undertake. The Success of the quarry helps maintain the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families. As a long term employee of Daracon I have been lucky enough to have been employed continuously through hard times, through the down turn in the mining industry and the GFC. I believe the Quarry plays an important part within not just the Daracon group but also in the supply to many projects within the Hunter Valley area and to numerous local businesses. For the region to grow at the rate we would like, and at a rate reported in the Hunter Regional Plan 2036, not only do we need to support local jobs but we also need to be able to service the demand of a growing population with the necessary construction materials.

Please find my submission as attachments 1, 2 &3
Thank you for the opportunity

We are opposed to the proposed development.

See attached files

I object to the expansion of Martins Creek Quarry on the grounds of an increase in noise, dust, traffic congestion and danger and health risks to the local rural communities because of these. Why should these small communities who will not gain anything from this expansion have to put up with this disruption to life style particularly when there is the railway readily available.
Communities further away along the increased traffic route will also be disrupted and schools and preschools affected by the noise dust and pollution. Why isn't existing infrastructure being used?
Many accidents over the last thirty years along Tocal Rd involved trucks. Increase in numbers will only exacebate this problem. Truck drivers are not usually considerate drivers.

uploaded file

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.

My opposition to the physical expansion, increase in production and expansion of operating
hours is based on the following.

Noise:
Having lived in the current location for over 30 years I have seen the Martins Creek Quarry
operation expand from nearly 2 kilometers away to approximatey 1.2 kilometers (straight line).
Despite this distance noise from the quarry operation has become increasingly obvious.
In particular blasting, dumping of rock into equipment and on some days the constant hum of machinery.
The limited acoustic wall (designed for residents of Station St only) proposed will do nothing to
alleviate this.

Road Traffic:
Increased truck movements equates to increased danger on our narrow country roads and in our villages.
Increased truck movements means increased road damage.
The proposed intersection of Dungog Rd and the proposed new quarry entry road would be dangerously located.
Every road access to the quarry entails crossing at least 1 single lane bridge.

Dust:
An increase in airborne dust has been observed over the years again particularly since recent expansion.
It is assumed this will progessively worsen as production increases

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.

My opposition to the physical expansion, increase in production and expansion of operating
hours is based on the following.

Noise:
Having lived in the current location for over 30 years I have seen the Martins Creek Quarry
operation expand from nearly 2 kilometers away to approximatey 1.2 kilometers (straight line).
Despite this distance noise from the quarry operation has become increasingly obvious.
In particular blasting, dumping of rock into equipment and on some days the constant hum of machinery.
The limited acoustic wall (designed for residents of Station St only) proposed will do nothing to
alleviate this.

Road Traffic:
Increased truck movements equates to increased danger on our narrow country roads and in our villages.
Increased truck movements means increased road damage.
The proposed intersection of Dungog Rd and the proposed new quarry entry road would be dangerously located.
Every road access to the quarry entails crossing at least 1 single lane bridge.

Dust:
An increase in airborne dust has been observed over the years again particularly since recent expansion.
It is assumed this will progessively worsen as production increases

As one of the first residents of the Brandy Hill estate area, -I am writing to you to express both my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed expansion of the Martins Creek quarry, which if approved would massively increase the number of quarry vehicles using Brandy Hill Drive.
Prior to building our home in 1989, both my husband and I sort to purchase rural acreage that would in our retirement years provide us with the both the peace and tranquility associated with a rural lifestyle.
For this reason the number of quarry truck movements eminating from the nearby Brandy Hill quarry was carefully checked to ensure that the number of movements would not adversely impact on the peace and tranquility of the year. . The number of movements were found to be both minimal and acceptable and not an issue in our decision to build in the area.
However over the years and due to the increased production at the Brandy Hill quarry and the added inclusion of trucks from Martins Creek quarry using Brandy Hil Drive, - residents like myself have had to stand back and watch what was initially only a trickle of trucks using the road develop into an absolute flood that had gradually over time has eroded the peace and tranquility of the area.
The once audible sounds of early morning bird sond has been replaced by the thunder of quarry trucks plying Brandy Hill drive in the early hours of the morning, their amplied sound resonating on the morning air like a freeight train about to pass through our bedroom.
Similarly I find I am not only not able to engage in conversation in my front yard by reason of the noise of passing quarry trucks, but alsso at my front door and have found it necessary at times to close windows and doors to enable me to hear what is being said to me on my telephone.
Both my husband and I spend many hours working in our extensive garden and in doing so realise we may already be breathing in polluted air,-namely the sooty particles generated by diesel fumes from passing trucks - which even at the lowest levels place people at risk of developing lung cancer.
Endeavouring to enjoy a leisurely stroll along Brandy Hill Drive in order to relax and take in the rural atmosphere can very quickly turn into a threat to ones life. With no semblance of anything like a footpath iin some areas, - pedestrians are forced to walk on the very edge of the road allowing only inched between them and passing quarry trucks.
I have also in recent times experienced some difficulty in exiting my property due to quarry trucks exceeding the speed limit and travelling in conveys four or five at a time. Waiting to enter the line of trasffice while several fully laden and speeding quarry trucks thunder past so close in front is not the most happiest of experiences.
More importantly there is also the danerous mix of school buses pickiing up and dropping of school students, - and fully laden quarry trucks using the same road. -Even at the current numbers of trucks using Brandy Hill Drive, the situation is of the outmost concern to parents who send their chilren to school each day on these buse.
It is my belief that in order to preserve the lifestyle, health and safety of Brandy Hill residents the proposed Martins Creek project should not be approved.

See attached letter

I object to the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.
The increase in size, hours and haulage numbers will be putting my family at risk of harm.
My children will be at risk from the increased haulage past our property and their health will suffer due to the increase in dust from the quarry expansion.
The town of Paterson attracts large numbers of tourists of a weekend and the increase in haulage will only make this a logistical nightmare not to mention decreasing the revenue to local businesses.

My concerns re. the proposal are three fold ... 1st Environmental impact, 2nd Geology and 3rd Safety.

The community "hears" that environmental studies have been carried out ... but really ??? In my time of living in the Paterson/Vacy community ... I have not seen a single environmental study provided by ANY of the owners of the Martins Creek Quarry or indeed, Dungog Council. If the quarry is to expand .... my question is initially ... what will be the direct impact on the Flora and Fauna on the land on which this proposed development will take place. Has a study been done to consolidate data in relation to protected species. Has a study been done at all to consider the nature of the habitat which will be affected by the proposed changes. Are the current owners of the quarry aware that the area surrounding the quarry is a corridor for a koala population ?? Is the quarry aware that several species of Eucalypt important for the support of a koala population may be destroyed as a result of said expansion ?
I feel strongly that there hasn't been to date, a thorough and complete study of the area surrounding the quarry. This environment has survived well through history ... however, I worry that irreparable damage will result in negative long term consequences.

My second concern relates to the Geology of the Quarry and the communities which surround it. Following a previous public forum re. the Martins Creek Quarry, it was agreed that a geological study of the area would be completed. A study of "sorts" was completed, however, there were many unanswered questions arising from said survey. My feeling is that is the current owners of the quarry have the responsibility to the community to have a thorough survey done which outlines not only the geology of the area but also fault lines, water courses and hydrology. Houses shaking as the result of blasting is but one issue, my concerns are for the long term affects of blasting and the potential for there to be a shift in water courses, water tables and general hydrology.

My third concern is for the safety of the communities surrounding the quarry as well as those communities which will be directly affected by the proposed changes to transport corridors. What will it take to see that roads and intersections don't need to change ... but the method of transport. Changing roads in Paterson will see the end of several small businesses/ livelihoods ... great for trucks but dangerous residents and pedestrians. One wonders if the proposed road alterations have been done in consultation with the business owners or the residents ?? Fixing roads will not change the frequency of trucks ... indeed the opposite is expected. Roads will be fixed and broken and fixed again ... an ongoing process !!! In the interim, potholes are made, cars are damaged, potholes are fixed & costs are incurred ... !!! Will it take an accident ... will it take a death on our roads for eyes to opened beyond the financial concerns of the quarry. At the moment, many of the residents see the owners of the quarry addressing the financial responsibilities relating to the said expansion ... but how about moral and safety responsibilities. I hope that it will not take and accident for the quarry to act.

Should jobs be lost ... no !! Should the quarry be closed .... no !! Is the community calling for the Quarry to close ... I don't believe so !!
The care and safety of our community and our environment are my concerns. If we don't care for them now ... where will they be in 5 years, 10 years, 100 years ?

I have work for Daracon for the last 3 years, and have been supported by the company through good times and bad.
The stable employment provided by the company supports me and my family, and without the Martins Creek Quarry, the organisations workload may decrease in the future.
The quarry provides materials to many projects I have been associated with, and these projects are part of a growing region that will continue to grow with the use of materials from this quarry.

Letter of Support is attached