Monaro Rock Quarry Project

That this project is proposed to be located so close to south Canberra suburbs is outrageous. The south of Canberra is already home an industrial estate and Canberra's Waste Management Centre. The air quality in the Tuggeranong Valley in particular is already poor due to the topography of the valley with Monaro hills to the east and the Brindabellas to the west. This was heavily emphasised during the 2019/20 bushfire season when smoke from the south coast hung in the valley for weeks.
Additionally, the monaro highway is one of the most dangerous roads in Canberra and surrounds due to the limited access roads to the south and already heavy use of commercial vehicles.
Between the extremely concerning effect on the air quality to those in the Tuggeranong Valley, and the increased risk to road users with such a substantial increase in heavy vehicles, the location for this project is completely unacceptable.

As an ACT resident who lives close to this project and a frequent user of the Monaro Hwy and the Old Cooma Road, I have a number of concerns.

The Monaro Highway Damage.
The substantial increase of heavy trucks on the Highway will have a very detrimental impact on the road. The highway already shows significant degradation with numerous potholes and subsidences to the road shoulders along the stretch from the Old Cooma Road to the Calwell roundabout.
The number of heavy vehicles from the proposed quarry will hasten and increase damages along the this stretch of the highway.
How will the ACT and NSW Governments address the increased damages caused.

Monaro Highway road Safety
It is proposed that the heavily load trucks from the quarry will enter the Monaro Highway from either the Old Cooma Road or just north from the Old Cooma Road. This section of the highway is a single carriageway in either direction with a 100 km speed limit.
The increasing number of heavily laden trucks trying to enter the Monaro Highway will pose a very high traffic accident risk.
What traffic management plans or upgrades to the Monaro Highway will be undertaken to reduce the risk?

The Old Cooma Road Damage.
The substantial increase of heavy trucks on the road will have a very detrimental impact on the road. The road at present caters for passenger vehicles and minimal trucks. When there have been numerous heavy trucks using the road substantial damages have been caused requiring major repairs. The current road will not be able to handle the substantial increase in heavily loaded trucks.
What and how will the NSW Government manage the repairs and upgrades that will be required?

Dust and Noise
The quarry will be due east of a number for the ACT’s suburbs that have been in place for well over 30 years.
These suburbs will now be exposed to the dust and noise from this quarry.

I live within 3 kilometres from the proposed quarry. I object to this development as this will compromise my air quality and increase environmental noise and be a detriment to the surrounding flora and fauna. This will not only affect me, but my surrounding community as well. I strongly object to this development.

I am a current resident of Royalla for the past 15 years. Royalla Quarry must be stopped in my opinion for many reasons. I have 4 children, all living here. 2 hold current licences and 2 upcoming in the next year years. I am extremely worried on the current road conditions and if the quarry goes ahead, I cannot express enough how extremely dangerous these roads will become.

https://region.com.au/canberras-most-dangerous-roads-insurance-data-reveals-the-capitals-car-crash-hotspots/701838/

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=22a81b728edc7d18c960200837ec3aaeefb040a964c30781c1d68400d1516bf0JmltdHM9MTc1ODA2NzIwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0974ac07-2d98-62b2-3e1c-ba0e2c5e633d&u=a1L2ltYWdlcy9zZWFyY2g_cT1kYW5nZXJvdXMrbW9uYXJvK2hpZ2h3YXkmcXB2dD1kYW5nZXJvdXMrbW9uYXJvK2hpZ2h3YXkmRk9STT1JR1JF

Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road are in the highest crash incidents area roads in Australia. If you add more heavy trucks and traffic, these roads will become extremely dangerous with fatalities to come.
How can such a negative impact project go ahead when I do not know one resident that supports this. Hold a public hearing to see what residents think?
As for the silica dust - 2 daughters and myself suffer from asthma. This will affect us short and long term. Health wise and money.
Our costs will increase with rates (to repair roads), cleaning costs for house dust and water tank filters, medical costs etc.
I 100% do not support this project.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

I will be copying my submission to my local Government members for Eden-Monaro (Kirsty McBain and Steve Whan)
I cannot see how the Minister (the Hon. Paul Scully) could approve this proposal. It certainly will not be in the name of community interest. I have not spoken to, or know of a single neighbour who agrees with this proposal, bar one. The neighbour I hear that supports the proposal has an interest and stands to benefit from the “in-principal agreement” to traverse his land to access the Monaro Highway from the quarry. Even then, he said there is nothing in writing.
The Monaro Highway is already extremely busy, particularly during ski season. I note that the traffic study in the submission admits to been very limited. This is the primary southern access road to the A.C.T. and many people have died due to traffic accidents on the stretch of road the quarry is proposing to use. It backs up for kilometres as traffic tries to navigate the single lane roundabout near Calwell in the A.C.T. It has blind corners, and the traffic build up entering the A.C.T. requires heavy braking to avoid a collision. It has been discussed on the local NEWS as being an accident black spot. I fear that fully loaded quarry trucks will cause more deaths on this stretch of road.
Put yourself in the shoes of the people who live in this area. Who in their right mind would want a quarry, concrete processing and road recycling plant as their neighbour? Particularly one of this huge size. It makes me think that there is something untoward happening with this proposal and why it has been deemed a State Significant Project.
There are already numerous quarries in the area, none of which are running out of material or are running at anywhere near capacity (the Cooma Road Quarry; Mugga Quarry; Williamsdale Quarry). This proposal seems to be driven by greed and a desire to control a resource that is readily available elsewhere.
The EPA ACT (section 1.3) was established “to promote the social and economic welfare of the community and a better environment by the proper management, development and conservation of the State’s natural and other resources”. How can the EPA ACT be ignored as suggested in the proposal? To then wipe out the Ghost Gums and other fantastic flora on Enchanted Hill is tantamount to criminal. A quarry certainly doesn’t benefit the large local community.
All of the people who reside in this neighbourhood chose to do so because the area is zoned rural residential and was advertised as "lifestyle blocks of land". This proposal destroys all of that.
Personally, I go to a lot of trouble and expense to look after the native flora and fauna on our block, how can someone propose to just wipe out hectares of it for greed?
Our family had friends that lived near Williamsdale Quarry. Their house and land value was comparatively far less than ours, mostly due to the quarry. It that area, it is well known that you can’t hang your washing on the line when the wind blows in your direction from the quarry. You have to filter your drinking water (collected from you roof in our area). The electricity “brown-outs” occur when the quarry starts it’s large crusher causing some sensitive appliances to fail.
If this proposal is accepted, I will pursue legal advice seeking compensation to the major change to our neighbourhood and lifestyle.

I am writing to formally object to the proposed quarry development. As a resident living in close proximity to the proposed site, I have significant concerns about the impact this project will have on the health, safety, environment, and overall wellbeing of our community.

1. Noise and Dust Pollution
The operation of heavy machinery, blasting, and truck movements will generate constant noise and dust. These impacts will significantly reduce the quality of life for residents and pose health risks, particularly to children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions.

2. Air Quality and Health Risks
Dust emissions from quarrying activities and increased truck traffic are well documented to worsen respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Prolonged exposure poses unacceptable risks to community health.

3. Traffic and Safety Concerns
A quarry of this size would bring a substantial increase in heavy vehicle movements on local roads that are not designed to support such traffic. This raises concerns about road safety, congestion, and the long-term damage to local infrastructure.

4. Property Values and Community Amenity
The presence of a quarry will inevitably reduce nearby property values. The industrialisation of the area will also diminish the amenity of the local community and permanently change the character of the landscape.

5. Environmental Damage
The quarry will disrupt local ecosystems, destroy wildlife habitats, and may have long-term consequences for soil stability and water resources. The environmental costs are far greater than any proposed short-term benefits.

6. Blasting and Structural Risks
Blasting activities will cause vibrations that may damage nearby homes and water tanks. This also creates stress and anxiety for residents, especially when events are unpredictable.

7. Long-Term Impacts
Approving this quarry will set a precedent for further industrial developments, resulting in ongoing environmental degradation and further loss of community amenity.

For these reasons, I strongly oppose the approval of this quarry development. I urge the Council and planning authorities to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of the community by rejecting this application.

Thank you for considering my submission.

I strongly object to the Monaro Rock Quarry Project for the following reasons:
- Current road infrastructure will not meet the increased demands of heavy trucks and machinery
- The traffic impacts of the increased traffic activity
- The increased levels of dust and implications on health this will have, I am particularly concerned regarding the high levels of silica
- The negative impact on property prices due to the above reasons

My name is Mark Parton, and I am a Liberal Member for Brindabella in the ACT Legislative Assembly. My electorate covers the most southern part of the Territory, including the suburbs of Theodore, Conder, Richardson, and Isabella Plains.

Over the last month, my office has heard the concerns of numerous constituents around the proposed development of the Monaro Rock Quarry project in Royalla. Although the site is in NSW, many of my constituents have provided their feedback to my office, as their homes fall into the area identified by the EIS. Their concerns are attached.

The proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project raises the following concerns for me;

- The site is too close to exisiting and potential future residential areas.

- The additional heavy vehicle traffic on the Monaro Highway will cause an increase in travel time when I travel to Canberra Central areas and Cooma. I expect additional intersections will be required for the high volume of traffic generated by the proposed rock quarry will see a reduction in speed limits. Furthermore, I have safety concerns with additional trucks regularly using the Monaro Highway given the high volume of vehicle crashes around the Hume area. I recall in recent years a fatality that involved a truck running into a car at the traffic lights. The additional truck traffic will likely increase noise levels and be an annoyance to me at my residence.

- The release of particulate matter, including silica dust is concerning. While the EIS states the levels are expected to be below acceptable levels, research on this matter is ongoing and being updated regularly. I fear that the increase in particulate matter associated with the proposed rock quarry will have a negative impact on my heath.

- The clearing of over 22 hectares of Box-Gum Woodland will further reduce the volume of this nationally endangered ecosystem, having a negative impact on many flora and fauna species.

Given my concerns I recommend that the proposed rock quarry be rejected.

I am writing to express my concern and opposition to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry.
We have lived at 1466 old Cooma Road Googong since 2002. We moved to the area when this part of Old Cooma Road was a stretch of dirt road to the Monaro Highway. We considered it to be, and still do, our little valley in the quiet countryside. Things have certainly changed over the years which have benefited the area and population as a whole. But this latest proposal will certainly not be a benefit.

Impact on our working life
• The quarry is located just over Beatty Hill which boarders our property. As an artist, (www.michaelalaurie.gallery) the noise from intermittent blasting, numerous large trucks travelling long Old Cooma Road and machinery operating in the quarry will be very invasive and disturbing.
The inevitable dust carried by the very strong winds which sweep across the hill and this valley throughout the year, will impact my studio in ways I hate to think about. My art materials, quality fine art papers, printers, art scanner, and computer will be adversely affected. I don’t wish to wear noise cancelling headphones during my daily workday. Why should I have to. And I do not want to have to spend thousands of dollars on building a dust proof workplace. And I should not have to replace my expensive equipment on a regular basis due to damage from dust and possible electricity problems caused by the quarry and its other operations.
• My husband’s Yuzu orchard will be very adversely affected by dust and pollution settling on the leaves and the annual fruit production which will be going to market.

Impact of our home and way of life
• Dust from the quarry will impact the efficiency of our solar panels and we will therefore incur extra costs for cleaning the panels to keep up the efficiency.
• Dust from the quarry will impact our drinking water. We are not on town water, so all our drinking water is collected from rain falling on the roof of our house and shed. Dust will be washed off the rooves during rain and when frost in winter melts and contaminate our drinking water. Are they prepared to put filtration systems on every water tank in the region?
Dust from the quarry will impact the air we breath each and every day. Our health will be compromized.

Impact on the area
• Old Cooma Road is noted by the NRMA as one of the most wildlife accident prone roads in NSW. There is a natural wildlife corridor along Jerrabomberra Creek which crosses under Old Cooma Road. Heavy vehicles will plough through wombats and kangaroos as they cross the road causing great danger.
• Trucks and vehicles entering and exciting both Monaro Highway in ACT and Old Cooma Road in NSW, will pose danger, extreme damage to roads and added air and noise pollution. The possible 500 daily trucks driving at 100Km an hour on our stretch of Old Cooma Road will cause disruption and be dangerous on the road, at intersections and at our drive which is just over the crest of a hill. The traffic congestion at the two intersections will be huge especially as the Dunn’s Creek project is years off even getting started.

Impact on the environment
• Disruption to the water table and risk of environmental damage to Jerrabomberra Creek, its wildlife and flowing downstream to Lake Burley Griffin.


• Past behaviour is an indication of behaviour moving forward. Sheep owned by the owners of Beatty Hill and the land proposed for the quarry show disrespect to both their animals and neighbours. Their animals are neglected – unshorn and diseased. Completely abandoned. Over many years we have repeatedly asked them to help maintain fences to prevent these same sheep looking for pasture on our land and that of many neighbouring properties. The response is yes, yes, yes but nothing happens. We are currently asking for the assistance of the council rangers to help resolve this issue. I can only be led to believe that this same lack of concern for other people and their land will be carried forward with their latest venture. This land is now marked as NSW biodiversity protected land area to offset the pollution caused by the quarry. A sign mysteriously appeared on our boarder fence informing us of this development. Will the current owners be responsible for maintenance of bordering fences to stop their sheep along with feral pigs and deer? Will they be concerned for this bushland when the vegetation becomes covered in dust?
• Building a quarry so close to a major solar farm in ACT is an act of selfish disregard.

I object to any more of our ebvironment being destroyed for financial gain. Please protect our environment, we cannot get it back k and we are leading to collapse with our greed and not working with our environment and its animals and plant species. Please please no new mining or quarries for corporate gain and environmental loss, we are still suffering and will for many years, from our current ones. Noone wants live in a dead barren earth with no nature that has been blasted for a mine that we dont even benefit from financially, we just have to live near and suffer from it.
Canberra resident, who lives here for the nature it contains.

The noise, dust and debris, traffic and manufacturing processes associated with this project will greatly impact the safety, health and well-being and quality of life of the Royalla, Tuggeranong and Googong communities. The proposed hours of operation are excessive, as are the quantities of explosive materials to be used, rocks to be extracted and other soil and materials to be disturbed. Fauna and flora will be also be severely compromised, not just on site but in surrounding areas.
Notwithstanding the horrendous potential of airborne particles of who knows what that will be created and dispersed during and possibly beyond the hours of operation, the issue that will in my view most impact our safety and routine of our day to day lives is traffic - I cannot imagine that the horrendous impact and incidence of accidents and near misses on the Monaro Highway, and the number of animal collisions on the Old Cooma Road and the Monaro Highway, is not known to planning and other government authorities.
As the wife of a (now deceased) politician representing this part of regional NSW I have travelled hundreds of trips on the Monaro Highway - all seasons, all times, all conditions, all destinations. This highway has its perilous reputation with good reason, and the current roadworks at Hume aren’t going to make an iota of difference to the behaviour of temperamental drivers during the snow season, commuters on slippery surfaces in the winter, mad overtakers coming from the coast in summer, and increasing numbers of Googong residents just trying to turn right at the Old Cooma Road in broad daylight or a murky dawn to get to work.
I fear I, and many families, shall have to limit younger drivers’ road use should this quarry be approved - one has to exercise pretty stringent judgement before letting a teen driver run into Calwell or Queanbeyan for groceries on any heavy traffic days at present….the presence of monstrous quarry trucks would rule this option out completely. The road taxes to be imposed on the vehicles are ludicrously small, and that revenue will go nowhere near repairing the damage to the roads that they will cause.
As I’ve driven all over this region for many years I’ve seen lots of places that would be worth investigating as potential quarry sites, with far, far fewer vulnerabilities than the current location. Selfishly, I believe that the services I shall eventually need to stay in my home will not be provided at Royalla if the quarry is here - employers will exercise their OHS responsibilities to staff and forbid placements in this region.
It remains my belief that the developers of this project should be obliged to nominate an alternative location further from residential housing, and served by safer roads.
Thank you for the opportunity to register this opposition. Anne Molan

This is a ridiculous proposal. To create something that is so potentially dangerous and disruptive, so close to homes and farms, and which has the potential to endanger the health of thousands for decades to come is preposterous. There must be dozens of other sites further away from peoples lives which could be utilized. This is greed gone mad. It absolutely should not go ahead in this location!

Good afternoon,
I write as a very concerned resident in relation to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry on Mates Road, Royalla.

My husband and I were born and bred in Newcastle, otherwise referred as "Steel City". As middle-aged people now and with young children, the ongoing effects of our childhoods growing up amidst dust from the BHP Steelworks at Mayfield, the dust from the uncovered trains rattling to Newcastle Port from the Hunter Valley's numerous coalmines, as well as the lead poisoning from the former Pasminco lead smelter in Boolaroo, Lake Macquarie, is truly not known at this stage. This is of particular concern as my older sister (aged 49) has been diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease, which causes lifelong inflammation of the heart's arteries. There is much evidence globally linking Kawasaki disease to lead poisoning. My older sister was exposed to lead while playing in the dirt in my parent's backyard of their home in Speers Point in the late 1970s. Speers Point is the neighbouring suburb to Boolaroo, NSW. In the late 1970s, Pasminco was a thriving plant, employing many locals.
My parents moved from Speers Point to another Lake Macquarie suburb across the lake to ensure a cleaner environment for my older brother and myself. When my husband and I took redundancy from our journalism careers with Fairfax Media in Newcastle and pursued more-secure government work in Canberra, ACT, we chose Royalla for the space, quietness, safe roads and clean air that it could offer us and our two young children. My parents were particularly pleased that we had chosen a quiet country haven away from the heavy industry of Hume and Queanbeyan in which to raise our family.

As a resident of Royalla, and whose property overlooks the proposed quarry, I am deeply concerned. My main points of concern are as follows:
1. Air quality - as outlined above, this is of utmost importance to us given we are from Newcastle and grew up with heavy industry on our doorsteps.
Additionally, we currently already have two existing quarries nearby - one located within Royalla itself, and the other being Holcim, located off Quarry Road, Queanbeyan. My understanding is that both of these quarries are not operating anywhere near their capacities, and have decades of life left yet. I question why, despite the rapid growth of the Googong township that I have personally witnessed since September 2018, and of which Googong neighbours these existing quarries, why both of these existing quarries have still not needed to expand their operations to anywhere near their capacities to meet the demand for new dwellings. It is clear that, with the existing two quarries nowhere near their capacities despite Googong's unprecedented growth in recent years, that a third quarry is currently not needed to service the demand for new dwellings.
2. Additional traffic - for those who live in Royalla, most use the Monaro Highway as our quickest link to the city and work. Using the Monaro Highway can get us into the city and logged onto our computers within 25 minutes. The initial draft plan proposed using Old Cooma Road, however, this plan was edited to enable the proposed additional 500 trucks per day to access and exit the site from the Monaro Highway. As a resident of Royalla who uses the intersection of Old Cooma Road and the Monaro Highway daily, I am particularly attune to the dangers of this intersection.
I have grave fears for an additional 500 trucks on this stretch of road, and given it has a marked 100 km/h speed limit. I would like to add that the 100 km/h zone is simply what is marked for the stretch of road, not what cars and trucks currently using this highway currently adhere to. From June until the end of September during the snow season, it is particularly busy trying to access the Monaro Highway, and this is at all times of the day, not just during morning and afternoon peak times. I fear that having the addition of trucks onto the highway would result in an increase in fatalities in this already very dangerous stretch of road.
3. Depreciation of house values - like all Australian families, our dream has been to own our home. We were lucky enough that Canberra offered us the opportunity to rebuild our lives after redundancy and find steady employment. We have worked very hard like many Australian families and are deeply concerned by the current and future impacts of depreciation of value on our home. Our home is our nest egg, of which its value will allow us to retire without the need for government support.
4. Degradation of roads - we have lived in Royalla since September 2018 and have watched the expansion of the Googong township. The damage to the roads particularly between Fernleigh Drive, Googong, and Wellsvale Drive, Googong, is particularly of concern. This road is thin, disintegrating and is exposed to heavy traffic including B double trucks servicing the new Googong expansion opposite Fernleigh Drive. Sometimes driving along this very narrow and pot-holed road while passing a large truck in the rain with my two children in the backseat and also keeping an eye out for kangaroos is very stressful. I fear that the same level of degradation of the Monaro Highway will occur. The Monaro Highway is exposed to local commuters from Royalla, Michelago and Cooma driving to Canberra, and snow traffic for four months of the year., of which Old Cooma Road is not exposed. An additional daily load of 500 trucks will only increase degradation of the highway.
5. Noise - my understanding is that the extraction of rock will be done without blasting. While I understand and accept this, I would like to point out that the logistical equipment needed to transport the material including large B double trucks do make noise. From my front, side and rear veranda I can hear the cars driving on the Monaro Highway. The addition of 500 trucks turning into and out of the quarry onto the Monaro Highway will undoubtedly result in additional noise to my property, particularly when this involves the acceleration and deceleration of B Double trucks, which weigh in excess of 60 tonnes.

I am strongly opposed to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry at Royalla due to the above mentioned reasons.

Good afternoon

As an extremely concerned resident within close proximity to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry, I strongly object to this project progressing.
I hold concerns for the long-term effects of environmental and health impacts.

The current infrastructure/roads are nor safe or suitable for consistent heavy vehicle machinery movements and it should not be the responsibility of government (tax payers) to upgrade these to benefit the Monaro Rock and their business when land purchased within this vicinity was of the understanding this is a quiet, safe and residential community.
The increased traffic and health implications will have a major effect on the already over overwhelmed infrastructure and health needs for both ACT and NSW government.
The effects of noise pollution, dust and air quality and the health and wellbeing will impact all residence near and far.
I request mine and all other applicants who oppose this project be considered at the highest level by the appropriate decision makers.

Kind regards
Leticia

I am writing in support of the proposed quarry development at Monaro Rock Project. The project represents an important opportunity to provide essential construction materials for the region while supporting local employment and economic growth.

I think it will create more jobs locally. And provide construction materials for the ongoing expansion of the ACT and surrounds.

Please do not allow this project to proceed. The proposed quarry is unacceptably close to nearby residences in the township of Royalla and poses a serious health risk to members of the community, both in Royalla and across the border in the ACT's southern suburbs. This project will have a terrible impact on the community, which has already been impacted by other quarries nearby. The silica dust which will be generated by the quarry will pose a risk to the health of residents near the quarry.

The Hon Paul Scully MP
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
NSW Government
GPO Box 5341
SYDNEY NSW 2001
Dear Sir
I wish to put my objection to allowing the quarry and concrete plant, tar manufacturing and concrete recycling plant to not go ahead in any shape, fashion or form.
There is absolutely no need for a fourth quarry to be put in a rural estate, where the rural estate will be devastated and it will affect the lifestyle that people in this area have enjoyed for more than 30 years.
The quarry would mainly service the Canberra region and will have little or no value to residents of Royalla, Little Burra and Mount Campbell. There are already three quarries within 30 kms of Canberra servicing all the needs to the larger area than Canberra alone.
The amount of additional traffic that the quarry, concrete plant and tar supplies will produce makes this the biggest commercial industrial area for miles. With the amount of wildlife in the area, means with any more traffic flow this will create more vehicle accidents from animals being driven onto the already busy Old Cooma Road. We have also already had fatalities at the Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road intersection without having this additional vehicle flow. With very slow heavy and large articulated vehicles entering either Old Cooma Road itself and the intersection with Monaro Highway we will end up with more collisions and quite possibly deaths.
The local residents have bought properties in these areas, some more than 20 years ago. For my young family it was to enjoy the rural life and the open air, which will be effected. Now we have grandchildren that spend time at our place and how do I know whether dust in the air blown to my property will affect our drinking water, cover our solar panels and effect our health.
Noise pollution to our area will also affect our lifestyle with blasting and heavy diesel vehicles, ie trucks, on the road and the machinery used to extract the hard rock. I am also concerned about the amount of extra water needed to recycle concrete waste and given the fact also that tar production will also affect our air quality. The extra load to the existing electricity required to drive conveyor belts and all the buildings on the site will also impact residents.
There has been no notification at all to the residents or authorities as yet if the proposal was to go ahead what intervals would environmental impacts be checked by Government authorities that regulate these activities.
There are many unanswered questions and the number one is that the Canberra area does not need another quarry/industrial estate, especially in a New South Wales rural residential location affecting so many locals for one person’s personal gain.
Therefore I wish this senseless project to not proceed and no authority to allow it. The cost is too large to thousands of residents who enjoy a rural lifestyle and this should be respected at all costs.

I write in support of the development application lodged for the Monaro Rock Project. This proposal presents significant social, economic, and environmental benefits for the Queanbeyan-Palerang and ACT regions and demonstrates a balanced approach to meeting both community and industry needs.

Strategic Resource Access

The project will secure long-term access to a strategically located hard rock resource. With strong demand for aggregates and road construction materials in both Queanbeyan-Palerang and the ACT, this project provides an essential supply chain to support sustainable growth, infrastructure renewal, and future development across the region.

Efficient Resource Recovery

By maximising efficient resource recovery within the defined Extraction Area, Monaro Rock ensures responsible use of finite natural resources. This approach reduces waste and promotes sustainable practices, aligning with industry best standards and government objectives for resource management.

Environmental Responsibility

The development has been designed to operate in an environmentally responsible manner, with clear commitments to meet all regulatory criteria and uphold community expectations. Strict environmental safeguards and monitoring will minimise impacts on air, water, biodiversity, and the surrounding landscape, ensuring that the natural character of the area is preserved.

Consideration of Community and Land Use

The operation acknowledges the diversity of existing land uses and the importance of community amenity. Careful planning around noise, traffic, and visual management demonstrates that the project will be considerate of nearby residents and compatible with broader land use planning objectives.

Health and Safety

Monaro Rock has committed to ensuring that the health and wellbeing of its workforce and the surrounding community are not adversely affected. Safety protocols, dust and noise management, and strict compliance with workplace health and safety legislation will remain central to operations.

Economic Benefits and Employment

The project will stimulate the local economy through the creation of direct employment opportunities, as well as indirect supply opportunities for local contractors, service providers, and small businesses. This economic activity will provide long-term benefits to the region, contributing to community resilience and prosperity.

Operational Efficiency

By operating in a cost-efficient manner, Monaro Rock can provide competitively priced, high-quality construction materials that are critical to supporting infrastructure projects. This efficiency will deliver long-term value to both government and private sector partners reliant on stable, sustainable material supply.

Conclusion

The Monaro Rock Project represents a well-considered, responsible, and beneficial development for the Queanbeyan-Palerang and ACT regions. It delivers on the dual objectives of securing essential construction resources while protecting the environment, supporting community amenity, and contributing to regional economic development.

For these reasons, I strongly support approval of this development application.