Martins Creek Quarry Project

This project would involve the clearing of 21H of endangered spotted quoll and koala habitat. We need to be protecting all populations of endangered species, not just the ones that are convenient and don't stand in the way of making profit.

Living in Hilldale Drive, our block backs onto Tocal Road. As a young family I have safety issues for my family and those in our community. Having 200+ Trucks per day will not only increase noise, pollution, affect the environment, but provide a safety issues for children crossing roads, riding to school and Increase delays due to the level of traffic. The noise of the trucks alone for our property in early mornings and night will be a nuisance as we can already hear the traffic 24/7.. multiplying that, will make it unbearable. We have a great community.. many other suburbs would love to emulate, I don’t want to see it ruined or accidents happen. What about property value? This will hurt families immensely. Such a shame to think we have to even consider this.

Please see attachment

I have been a resident in this area since 1988. The predominant reason for moving into this area was to be able to live, raise my children and eventually retire in a peaceful and environmentally clean/healthy rural environment free of any commercial or industrial activity which produces associated pollution such as excessive noise, traffic congestion, and affected air/water quality. The expansion of the Martins Creek Quarry will impact negatively and profoundly on the most important environmental aspects that constitute my quality of life.

Whilst I do not object to the operation of quarrying on the Martins Creek site I do object most strongly to the proposed annual volume of extraction on the site plus the impact of dust generated from that production and the increased usage of road transport to move the product.
1. Martins Creek quarry has existed in our community for over one hundred years and had not been an issue at the historical rate of extraction and whilst using rail cartage.
The proposed (and more recent last 5-7 years) rate of extraction and transportation from the site is incapable of being handled by the existing road transport infrastructure with particular reference to the crossing of 19th/early 20th Century road bridges which were never designed to handle vehicles of this weight and width along with local traffic. The proposed cartage of heavy loads in articulated vehicles through the right angle and dog-leg bends of the 19th century village of Paterson is an accident just waiting to happen and may very well result in loss-of-life. Paterson village road infrastructure, by virtue of its heritage, is not designed to handle modern multi-axle road transport in the volumes desired by this development. An alternative route must be found or increase the use of the rail corridor to a centralised dump (or dumps) in closer proximity to the market where it would be presumed that better heavy vehicle road infrastructure was already in place (or reinstate the 300,000 ton extraction rate).
Whilst it is obvious that road transport gives the developer greater supply flexibility, and the capital cost is largely born by the transport contractor, it must be incumbent on the developer to seek other solutions than road transport, which will significantly increase the developer's costs and rightly so as the developer is the only party to gain from this exercise.
Paterson village is already experiencing higher traffic volume as the result of increased residential development within Dungog Shire which is unlikely to abate. Adding higher volumes of bulk material transport to the mix is only going to exacerbate this developing issue.
2. Dust generated from quarrying is unavoidable but must be mitigated. Our property is located 5.5Km due south of the quarry and yet the overflow chamber of the rain gauge (still air) collects grey granite-like dust which must be falling from the sky. I presume from the quarry. On a still, clear day a plume of dust can be seen rising from the Martins Creek Quarry.
WH&S are now raising issue with the use of granite bench tops and associated dust generated during the production of these bench tops.
If we're getting quarry dust in the rain gauge then we're breathing it as well.
The existing 300,000 ton extraction limit should be reinstated and policed. We all need the quarry product but there are other sources (some local).

I very strongly object to the project. Please see attachment.

Imagine a family of 5, living in the family home. The children attend the local primary school just meters from their home with a nearly built pathway that’s still too dangerous to allow them to walk by themselves! And that’s just for now, you add the exceeding amount of large hauling vehicles to Paterson road and it will cause serious injury.

We witness a large amount of near misses of accidents turning out from Bolwarra road onto Paterson road and from Paterson road into Bolwarra road where cars let alone trucks can safely go around the turning car ... you guessed it holding handfuls of school children. And that’s just the misses! I have helped many people in accidents both when I’m at home and attending through the local RFS.


Our eldest son suffers from bad asthma and we do all the prescribed solutions from our specialists and actively use natural ways of helping him overcome this but the amount of dust and dirt from the hauling trucks is something we can not control.
The air quality will severely impact his and others children’s health!


Not only do we live on the main road currently impacted by high traffic, our home will be inundated by noise, driving issues and our house price!

Please do not make the mistake of allowing this to proceed! Many families, animals, Infrastructure and the quality of life will be affected.

Please find the attached

Daracon have shown show no regard for the community during operations previously.
Knowingly going well over and above what was allowed. Putting extra pressure on already struggling road infrastructure.
The amount of trucks proposed is beyond a joke for a small down of Paterson and the built up areas of Bolwarra.

All signatories strongly oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion for the following reasons:
A. based on the history of the company and their unwillingness to comply with their license
B. the negative ramifications for the community
C. the EPBC Act regarding environmental damage and loss of habitats and threatened species.

Communities and commerce within the existing Maitland Hinterlands and Paterson Valley districts are thriving; with local agriculture, residential construction, equine industry and services, tourism, wedding venues, hospitality and agricultural tertiary education all providing jobs and economic support to the region. According to 2011 Australian Bureau of Statistics for the Dungog Shire these sectors provide 1719 local jobs. An expansion of hard rock mining which pays no state royalties and contributes little to the local economy will place at risk many of these local jobs and local businesses as well as have a detrimental affect on the standard of living for the community.

Finally, the EPBC Act which was reviewed by Graeme Samuel has been a failure for our wildlife and the environment and is fundamentally flawed. Unlisted and even listed threatened species and ecosystems are not receiving the protection they need and are entitled to under the Act. Such as the failings of this system that have allowed assessments and approvals to take place with little or no scrutiny to protect our wildlife and their habitats. As this proposal and past actions by Daracon demonstrates, we need transparent environmental assessments and holding decision makers and corporations to account if they fail their obligations to protect critical habitats (Ramsar Listed Wetlands), fauna and flora. We firmly oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion proposal completely.
Please refer to our attached PDF document for our detailed reasons to support our views.

Yours sincerely
Janice Haviland Martin Derby

I would like to oppose the expansion of Martins Creek Quarry. I don’t live in the area, but I’m a regular visitor, who stays with the family in Bolwarra Heights, B&B in Paterson and surrounding villages. The expansion plans will not only have very negative impact on the families living in the area, but also on tourism and small businesses . As a previous visitor to Paterson I can not imagine going there and having enjoyable experience with 280 trucks driving past daily. We could no longer cycle, spend time in the local park or have coffee in the nearby cafe. The noise and dust would make it impossible. I’m also aware of the beautiful and unique wildlife living in the area that Daracon wants to bulldoze. The forest is a home to koalas and quolls and other endangered and threatened species and should be given a protection it deserves. The expansion would have a devastating effect on mental health and well-being of residents, it would destroy beautiful countryside that tourists like myself have enjoyed, it would ruin local tourism operators . I urge you not to allow the expansion.

attached are details of our opposition to Daracon proposals

Please see attachment for detailed objection.

I strongly object to the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion. Having lived in this beautiful area for my whole life, I know what negative impacts this will have on the quality of life for all people in the area. In addition, the animals that will be affected include many endangered species and we should take pride in having them in our area. The roads are already terrible and this will add to it. So many people move to this area for its beauty and country feel, and this expansion will ruin this. I want to stay in this area when I have children of my own, as do so many others. If this goes ahead, it will be a huge disappointment and I, and many others, will not wish to stay in the area. This will mean valuable members of our community will leave. The roads are already congested a lot of the time, due to the popularity of the area. From Melbourne St lights and Flat Road approaching Bolwarra roundabout, along Paterson Rd and Tocal Rd all the way to Paterson, this expansion will have an extremely negative impact on traffic. In addition, new bike and walking paths are encouraging people to get active and kids to walk to school in Bolwarra, but 280 trucks a day is going to stop parents allowing their children walking to school due to safety concerns. We know there is a large problem with obesity in our nation, and discouraging people from using bike and walking paths which are at the moment, proving to be very popular, will just add to the health problems due to a lack of exercise. I do not understand why this expansion is even being considered, as it’s negative impacts so strongly outweigh any benefits.

See detailed attachment

I OPPOSE the proposal by Daracon and Umwelt to expand the Martins Creek quarry because it is not at all in the public interest and has major social impacts. Firstly the Tocal Road on which we live is narrow and already very busy and a further 280 trucks a day would add undue noise and stress on that road. The quiet rural amenity and historical beauty of the Mindaribba, Tocal and Paterson districts would be severely impacted. Not only would there be hugely increased noise from truck movements but also further noise from added train movements directly through these areas. Secondly the intersection at Melbourne Road in East Maitland, already clogged a peak hours, would be far worse and lead to stress on all the surrounding residential and rural roads. Thirdly the habitats of a number of threatened and endangered animals including koalas and the spotted quoll will be bulldozed. This destruction needs to stop. The long term future of our native flora and fauna needs to be protected at all costs, for future generations, against the short term profits of private companies.

This development will bring a significant increase in traffic in an area that has undergone (with ongoing) substantial residential development, with many young families. We live on Tocal Road and our children attend the local public school - Bolwarra Public. There is already nowhere for them to safely cross the road from our home to get access to school and thus must be taken in a private vehicle. No pedestrian crossings- or traffic lights are in place along any part of Paterson or Tocal Roads. Many children still walk to bus stops and along the pavements on Paterson and Tocal Road and there is significant risk with this level of proposed increase traffic of a serious accident involving young children trying to get to school. The roads through Maitland, Largs, Bolwarra and Paterson are not suitable for this volume of proposed traffic with many blind spots and particularly through Paterson, would face significant maintenance issues. Furthermore, this is a semi-rural area which will be significantly impacted through the increase of traffic and additional noise and dust and exhaust fumes. The area is not suitable to be an industrial corridor and a mine haulage road.

"I oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion"
My objections to increased quarry production and expansion are:
1. ROAD ISSUES
• The local road transport network was not designed to be used by large trucks, let alone an increase to the number of truck movements.
• Our local roads are already being damaged by these heavily-laden trucks. As rate-payers and road users the cost falls back on us in repairs to our roads and vehicles that suffer from the damage caused.
• The safety aspects of these increased truck movements is of real concern. Paterson village obviously exists for the benefit of its residents. Depending on where residents live they need to be able to safely walk or drive (and park) to access Paterson’s businesses and services. Parking spaces are already limited. The idea that making changes that would remove parking spaces to allow trucks to more safely negotiate the t-intersection in the centre of Paterson is ludicrous. Paterson roads don’t exist for the sole benefit of a quarry owner for the transportation of their products.
• From a personal point of view I am finding it increasingly difficult to access facilities in my own village. I often walk to visit local businesses and services. Safely crossing the busy road through Paterson with traffic levels as they exist now can be particularly frustrating and time-consuming, let alone dangerous. I have witnessed numerous “near-misses” with trucks involved.
• Driving brings its own set of concerns. I need to turn right at King Street to reach my house. There is no turning lane for me or the main traffic turning left at this intersection. Add trucks into the traffic flow and it becomes an accident waiting to happen.

2. AIR QUALITY
• Dust emissions from the quarry as it exists are of concern to our health. The tangible evidence in our rain gauge shows the fallout from the quarry’s production. Obviously the air that we breathe contains this same substance. The dust cloud pall which is visible above the quarry and its surrounds is an issue that needs to be addressed. A system of dust monitoring should be established for the protection of the residents of Paterson and surrounds.

3. NOISE
• The noise of empty trucks in the early morning disturbs a large corridor within the Paterson community. Transport hours should be restricted and closely monitored as this is regularly flouted.

Martins Creek Quarry’s expansion proposal is not in the best interests of the residents of our area. The damage already being caused to our safety, health and environment cannot be justified in the profits of the quarry owner. The quarry does provide employment in our region. It does not need to be expanded to continue this employment to the detriment of the area’s residents.
Daracon has proven itself repeatedly to be a less-than-honest corporate citizen. As a company it has shown that it is willing to operate outside the legal constraints applied to it. Careful monitoring of its future behaviour is obviously warranted.

I strongly oppose the Martins Creek Quarry Expansion.
Application Number SSD-6612

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

As a resident of Paterson village for some years and as a pedestrian and road user in the wider area with a young family, I am very concerned with the proposal to expand hours and production.
I believe the increased truck movements dramatically increases the potential danger on our narrow country roads and in our local villages.
Increased trucks also mean increased noise and disruption to the amenity of our local villages and increased road damage.
The proposed intersection of Dungog Rd and the proposed new quarry entry road would be dangerously located on a windy section of road.
Three out of four road routes to and from the quarry are across a single lane bridge and from my experience not many trucks really want to slow down or stop to give way to a car. The 4th road route is over a rail bridge and is signposted 25kph.

The main road through Paterson is periodically cut by floodwater at which time traffic is diverted directly past our house. Every truck would then be diverted onto streets that are even tighter for heavy vehicles to negotiate. Bringing with them all the noise and associated dangers to young kids living on a normally quiet street.

The increase in truck traffic by whatever route through the local area is a catastrophe in the making.

Please find attached the submission of Maitland City Council as per the Council Resolution of 27 July 2021.