Martins Creek Quarry Project

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry expansion.
My objections to increased quarry production and expansion are:
1. Road Safety
* Traffic congestion and road safety as a result of an increase in truck and dog movements as many travel at the maximum allowable speed.
* Pedestrian safety within the village of Paterson.
* Loss of parking and amenity as a result of the proposed road widening and traffic calming arrangements within the village.
* Traffic congestion created when the rail corridor gates are closed causing a bank-up of trucks in the village. Some coal trains are 70+ wagons long taking 5+ minutes to clear the gates.
* The local road transport network is totally inadequate to handle this volume of heavy traffic on the very soft bitumenised surfaces. Many local roads are only built atop soft river soils and were never designed for high volumes of heavy transport.
* Congestion on the one lane (Dungog Road) Gostwyck road bridge. I have twice been subjected to road rage by trucks carrying quarry products forcing their right of way. The Give Way sign is on the wrong end of the bridge. At the very least the bridge will require demand-tripped traffic lights to control the flow.
2. Noise
Empty truck noise in the early morning disturbs a large corridor within the Paterson community. Transport hours should be restricted.
3. Dust
Dust monitoring should be established in the Paterson village as it is becoming quite obvious that dust emissions both from the quarry and the moving trucks is increasing.
4. The Paterson intersection median works
Proposed traffic arrangements by Daracon's ACOR Consultants appear (it's unclear from the diagram) to prevent traffic from turning right from Duke into King Street. When you live in King Street you need to turn right at this intersection!
5. Amenity
Loss of amenity and income to the Paterson village business hub.

I propose that the quarry production be pegged at the existing 500 000 tons per annum and should utilise existing road/rail transport arrangements.

As a local resident along the haul route through Bolwarra my family supports the development of the Martins Creek Quarry due to job security it brings to my employment as well as other support services to the quarry.

Despite the negative publicity I believe the quarry expansion will have an overall positive impact on the local area. The increase in trucks will barely be noticeable due to the already high volume of general traffic on Paterson road.

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry expansion.
My family has owned property in Webbers Creek since 1964, and my husband and I have lived here since 1994, during which time we have raised 4 children.
We had no issues with the quarry until Daracon took over early 2013, and truck movements through Paterson increased enormously, especially during the Hexham contract when there were 500-600 truck movements daily, commencing before 6a.m.
I have grave concerns for safety on our local roads as follows:
* Drivers regularly speeding, especially in the 80 kph zones near Tocal College and along Butterwick Road.
* Drivers often tailgaiting and intimidating elderly and novice drivers.
* Trucks often drive in convoys.
* Trucks often cross over the centre lines around sweeping bends.
* I have often seen drivers on mobile phones or two way radios as they drive through the village of Paterson.
* I have seen gravel being spilt from trucks which have cracked or shattered windscreens.
* Crossing the road can be dangerous, especially for young children and the elderly.
* Getting in and out of cars at the shops and Post Office can be dangerous.
* The main T intersection in Paterson of King St, Duke St and Gresford Road is especially dangerous, as trucks have to swing out wide to get around the corner, and there is often 2 trucks passing around the corner at the same time.

I am also concerned about the impact on the serenity and heritage character of our historic, once peaceful village. Where it used to be very pleasant sitting in front of the Cafe or on the verandah of the CBC, enjoying lunch, this is now totally ruined by the constant passing of noisy trucks. I have heard so many comments from visitors to Paterson that they are appalled that so many trucks are permitted along our roads, through small townships, instead of having a haul road, or having the quarry product being moved by rail.

Road damage is occurring as our roads were not built to take this amount or type of traffic. When Railcorp operated the quarry, they were paying a levy to assist with the upkeep of the roads; this has not occurred since Daracon took over. Also Rail Corp had an agreement limiting the annual extraction of product to 450,000 tonnes, and when this was reached the quarry would shut down until the start of a new year. they also had an agreement to remove 70% of the product by rail. Since Daracon took over, these agreements have been ignored.

Daracon has blatantly ignored the community's concerns. I attended the public meeting in Paterson in March 2014, along with more than 300 other concerned residents. The solution stated at this meeting by David Mingay, Daracon owner, was to "move somewhere else, away from the Paterson area".

I also attended the recent meeting in Paterson with representatives form the Planning Department. Again, there were over 300 in attendances, all voicing the same concerns and pointing out that nothing has changed in 2 1/2 years.

Regards,
Cathy Easdown

To whom it may concern,
I object to the expansion of Martins Creek Quarry due to the following impacts:
*Noise and vibration
The noise and vibration from trucks and trailers passing through the village of Paterson is already at an unsustainable level. I am awoken 6 days a week by the noise from the trucks and I live three houses back from the main road. We close all our windows and doors prior to bedtime to minimise the noise in the morning. My home is over 100 years old and the windows frequently vibrate when the trucks travel near the intersection with Sloane St. I am fortunate to have a timber clad house which has better flex to absorb vibrations but many of the historic brick buildings in our town are suffering severe and ongoing damage.
*Unsafe and unpractical road issues.
Currently, as a driver in a car I am able to access the main road relatively easily, however in the past, when Daracon had a major project on at Hexam, the sheer number of trucks travelling to and from the quarry meant that they had to travel in convoy and it was extremely difficult and dangerous to turn onto the main road from any side street, but especially if turning right as that meant crossing into both lanes, and two lines of trucks. The proposed expansion will allow even more trucks each day than at this busy time. Of particular concern to me is the intersection of Church St, and King St/Gresford Rd Paterson as this road is the only access to and from the Paterson Public School and Paterson preschool and as such suffers already from congestion at peak times. Add to this the fact that it is so close to the train line, so when long trains are passing through the wait to access Gresford road will be considerable if the increase in truck and train movements is allowed. Another intersection of major concern is that of King and Duke streets, in the CBD of Paterson. I have personal experience of the danger at this location as my car has been hit by a Daracon trailer while parked out the front of the Paterson Service Station (King St) where I work. I reported the incident to Maitland police (COPS event number E56086316). Thankfully myself or my children were not in the car at the time, but it could so easily have been different. The truck driver was unaware that he had hit anything, as the trucks and dogs are so large. As I work at the Service station, I have an excellent view of that intersection every work day and I have witnessed many near misses during the years I have been there. The trucks have to veer to their left either in King St or Duke St or both to be able to negotiate the corner. My complaint is not with the truck drivers themselves but with the situation whereby an excessive amount of trucks in an already dangerous area increases the risk of a life or lives being taken unnecessarily. This is an area of high pedestrian activity, vehicles turning into businesses, driveways and into the 'quiet' end of King st, and the main northern rail line also creating frequent long queues of waiting traffic.
*Damage to local roads.
Our local roads are already in a shocking state. All roads suffer damage from normal traffic levels over time, however the number of truck and dog movements currently through our village (both loaded and unloaded) is already causing a huge amount of damage, and our council is unable to repair due in part to the fact that Daracon do not pay any money towards repairs. If the numbers of trucks were allowed to be increased, I would not only feel unsafe travelling on the road, but would not want to drive my car for fear of the damage that would be done to it. This may sound like an exaggeration, but I can assure you it is not.
*Decrease in tourism and land values.
Paterson is well known throughout the wider area for its beautiful natural scenery, historic buildings, beautiful public parks and the like. It is a much sought after location to buy or build a home, raise a family or spend retirement years. However, Daracon's proposal threatens to undermine our peaceful way of life, our quiet country atmosphere and the roads which are the means of travel for so many locals travelling to work each day and which also bring tourists to our village and businesses. The quarry itself will become a bigger blight on our landscape. The noise of the trucks reverberates throughout the village, and many tourists that I have spoken with through my work at the Café express astonishment at the size, noise and volume of trucks already travelling through. It is simply not feasible to expand these numbers any further.
*Loss of local jobs.
If the proposal is approved, the volume of trucks and the proposed road changes to manage them, will inevitably mean a dramatic reduction in local trade and therefore jobs. I do not expect that there will be enough business in the town for my workplace (family owned and operated) to employ as many staff as they do now, and I expect that I will have to travel further afield to find work. The more locals that have to travel away to work in turn means that they are more likely to spend their money in other towns rather than our village, which in turn means less jobs, and so the cycle will continue. This proposal will spell the death of our community as we know it.
I implore you to consider the environmental, social and economic factors of this proposal on our area.
Thank you for taking the time to read this submission.

My employer contracts our services to the Martins Creek quarry.
Our work at the quarry has been ongoing for the last 3 years and we have a contract for a further two years of service.
This site is close to home for me and a primary client for my employment.
I support the expansion proposal in full.
Each day working at the quarry, I stop in Paterson and purchase items from the local stores.
I also purchase diesel fuel from a local supplier for use in our machines on site - 400l each day per machine.
This quarry operation is of vital importance to my job security.
I fully support the expansion

When first moving to this area, it was a very peaceful, quiet location. About 2 years ago, Daracon trucks started running in the area, starting as early as 5.30am and are generally running constantly until about 5 pm. On the rare occasions they don't run along our road for the day, the serenity is very noticeable. The trucks are noisy and cause damage to the road. Potholes are a continual safety issue, and repairs don't last long. I don't believe the roads were built for such heavy, continuous traffic. Increasing truck numbers will only make the roads more dangerous and noise pollution excessive. Thank you

I object for these reasons
The village of Paterson is an historical village with a unique and friendly atmosphere that is being destroyed by the noise of the trucks. Dining outside or having a conversation on the street is impossible due to the noise and frequency of the truck movements
We are an area that is popular with both young and old due to the clean air, beautiful scenery and native wildlife. 430 trucks going through our village a day will destroy any semblance of peace
There are a number of child care centres and at least 5 primary schools on the proposed LOCAL route that will be adversely effected by the increase in truck movements as well as the added insult of increased dust and noise from the quarry.
There is a train line running to the quarry that should be utilised to the maximum. This would keep the trucks to a minimum and utilise the rail line which would be not only a win for state rail but would also save the destruction of our roads
The cost of road repairs is crippling and down to the taxpayers when this company should be using an existing rail system and taking the pressure off the taxpayer to fund road repairs.
We have amazing wildlife including koalas, bandicoots, echidnas, quolls and numerous and varied birdlife that will definitely suffer, not only from road kill, but by quarrying an extra 38HECTARES of native vegetation.
It will also devalue my property and I feel cheated as I bought out here because of the peace and the air quality. I find it abhorrent that a man with no connection to my area and who offers no financial benefits to my community feels entitled to suggest I should move and he should be able to destroy not only my life style but the lifestyle of hundreds of other residents.

- Martins Creek Quarry is a big part of the organisation and supports many of the infrastructure jobs we undertake.
- This project also helps maintain the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families.
- The Quarry provides materials to many projects crucial to the growth and prosperity of the region: road construction, housing, railway construction and other public infrastructure.

Ok

Ok

I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion

To who it may concern,

I live at Mindaribba on Tocal Road.
It is already hazardous to exit our driveway with the current number of trucks from the quarry that travel at the posted speed limit of 100km/hour, both laden and empty.
The trucks are noisy and dusty.
When the quarry exceeded the allowed number of truck movements in order to transport gravel to the Hexham train construction project the disruption was significant,and I felt that it was much more dangerous entering and leaving our driveway.
I was overtaken on the left by trucks from the quarry as I waited to turn into my driveway which is very frightening as the trucks left the road and drove on the verge in order to do this.
Our sleep is disturbed by the trucks from early morning.
Tocal Road is in a constant state of disrepair with potholes all along it-I feel that the trucks travelling at high speeds and heavily laden are a highly significant contributor to the damage to our roads.
The last thing we want is ANY increase in the number of trucks.
Kind regards,
Sue Graykowski and Tim Ryan

The current road infrastructure is inadequate for supporting the present number of trucks that go through Paterson. It needs less, not more.
The slight increase in jobs to the area is not worth the damage to the town of Paterson, and the negative effects that the quarry expansion will have on the atmosphere of what is one of the areas' nicer towns.
Daracon wants to start driving trucks through the city too early.
The owners of the quarry have acted without planning consent in the past, and it is therefore clear that they do not have the best interests of the community in mind.
The trucks drive too loudly and dangerously through the town as it is.
Truck movement in the town makes it a transit and haulage passage, and destroys the tranquillity of the historical town. The main road is already unpleasant enough with current truck movement - more would surely be detrimental to local businesses operating in Paterson.

We understand that currently Dungog Council is in dispute with Daracon as it is vastly exceeding the licence that State Rail had, and almost all is being send by road. The old licence was in the vicinity of 500,000 tonnes per year, and Daracon have been extracting much more than that. The expansion proposal will increase to 1,500,000 tonnes per year. Plant maintenance 24/7, processing 6 am - 10 pm with trucks loading/despatching from 5.30 am - 7.00 pm, an estimate of 400 to 600 truck movements per day along local government roads through rural and urban residential roads like Paterson road, Hinton Road, Martins Creek road ,Seaham road, Brandy Hill Drive, Clarence Town road. In the foreseeable future empty trucks and trailers will be coming along local roads at around 4.30 am to line up at Martins Creek Quarry for loading to being at 5.30 am.
The Quarry also proposed a concrete batching plant, concrete wash out waste recycling, and a mobile pre coat plant for asphalts.
Currently the Quarry has no limits on its life with the proposal it is to be 30 years.
Hanson will be seeking Production, sale and maintenance 24 hrs 7 days a week and blasting to be Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm only.
Brandy Hill Quarry traffic impact assessment by Intersect Traffic Pty Ltd, in their report said the Martins Creek Quarry extension will not increase traffic on local road network significantly and will not impact on the efficiency of the network.
Well, for example, approximately 190 vehicle movements per day and at peak hourly traffic volume of 84 vehicle trips per hour for Brandy Hill Quarry. Where there are no constructed foot paths therefor facilities for pedestrians are non existent. So it is my understanding that the volume from Martins Creek Quarry and Brandy Hill Quarry will have a huge impact on local roads and major intersections such as the roundabouts at Seaham Road, Raymond Terrace and Paterson Road, Bolwarra , a truck movement every minute and in peak it could be 2 truck movements every minute on 80kph and 100kph roads.
The concerns of no footpaths, no properly constructed off-road bus stops and safety for residents, lack of safe egress for children walking to school or bus stop, and cyclists considering the large increase in truck traffic that will be generated by Martins creek Quarry. We believe we need the upgrade of the road and provide footpaths for safety of residents. This will impacted upon all residents using local roads and that includes Seaham Road which we use daily to access Raymond Terrace and Newcastle and Clarence Townn Road and Paterson Road to access Maitland.
We favour there is a partial answer to getting some of the Daracon trucks off our roads and that is to ask that State Planning carries forward the requirement of no more than 30% by road with the balance by rail as there is an existing rail siding at Martins Creek Quarry.

"I Strongly oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion"
Myself and young family live near the intersection of Butterwick Rd and Duns Creek Rd.
We lived through the experience of high haulage movements of trucks in 2014 / 2015 and do not want to see this again.
We experienced dangerous situations in Paterson township. Paterson River Bridge which is virtually one lane and close incidents while also travelling along Butterwick Rd.
The Haulage routes are not built for this type of proposal or either the Historic township of Paterson.
The original quarry approval was for the use of material for Train ballast to hauled mostly by Rail as its original operator State Rail had intended.
We have noticed over time that a number of new residents have settled in the area and see this as a good thing for local country towns. Paterson itself is growing and community being more involved as they see it as a unique setting.
The expansion of the quarry would completely ruin the township and its associated habitats towns people would be driven away by this and also property values would also diminish.
Thank You.

The Bolwarra Heights Community Group
Outline of Objections to the Martins Creek Quarry expansion
Who are we? The Bolwarra Heights Community Group is made up of residents who live on or near Tocal Rd Bolwarra Heights, mainly in the narrow section of Tocal Rd between the intersection of Maitland Vale Rd and Paterson Rd. Our group was formed in 2014 due to our serious concerns for road/pedestrian safety and increased road noise and congestion caused by a major increase of quarry truck traffic on Tocal Rd. This increase in quarry trucks movements was a result of Daracon's Martin Creek quarry supplying hard rock for the Hexham rail depot upgrade. The quarry increased output from 300,000TPA to an estimated 1 million TPA for the duration of the project. This increase was outside their DA approved output capacity and was not approved and resulted in complaints from residents in all affected communities to the EPA, Dracon, Maitland City Council and State Government. Having lived through the nightmare of the extremely high volume of truck movements on our road, we strongly object to the Daracon's application to expand the quarry, increase the output to 1.5 million tonnes per year, extend the hours of operation and increase number of trucks on our local roads.
We ask for the application to be rejected for the following reasons:
1. Pedestrian and vehicle SAFETY. The section of Tocal Rd between Maitland Vale Rd and Paterson Rd was originally built as a minor access road to local farms from Maitland Vale through to Lambs Valley. Now it is the main road to Paterson and Dungog areas; it is narrow, congested and not suitable for fully laden 50 ton double quarry trucks at a rate of 80 movements per hour. It is very narrow with no shoulders to avoid a potential accident, power poles; one side has a pedestrian footpath with no room for error with the pedestrians walking within one metre of these large trucks driving at 60kmph or above.

2. NOISE at our homes. This section of the road is a tree lined, previously quiet part of the community to live. That's why many of us moved here. With the illegal increase of trucks in 2014/15, as mentioned above, the noise was unbearable for all with empty quarry trucks rattling through as early as 4:30am and going well into the evening each day. The proposed increase will see at least 50% more truck movements than in 2014/15. It is totally unacceptable that we and other residents should endure this just to allow one company to enjoy healthier profits. According to the surveys presented in the EIS the Tocal Rd area will be the most affected by proposed increased (69dba).

3. DUST and AIR QUALITY. Houses on Tocal Rd are very close to the haulage route and exposed to high volume of dust and diesel engine exhaust emissions from truck movements. Diesel emissions contain carcinogenic substances and increase the risk of lung cancer, therefore we deem it unacceptable to be exposed to 80 truck movements per hour on the top of regular traffic.


4. The EXTENDED HOURS asked for in the application would mean that Daracon, contractor and private quarry trucks will be on our roads from before the quarry opens to after it closes, this in our area would mean from 4:30am till 8:00pm continually for 6 days a week. This is unacceptable for a residential area.

5. The CONSULTATION process was an exercise in ticking a box imposed by the Government and not a genuine consultation. We and other concerned groups attended the scheduled meetings, but it was one way communication not a dialogue. We were not allowed to give input or query the expansion plans. All it did was to allow Daracon to state in the EIS that they have consulted with the communities.


6. The EIS has not taken into account future housing developments and associated vehicle loading or the COMBINED TRUCK LOADS of both Martins Creek and nearby Brandy Hill quarries. Brandy Hill Quarry (application # 5899) also seeks planning approval to increase annual production to 1.5 million tonnes per annum and extend the hours of operation to 24hrs Mon-Sun, including 144 loads per day (288 trucks movements including empty trucks travelling to the quarry). Trucks from both quarries meet at the intersection of Tocal Rd and Paterson Rd which now makes this tight intersection very hazardous for all users. The vast increase in trucks proposed by the Martins Creek quarry expansion would see this intersection and the roads south extremely congested and dangerous.

7. The vast majority of trucks that haul to and from the quarry are non Daracon trucks (contractors or private trucks). Darcon (David Mingay) has openly admitted, and the company has proven, that they have NO CONTROL over the non Daracon trucks. These trucks commonly do not conform to Daracons' road use policies in the way of speed reductions, engine breaking and general poor/noisy condition of the trucks. Any expansion of the quarry would see the number of non Daracon trucks and their associated problems increase dramatically and it will be out of Daracon's control.

8. We strongly believe the ENVIRONMENT around the Martins Creek quarry will be severely affected by the clearing of an additional 37 hectares of native vegetation, including habitat vital for endangered and threatened species. We believe that Daracon has no right to destroy the valuable native environment just to increase profits of a company which has nil positive impact on the community.
Our local roads have seen a vast increase in traffic over the last few years with many native animals being hit and killed by road users, including possums, lizards, birds, snakes and kangaroos; any increase in truck movements and habitat loss will only exasperate this problem.
Furthermore the quarry operations pose a big risk to water quality from erosion and sedimentation. Buttai Gravel Pty Ltd (part of Daracon group) was already fined four times in the last 2.5 years by EPA for breaching the conditions of its Environment Protection Licence for Martins Creek Quarry.

9. Daracon's demands are in strike contrast with the character of settlements such as
Paterson, Martins Creek, Bolwarra Heights and Lorn. They are all small villages frequented by tourists and cyclists. They are not only significant in their own right, but are also on the route to Barrington Tops. Their reputation as places of safe recreation would be jeopardised by noise, dust and danger from truck movements associated with the quarry. This would subsequently lead to the DEVALUATION OF PROPERTY PRICES. So far Bolwarra Heights has been sought after, leafy, semi-rural area. Extended Daracon's operations would change our suburb into an industrial corridor.

10. It has been stated that the quarry does not pay the State Government any royalties for the tonnage of product that is extracted from the quarry. It is also understood that the ongoing major repairs to Tocal Rd is funded by our taxes, which is neither fair nor acceptable.


Due to the long list of negative social and environmental impacts on our community and lack of any positive ones, we ask the NSW Planning and Environment Department to reject Daracon's application for the expansion of the quarry involving clearing of native vegetation, increasing the output to 1.5 million tonnes per year, extending the hours of operation and increasing number of trucks on our local roads. We would like to take this opportunity to ask for the following limitations and improvements to be imposed on Daracon's current operations:
1. That the output tonnage carried by trucks from the quarry is limited to 300,00TPA, that is, any extra to 300,000TPA be transported by means of rail transport.

2. Hours of truck haulage are minimised to between 7am till 5pm Monday to Friday only.


3. That Daracon enforce a 40kmph speed limit to all trucks that travel the section of Tocal Rd between Maitland Vale Rd and Paterson Rd, and that engine breaking is not used in residential areas.

4. A system be implemented that gives clear identification of all trucks that haul to and from the quarry, similar to the high vis ID labels used by coal mines. This will help identify rouge truck drivers on the public roads, and that Daracon enforce a disciplinary system to deal with drivers who contravene Daracon's procedures.


5. That Daracon contribute adequately to public road repairs and upgrades, minimising the burden on tax payers.

6. That Daracon enforce that all trucks comply with a `minimum good condition standard' which will minimise noise on our roads. Currently the owned and operated Daracon trucks appear to be to such a standard, but nearly all non Daracon trucks are below standard.


7. That Daracon supply new electronic speed advisory signs on either side of Tocal Rd in our vicinity.

I OPPOSE THE MARTINS CREEK QUARRY EXPANSION.

I oppose it for numerous reasons.

1. The increase in noise, earth tremors and dust pollution that the locals are currently being forced to endure.
I personally have friends who are living with the psychological trauma that this quarry is causing to their lifestyles.

2. The ridiculous increase in truck movement on our county roads.

3. The danger that these trucks impose to both motorists and pedestrians not to mention the degradation they are causing to the roads.

4. The destruction of the beautiful town of Paterson's heart.
If the footpaths are reduced on the corner of Gresford Rd and King St and a cement island is placed in the roadway, it will be impossible for the Post Office, the Service Staion, The Cafe and The C.B.C. to be accessed by the public. Crossing the road will become hazardous.

There will be NO Paterson as we know it. The major focus of our town will be nothing but a giant,noisy,busy, intersection.

Please take into account that this historic town is a draw card for tourists and it's beauty can be undone by the greed of a businessman with no social conscience.

If the existing railway line were to be utilized, a great deal of concern could be ameliorated. This must be looked at as an alternative to the roads being used.

I totally object to the proposed expansion of Martins creek Quarry, my reasons for this are outlined in the attached documents:

I object to the proposed expansion of the Martins Creek quarry.
See attached 4 x documents for details

Please see uploaded pdf letter

I OPPOSE THE MARTINS CREEK QUARRY EXPANSION.

I moved to the Paterson area from Sydney in early 2009, and purchased a home in the village of Paterson in early 2011. My daughter currently attends the Paterson Public School, and I am self-employed around the district several days per week.

The main impacts of the proposed expansion of the quarry on my family are that of noise and safety. Our home is located less than 100 metres from the main, and only, through road of Paterson. Empty trucks proceed through Paterson en route the quarry anywhere from 5.30am Monday through Saturday, and their passage past my street is audible for quite some time as they bounce along the uneven surface of our main road.

I particularly notice the loaded trucks passing by from 6.45am when I am preparing breakfast, and there is a steady stream from that time.

Upon leaving Paterson for work, I mostly need to turn right onto the main road. At times, this can be an exercise in patience as I wait for a clear, unobstructed view in both directions, with a steep descent some 50 metres to my left and often, parked vehicles at Stockers & Partridge to my right. On my way to and from work, I have to cross the Paterson River using the bridge just south of Paterson. It is not uncommon to have to share the bridge with a quarry truck and often I am forced to give way to a truck travelling across the bridge as though it were a single lane. It is also not uncommon for trucks turning onto the bridge to swing wide rather than slow down, again forcing preventative action.

I don't count how many trucks I pass on any given day but regularly note they cross double lines and cut corners.

Much of my grocery shopping is done at the local IGA and butcher. Parking to access these businesses is on the roadside and often on the opposite side of the road. I am still very able, and always hold my daughter's hand when we cross the road. There are many elderly and less mobile people, and many other families with young children, who also often have to park on the opposite side. At this present time, it is not uncommon for two and three trucks to pass by in each direction, one after the other, making it a precarious exercise to cross the road.

Beyond the village of Paterson, I have been taking my daughter to weekly tennis coaching at the Martins Creek Tennis Club for the past two-plus years. My big concern with that journey is at Gostwyck Bridge, currently a one-way bridge while it is undergoing renovation/repair. There is a give-way sign set some distance from the actual bridge when approaching from the Paterson side, with the approach from the Martins Creek side being a curve in the road and steep descent onto the bridge. I have previously experienced a truck approaching from the Martins Creek side not stopping even though it was clear I was almost on the bridge and certainly well past the give-way sign. The driver then proceeded to abuse me.

Since moving to Paterson, our area has experienced at least five flooding events that have closed the main road through Paterson for a short period. When that happens, a detour sign directs traffic along my street and the increase in traffic, both cars and trucks, is of concern.

With the current extraction licence at 500,000 tonnes, and the proposed extraction licence to be 1.5 million tonnes with increased hours, most of the experiences I have noted above will become more common, with greater risk. 80 trucks per hour will make it virtually impossible to cross the road to the shops and trying to exit my street onto the main road really will be dangerous.

The railway line between Sydney and Brisbane runs through Paterson and while I am not aware of exactly how many freight trains plus Countrylink and Dungog-Newcastle services pass through each day, the boom gates stop traffic regularly. Imagine how many more trucks will be banked up in the queue of traffic should an increase in quarrying operations be approved.

I have given thought as to what solutions there might be to the issues of noise and safety. Erecting speed/safety-check cameras at both ends of Paterson which could record the true volume of traffic might assist in some small way but would not solve the fact that the one and only road through Paterson was not designed for the volume of heavy vehicle traffic already using it, let alone what is proposed.

And so I can truthfully say that I do not believe the expansion of Martins Creek Quarry should be approved and further, that there needs to be some serious monitoring of the operator so that they don't exceed their existing licence.