Monaro Rock Quarry Project

I support this proposal as I live in Royalla and currently live unaffected by other similar types of operations, from a needs point of view I believe competition is needed as the current Holcim quarry on old Cooma road is supplying Downer Asphalt plant in Hume with material from its Albion Park quarry which is 220 km away as the Holcim quarry on Old Cooma road is unable to supply inspec quality product this quarry is near the end of its effective life.

This industry is well regulated with the Mines department the EPA and DPHI all more than capable of controlling such a development like this.

I support this project

Please see the attached file

I wish to voice my objection to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project. My primary concerns relates to the health impacts of silica dust on myself and my family and the significant increase in heavy vehicle traffic that this project will generate — up to 500 truck movements per day along the Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road.

1. Health Risks from Silica Dust
I am extremely worried about the impact of airborne silica dust from quarry operations on nearby communities. I live in Banks, my daughter, her partner, and young child live in Tralee, while another daughter and partner live in Googong, all within close proximity of the proposed quarry site.

Silica dust is recognised as a deadly hazard, causing serious long-term respiratory illnesses, silicosis, and even cancer. NSW Health warns that even low levels of exposure can have serious long-term health consequences. The health consequences of exposure are well-documented and cannot be ignored.

My concern is heightened because I and my daughter have autoimmune diseases, which already places us at greater risk of serious complications from environmental pollutants. Exposing us, and my young grandchild, to increased levels of silica dust is not only unsafe but negligent!

2. Road Safety Risks
Such a volume of heavy vehicles presents multiple and unacceptable impacts:
* Both the Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road are already busy routes, particulary during the snow season. The introduction of up to 500 additional heavy vehicle movements per day will substantially increase the risk of collisions, particularly involving smaller passenger vehicles, school buses, and agricultural traffic.
* This concern is deeply personal for me: my daughter was recently involved in a serious car accident on Old Cooma Road, resulting in her vehicle being written off. Thankfully, she was not badly injured, but the incident highlights how dangerous this road can already be without the addition of hundreds of quarry trucks.
* I personally drive from Banks to Googong for work five days a week, using these same roads. The thought of sharing them with so many additional quarry trucks makes me fearful for my own safety, as well as that of other daily commuters.

3. Traffic Congestion
An additional 500 truck trips will place immense strain on the road network. This will cause significant congestion, especially during peak travel times when commuters, snow traffic, and school transport already compete for limited road space.

4. Infrastructure Strain and Maintenance Costs
Heavy vehicles cause disproportionate wear and tear on roads. The burden of road damage and required upgrades will ultimately fall on local councils and taxpayers, despite the quarry being a private commercial operation.

In light of these concerns — including my family’s direct experience with the dangers of Old Cooma Road, my daily commute on these routes, and my deep worry for my daughter and her young family in Tralee — I believe the Monaro Rock Quarry Project poses unacceptable risks to road safety, public health, and community wellbeing. I strongly urge the responsible authorities to reject this project.

As a local homeowner raising two young children, I am deeply alarmed by the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal and call on authorities to refuse approval. The EIS confirms that the project will operate for 30 to 35 years, essentially my children’s entire childhood and young adulthood will be spent living next to an industrial blasting site. This is not an acceptable legacy for any family. The cumulative impacts on air quality, noise, and mental health will shape an entire generation’s experience of growing up in Royalla.

The environmental consequences of this proposal are irreversible. Clearing of 21 hectares of land, the removal of soil, and the construction of a large quarry pit will destroy ecosystems that currently support biodiversity and provide natural buffers for noise and air quality. The EIS acknowledges the presence of Box-Gum Woodland and sensitive species. Offsetting these losses elsewhere does not protect the immediate Royalla environment. My children will not benefit from an offset site kilometres away, they will be breathing the dust and living with the loss of the bushland around our home.

Traffic impacts are also grossly underestimated in the EIS. An extra 200 heavy vehicle trips per day will transform the Monaro Highway into a freight corridor, increasing the risk of serious accidents and putting pressure on already busy intersections. This is particularly concerning for families whose children will one day drive these roads. No level of road widening or intersection redesign can eliminate the risks that come with such high-volume, high-mass vehicle movements through a semi-rural community.

Decision-makers have an obligation to consider the long-term social cost of approving projects like this. Once approved, there is no going back, the community will live with the impacts for decades. This is not compatible with ecologically sustainable development or with a vision of a healthy, connected, and safe future for Royalla families.

31,000 ACT and NSW residents live within five kilometres of the site. 92,000 residents live within ten kilometres.

The nearest Royalla residents are only 1.6km away. ACT residents are only 2.6km away.

Silica dust and noise can travel further than this in all directions. Exposing this to our children and most venerable in the community.

There are three other quarries in the region, and none are operating at full capacity. This quarry is not needed to meet production needs.

This quarry would exist to increase the profits of two families. This will come at the cost of negative impact to many thousands.

I write to express my absolute opposition to the Monaro Rock Quarry development. This proposal is being presented as essential to the region’s growth, but the EIS itself shows that even with this quarry operating at full production, further supply sources will still be needed. We should not be sacrificing Royalla’s community character, safety, and liveability just to temporarily plug a supply gap. The cost to our quality of life far outweighs the claimed economic benefit.

The noise, dust, and blasting associated with the quarry will reduce property values and make Royalla a less desirable place to live. The EIS outlines “mitigation measures” like acoustic barriers and dust collectors, but these are bandaid solutions for a project that is fundamentally incompatible with a residential and lifestyle community. No barrier can remove the sense of industrialisation or the daily disruption to peaceful rural life.

The social impacts are significant and enduring. Families move to Royalla for space, clean air, and connection with nature. This project threatens to replace those values with truck traffic, industrial noise, and visual scarring. The EIS anticipates a final landform with a water-filled pit – hardly a safe or attractive legacy for future generations. We are not willing to have our children grow up next to a hole in the ground that symbolises the loss of what made this area special.

Council and State authorities must listen to the people who live here. We are not anti-development, but we are against development that puts private profit over public interest and leaves our children to inherit a degraded environment. There are better ways to meet construction demand without permanently damaging one of the few remaining rural residential areas near Canberra.

My belief is that the impact of this project will include dust, noise, environmental impacts to protected habitat, risks to Tuggeranong waterways from large on-site fuel and oil storage/ potential runoff and potential impacts to property values.

As proposed, the traffic and road implications are significant and show scant regard to the fact that Googong is a rapidly growing township.
As its population grows, so will the number of vehicles traversing Old Cooma Rd, especially to and from the north.
The existing quarry adjacent Old Cooma Rd already causes enough issues with trucks having to cross northbound lanes and entering from the quarry at high speed and showing no regard for other vehicles.
Project proponents, and the QPRC, would do well to heed the lessons from the Greta bus accident in 2023 - regulators, road planners and the designers of that roundabout are now being sued for the contributions their failures made to that accident which claimed many lives. Local authorities may be sued for malfeasance, and they owe a duty of care to residents and road users in their planning decisions.
Unless a more satisfactory arrangement can be made to avoid the 500 per day truck movemts that will be added to traffic on Old Cooma Rd, this project should not be allowed to proceed.

I object to the project as per attached

The quarry would be detrimental to the environment and surrounds for reasons such as:
# Pollution - the silica dust carried in the wind, collecting on homes, in water tanks, solar panels and gardens will cause drastic contamination.
# Odour - the production of hot asphalt generates strong and persistent odours through the air.
# Blasting - Noise, vibrations, and dust from blasting and heavy vehicle movements.
# Traffic - The project will generate up to 500 heavy vehicle trucks per day. The Monaro Highway is an extremely busy and dangerous highway at the best of times especially during the ski season where there have been many fatalities along the stretch of road proposed for use for access to the quarry.
# Electricity - Damage to home appliances and farming electrical equipment with the brownouts.
# Water - The use of up to 42.4 million litres of water per year of extracted ground water which would be required for dust control of the area. There would also be a reduction in water flow for residents close by who rely on bores for water production.
# Indigenous Artifacts found within that area - ring tree and scar tree. A range of objects were also found during the survey.
# Wildlife - there are a family of wedge tail eagles that have lived in that precinct for the last 25 years plus. This would greatly impact their environment.
There is no capacity to facilitate another quarry in an area that is in close proximity to residents in Royalla, Fernleigh Park, Mount Campbell, Little Burra, Burra, Jerrabomberra, Condor, Calwell, Richardson and beyond. There are two quarries in the area that are only running at 40% capacity to date. Why would you approve another quarry that would have severe impact on not only the people, environment, but would also require proposed buildings of hospitals and other health facilities for the Government in the future to accommodate the people that have been affected by silica dust?

As a resident of Royalla who lives within very close proximity of the proposed quarry I have the following objections:
The noise from the blasting and dust would greatly impact my living environment as it would other residents within the area. I have grown up on the farm enjoying the tranquillity of fresh air, peace and quiet.
The traffic on the Monaro Highway is extremely busy at the best of times, especially during the winter ski season. There have been multiple traffic accidents along that stretch of road proposed by Monaro Rock to be used to access the quarry. The traffic build up during the school holidays lines up from the bottom of Johnston Drive back to Old Cooma Road which causes significant delays.
We rely on our Bore for water. If the quarry was to be approved, our water flows would be significantly reduced on the farm which would affect our farming, in the way of cropping and water troughs.
The dust generated from the quarry would have a significant impact on everyone within the area and surrounds with the fine silica dust settling into tanks, troughs, solar panels, gardens - many people grow their own vegetables and produce in and around this area.
Another quarry developed in the Royalla area would cause significant health risks to the people, animals and environment that live in this area and surrounds. With two other quarries only currently at 40% capacity, why would you be looking to approve another quarry?

i Object to this Proposal
as a Resadent of Tuggernong in South Canberra this plan will cause increased Traffic to the Monaro HWY between Canberra and Cooma most of these roads are in Poor COnditon as it is and the trucks will cause addional wear to poorly maintained roads

while also destroying Country views and homes for Native ANimals

I would like to state my objection to this project on the following basis:
.The additional traffic generated by this project is considerable. In particular, I am concerned about the additional traffic on our street - the Old Cooma Road. Parts of the current road are in poor condition, and as I understand it, the road is not rated to cope with trucks of this weight and number.
. As you will note by our address we are one of the closest residents to the quarry. Our home lies on a battle-axe block behind our neighbours at 1228 Old Cooma Rd. I am drawing this to your attention as I don't believe our residence was represented in the maps forming the current proposal document.
.I am particularly concerned about silica dust being carried on the wind collecting on our home and the potential to contaminate our lungs and water tanks.
. The production of hot mix asphalt will also generate strong and persistent odours and will involve noise from blasting and heavy vehicle movements.
. As there is existing capacity within the four quarries already in operation within a 30km radius for the next 100 years I see this as a request purely based on a commercial profit making basis without due consideration to those living around/near the proposed quary and the environment.

Objection to the Monaro Rock Quarry Proposal

To whom it may concern,

I am a 47-year-old resident of Isabella Plains and I strongly object to the Monaro Rock quarry proposal.

Trucks and Traffic

The quarry may not sit right in my backyard, but the truck impact will be felt across Tuggeranong. We already deal with congestion and road wear, and adding hundreds more heavy quarry trucks daily will:

increase noise through suburbs and on the Monaro Highway,

raise safety risks for everyday drivers and cyclists, and

spread dust along haul routes.

This is not just a “local Royalla issue” — Tuggeranong residents, including those of us in Isabella Plains, will share the burden.

Dust, Health, and Lifestyle

Dust doesn’t respect boundaries. PM2.5 and crystalline silica can travel kilometres on the wind, and Tuggeranong is directly downwind at times. That means more respiratory risks, more health problems, and less liveability. People here chose these suburbs for a balance of space and community. A quarry undermines that choice.

Environmental Impacts

The Royalla area is valued for its bushland, wildlife, and as a buffer between urban Tuggeranong and regional NSW. A massive open-cut quarry will scar that landscape, create constant noise, and disrupt ecosystems. Once destroyed, it can’t be put back.

No Need for Another Quarry

The ACT and surrounding NSW already have quarries supplying the region. This proposal isn’t about “meeting demand” — it’s about one company chasing higher profits at the expense of residents’ health, property values, and quality of life. Communities like ours shouldn’t have to carry that cost.

Conclusion

This project would damage the environment, increase traffic risks, spread dust across suburbs, and reduce liveability in Tuggeranong. There is no real justification for yet another quarry when plenty already exist.

I urge that the Monaro Rock quarry proposal be rejected.

Sincerely,
Ben McCarthy
Isabella Plains

I object to the project for the following reasons:

- Airborne silica dust carried by wind over residential areas.
- Excessive noise from blasts and machinery and its effects on local residents.
- Negative impact to local flora and fauna.
- Negative impact to local house prices.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to formally object to the proposed quarry development near our community. The location is far too close to established suburbs and poses unacceptable risks to residents. The release of dust and fine particles, particularly silica dust, presents serious health dangers, including respiratory illness and long-term conditions such as silicosis. No amount of dust suppression fully eliminates this hazard when such industry is placed so close to homes, schools, and sporting ovals.

In addition, the significant increase in heavy truck traffic along the already congested arterial road will further threaten safety and quality of life. The route is not designed to handle the volume and weight of quarry trucks, and this will increase noise, vibration, road damage, and accident risk in areas where families live and travel daily.

The quarry will degrade air quality, compromise public health, and disrupt safe transport on a critical road serving suburban areas. This site is wholly inappropriate for such industrial activity, and I strongly urge that the proposal be rejected.

I bring my competition horses down to Canberra and South of Canberra frequently for training and events. The side effects of the air pollution from the construction of this quarry would have significant consequences on my horses’ air quality and performance, not to mention my own health in the process. The traffic on the Monaro Highway is already dangerous to a lot of float drivers with horses in tow, adding 500 trucks to the road would be a disaster, especially with the younger drivers and riders such as myself still learning to tow a float as Canberra has junior events that are accessible for the younger generation. If you cannot confirm that there will be no health effects from this construction then you should not go ahead with the quarry.

I am a relatively new resident of Googong and delight in the benefits of living in such a beautiful and well planned suburb and the community it has developed. I note there is some noise from construction work and dust that settles on my property but I tell myself it is only temporary as the construction will finish and peace will prevail. I am 70 years old and have never had any respiratory issues until I moved to Googong from the Central Coast. I believe these issues are caused by construction dust. which in time will conclude and not be an issue.
I am currently staying , for a period of 5 weeks , with a family member in Lorn NSW ( near Maitland). I have been surprised and saddened the impact that industry has had on the quality of life in the relatively short time I have been visiting, and these same poor qualiity issues will prevail in Googong if the development of the Royalla Quarry goes ahead. I will note my concerns in point form.
* Blasting noise
I was startled by loud blasting noises which I initially thought was thunder, so much so that I searched the location of nearby mines and the noise that would prevail. These mines are some distance from Lorn -

"Distance Considerations
A significant factor in determining the impact of blasting at mines and quarries on residences and other sensitive sites is the separation distance between the blast site and the sensitive sites Ground vibration and airblast limits for mines and quarries - Resources Victoria. While Lorn itself appears to be at some distance from the major mining operations (which are concentrated more in the Singleton/Muswellbrook area), the sound from large-scale mining blasting can potentially carry considerable distances depending on weather conditions and topography.
Given Lorn's location in the lower Hunter Valley and the concentration of major mining operations in the upper Hunter Valley around Singleton and Muswellbrook, residents may experience some audible effects from larger blasting operations, though the intensity would likely be much reduced compared to areas immediately adjacent to the mines."

Given that the Royalla Quarry project is withinh 5km of Googong the impact of blasting noise will be considerable and in my experience in the Lorn area of blasting at a greater distance, it will be most distressing.

*Dust pollution
As I previously mentioned the issues with construction dust in Googong, which will be temporary. I have noticed during my visit to Lorn the amount of black dirty dust deposits on my car while parked on the street. I assume this is environmental due to mining operations and the nearby passage of trains carrying uncovered coal loads. The close proximity of the Royalla project to the Googong residential area will expose residents to increased exposure to dust especially silica.

"Silica Dust - The Most Dangerous Component
Crystalline silica is particularly harmful because the health risk arises when silica particles are small enough to get into the deepest parts of the lungs, especially the alveoli where inhaled air passes into the bloodstream Danger in the Air | Environmental Working Group.
Serious Health Conditions:
Occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica cause adverse health effects, including silicosis (acute silicosis, accelerated silicosis, simple chronic silicosis, progressive massive fibrosis), nonmalignant respiratory diseases (e.g., emphysema and chronic bronchitis), lung cancer, and kidney disease. Each of these effects is chronic, irreversible, and potentially disabling or fatal Respirable Crystalline Silica | Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
Studies of miners have linked it to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and kidney damage Danger in the Air | Environmental Working Group
Vulnerable Populations
Everyone can be affected by PM but some people are at higher risk including: children under 5 years; people 65 years and older; pregnant women; people with heart or lung conditions; and people who do a lot of outdoor physical activity Mine dust and you - NSW Health
Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses such as COPD, emphysema, asthma, and progressive lung disease will be most impacted"

Given the expanding population in Googong (currently around 8,000 and expected to reach around 18,000) and the high incidence of young familes it would be disastrous to expose the health risks of quarrying operations to such a community.

* Traffic
My home is Googong is relativley close to Old Cooma Road, and I do hear traffic noise. When I drive into Queanbeyan I am extra vigilant at the intersection where mining trucks join Old Cooma road on the way down the hill. They barrel out onto the Old Cooma road and on the way up the hill extra care needs to be taken as they move from the left lane into the right hand turning lande to return to their quarry site. I have seen a few near misses at this corner.

Ttruck activity due to quarry operation puts residential communities at greater due to the increased heavy vehicle traffic in areas where travelling by car is the main form of transport.

I believe the proposed Royalla Quarry will cause a serious negative impact both in terms of quality of life and health issues to the community of Googong and surrounds.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment,

Good afternoon,
I live in Theodore, directly opposite the proposed quarry on the Monaro. I am opposed to the opening of this quarry as it will directly affect the health of not only my family, but the thousands of people who live in the area. As a new parent, I do not want to put my daughter's health at risk, with mining dust a lead cause in lung cancer, asthma development, and further respiratory issues. I have family members and friends who have respiratory issues, meaning they will likely not be able to visit for long periods, or at all. Moving past my personal reasons, within Thedore and Calwell, there are three primary schools and one high school. I would like to know how the government can justify opening a quarry so close to schools, with the risks to respiratory health very apparent. As we are in a valley, the dust will settle, meaning the already poor air quality in the region will get worse.

We chose to live in Theodore for its beautiful surrounds and connection to the land, and a quarry ravaging this area would be an eye sore at a minimum. I understand the need for the expansion of mining for resources, but to be putting this near a residential area seems inconsiderate, careless, and greed driven. The proposal outlines that explosive works will take place throughout the day, with heavy vehicles running past normal business hours. The Monaro is already a significant noise source, and the addition of 500 heavy vehicles will only exacerbate this further. The running of machinery and maintenance outside of normal business hours will disrupt many households. The mining company has stated in its impact statement they acknowledge silica dust will become airborne and can be incredibly dangerous. They also recognise the correlation between silicosis and COPD, lung cancer, and further respiratory issues. Putting tens of thousands of people's health at risk for the gain of one company does not appear to be serving the people of Australia.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my objection to the Monaro Quarry. I hope you make the correct decision for the benefits of all Australians, not just the mining companies who line the pockets of government.

I write as a a proud lifelong resident of the Tuggeranong area. I was born and raised here, have brought up my own children here, and intend to continue to live here for the rest of my life. The idea that I—or my neighbours—might have to relocate, or endure diminished quality of life, due to the proposed quarry off the Monaro Highway deeply concerns me. I oppose this proposal for a number of reasons grounded in health, environment, community well-being, and safety.

Key Concerns
1. Health risks: silica dust & air quality
• Hard rock quarries produce silica dust. Chronic exposure to silica can cause serious and irreversible lung diseases, including silicosis, decreased lung function, and exacerbate asthma. The long-term health effects simply cannot be downplayed.
• Dust does not respect property boundaries; even those some kilometres away could suffer health consequences. Our children, elderly and those with preexisting respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable.
2. Noise, blasting, vibration
• Blasting and crushing operations will generate vibrations, loud noise, must‐carry through the air and ground, and could damage buildings—cracks in walls, windows. These are not trivial inconveniences; they represent real risk to homes and peace of mind.
• Continuous noise can also affect mental health, quality of sleep, stress levels, and reduce enjoyment of life.
3. Water / groundwater impacts
• The proposal involves use of groundwater. Lowering of water tables could cause bores to dry up, affecting nearby residents who rely on them for water supply.
• Additionally, water runoff / wastewater from the quarry is planned to discharge into Tuggeranong Creek, which flows through suburbs into Lake Tuggeranong. This poses risk to water quality for ecosystems and residents, potential pollution, sedimentation and alteration of natural water regimes.
4. Environment / biodiversity
• The area to be cleared includes 22 hectares of critically endangered box-gum grassy woodland, and overall 78 hectares of vegetation. This is significant habitat loss.
• Over 300 species of flora and fauna are present—many likely sensitive / habitat-specific. Loss of habitat threatens local biodiversity, potentially contributing to local extinctions or loss of ecological services (pollination, soil stability, carbon sequestration, etc.).
5. Traffic, road safety and community amenity
• The proposal estimates hundreds of fully laden trucks per day entering either the Monaro Highway or Old Cooma Road. This will dramatically increase heavy vehicle traffic on roads not built for constant heavy loads, increasing risks of accidents.
• Slow moving (or accelerating/decelerating) trucks merging with ordinary commuter traffic will make existing road hazards worse. Commuters, school traffic, local services will all be more at risk.
• Noise, dust, and safety concerns from heavy traffic degrade surrounding neighbourhoods and reduce amenity and livability.
6. Electricity / infrastructure strain
• The quarry requires substantial electrical power. There is reportedly no plan to increase supply accordingly. This could result in voltage swings, brownouts, damage to sensitive domestic equipment or pumps. Residents already in Royalla, for example, experience damaging voltage fluctuations—this proposal may worsen those conditions.
7. Impacts on property, community, quality of life
• Beyond physical health and environmental harms, there is the intangible yet real harm: loss of peace, enjoyment of one’s own property, ability to rely on clean water and air, the stress and anxiety about damage, and potential property devaluation.
• Many of us have chosen to live here for the semi-rural / natural amenity; this quarry threatens to eat away at that fundamental reason.

Given the above, I strongly request that this proposal be rejected in its current form, and that alternative options for other locations further away from suburbs be seriously considered. If it is approved, it should only be with very strict conditions (if that is even sufficient) that address:
• rigorous air quality monitoring, limitations or prohibitions on blasting times
• buffer zones far larger than currently proposed
• protections for groundwater and water quality
• traffic management (routeing, limits on truck numbers and times)
• mitigation of noise, vibration and dust impact
• biodiversity offsets that are meaningful, verifiable, and permanent
• compensation for residents of Tuggeranong who will have to cope with decrease in the value of our homes and the ongoing environmental and health concerns this quarry will bring

I believe the quarry should not proceed at this site given the scale of risk. The costs to health, environment, and community far outweigh the benefits and need to be considered.

As someone who was born, raised, and now raising children in Tuggeranong, I do not want to be forced to move or to compromise our health, well-being, or environment. I respectfully submit this opposition and request that decision makers turn down this proposal.

Thank you for your careful consideration.