Monaro Rock Quarry Project

I am a resident of Banks, ACT. I do not support this project because of following reasons:
1) The main reason for me purchasing my current property (couple of years ago) in Banks was because of the pure air and noise free environment. This project will defeat that purpose of my purchase and the purpose to live a peaceful life in Tuggeranong.
2) The Monaro highway is already a busy road especially at its junction with Johnson Drive and Tharwa drive roundabouts next to Theodore and Calwell. Having an industrial level project like this one will add to already busy traffic at this junction. Not to forget the noise and pollution from everyday trips of trucks, that will environmentally impact this otherwise pure and peaceful environment.
3) Environmental Impact: This is a major concern for me and I believe not enough has been done to study this concern. Due to the cold weather in Canberra and especially because of the geography of Lanyon Valley, we regularly see blanket of thick air at very low height. My street being up the hill, we regularly witness thick blanket of moist air during winters. The silica dust (in addition to other potentially harmful) dust particles, have potential to get trapped in this thick air and cause respiratory issues.

The NSW government should consult the ACT government because of the cross border impact of this project on residents like me.

You are not thinking about the noise, air quality and disruption to people living in the ACT area. This is NOT something we need and would appreciate it if you decide to not go ahead with this quarry project

Monaro Rock Submission
My objection to this quarry starts with the health concerns of Royalla, Googong and South Canberra residents, from the large amounts of dust and mainly silica dust that will fill the clear air we all breath in each day, this in turn may have major health risks to all of us namely silicosis. No amount of water can stop all the dust from a quarry like this will produce.
My wife and I moved to Royalla as my wife suffers from asthma, since our move here her health as been greatly improved because of the clear air.
Is Monaro Rock going to pay for all our medical expenses if this quarry goes ahead I think not, not to mention the cost of cleaning the dust of our roofs, solar panels and contaminated water tanks, filtration systems that all of us have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on our own infrastructure just to live here.
The proposed site that this quarry will cover is quite a lot of hectares and with that it will destroy native habitat for native fauna and flora, birds will lose their nesting hollow logs in trees in that area.
The quarry will operate 6 days a week with estimated 500 vehicles a day going in and out of Royalla onto the Old Cooma Road and Monaro Hwy, what about all the pollution that this Trucks, cars will produce, plus the massive damage the trucks will do to the Old Cooma Road and Monaro Hwy, they are already full of potholes.
What’s going happen come summer when traffic more than doubles with people going down the coast plus in winter you have the same happen with traffic more than doubles people going to the snow.
I leave quite early to go to work in Canberra and in Winter the fog that is at the intersection of the Old Cooma Road and Monaro Hwy some mornings you can’t see 2 metres in front of you, add 500 more vehicles on the road this could end up being a disaster and god forbid there will be more accidents.
One thing I did not like was that Monaro Rock went to the State Government and not to Queanbeyan Council so have tried to get this over the line without us knowing very bad form.
And why do we need another quarry when there are at least 4 in the area, and I found out that it just won’t be a quarry but will be recycling concrete, producing asphalt which has very strong odours polluting the air.
Electricity surges from the blasting will end up damaging house appliances plus I have 3 phase very expensive woodwork machines that are quite sensitive electrical surges who will pay for any damage to these machines.
When we go to sell our properties will Monaro Rock make up the short fall we will all suffer with a price drop in value of our properties because of this quarry. Already there has been a decrease in property values because people have heard about this quarry proposal.
Please do not let this Monaro Rock quarry go ahead, we will all suffer greatly if you let this happen.
Do the right thing by the people who put you in office

Please see attached my submission objecting to this project.

There are a lot of concerns around the following if the project is allowed to go ahead:
Biodiveristy - The quarry will clear 22.44 hectares of endagered Box-Gum Grassy woodland and 77.83 hectares of vegetation overall.
Dust - Carried on the wind, will collected on homes, solar panels and contaminate gardens as well as rainwater collection.
Electricity - Extra energy needed will start causing brownouts or the use of excess fossel fueled generators, not to mention the amount of trucks burning fuel.
Indigenous Artifacts - Indigenous objects and area's of archaelogical deposites were found on the site during the survey.
Water - The extra use of millions of liters used to make the concrete and the attempt at dust suppression will be wasteful and not to mention damage the recovery of Tuggeranong lake while it's still trying to get back to a healthy state.
Pollution Risk - Washing of equipment and trucks, additionally contamination from concrete being recycled on site.
Economics - There is existing capacty within the four quarries within 30km with capacity to last over 100 years.

It will have detrimental environmental impact which is contrary to QPRC environmental plan 2022 and also will impact the health of many residents.
There are major traffic consequences to Old Cooma Road and Monaro highway.
I believe it has no social or economic improvements to the region benefitting only the developer of the proposed project. I don’t want silica dust for me of my family.

RE: SSD-27223807 Monaro Rock Quarry Project

I am a long standing Royalla Resident of over 23 years within 6km of the proposed quarry.
I have concerns about the noise & dust from the proposed weekly blasting.
This will affect my health & wellbeing & that of my family.
We get strong predominately northwest winds & this will blow the dust & noise directly over my property.
Along with the noise from the concrete crushing & 500 truck movements a day & operation of associated concrete & asphalt plant.
Royalla is in a bushfire prone area & I am concerned this industrial site is storing 37,000litres of diesel fuel & other associated chemicals. There has been no mention of what fire mitigation measures are proposed.
Royalla already is already serviced by 4 nearby quarries including one directly to the south (Williamsdale). All operating not at full capacity with over 100years life left combined .There is clearly no need for another.

The Monaro can’t handle 200 trucks per day.

We have young kids who love being outside, running around in the paddocks. If the quarry is to go ahead it will contaminate the fresh air with silica dust, which means our kids can’t go and play outside anymore.

I support the project it will create jobs and keep the building industry rolling keeping product prices down due to not importing product.

I strongly object to the Monaro Rock Quarry Project. I think it would be a terrible decision to entertain supporting this project. The increased trucks on the road, which will not be supported by appropriate road improvements. The increased risk of pollution for young local families, such as ours, is just incomprehensible. I cannot see how this project could be of any benefit to the community. Please stop this quarry now.

This project will have significant impact to our property and home. I have lived in Royalla for over 43 years and the proposed quarry is in direct line of site of our family property. The area has a lot of houses and also a new subdivisions that were approved by the local council for 13 new blocks that will be sharing the boarder of the proposed quarry. The area proposed for the quarry is right in the middle of a small rural lifestyle block development, this is not a area to set up a new quarry.
Dust, noise and the underground water table will all be impacted and a ongoing issue for the locals living in the area. The proposed entry point to the highway is also going to be a major issue. The amount of extra traffic from all the additional houses that have been developed has already added to the risks and danger of pulling out onto the highway. The introduction of 500 trucks per day is going to be a major risk to all road users.
There will also be a huge value lost to all house or land owners property values in the area, with no compensation.
Dust exposure - Blasting and crushing operations release dust containing crystalline silica, which can cause irreversible respiratory diseases like silicosis, asthma, and lung cancer with long-term exposure. We do not tolerate this risk in Royalla
Noise exposure - Constant loud noises from heavy machinery can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing-related conditions. We do not tolerate this risk in Royalla.
Reduced land value due to the risks outlined above.
Traffic - 500 trucks a day on a single lane road causing noise and potholes. This is a 100 km road that should already be reduced to 80 km due to the number of houses on this road. Extra traffic is likely to result in traffic accidents. This area was not planned for this load.
This is an approved lifestyle block area - the planning has not taken into consideration that a major project like this can be developed in this area.
Rain water catchment. There is NO mains water available in Royalla, water tanks are required which is captured by house hold roofs. The dust from the quarry will now be in everyones drinks water.
Please don't let this dangerous project go ahead in our community. Quarry’s are appropriate in remote areas. No profit over people.

Hi there,
I’m writing as someone who lives in Royalla, but also as a mum, a grandmother, a neighbour, and someone who really cares about the future of our community. I wanted to speak up about the proposed Monaro Rock quarry because honestly, it really worries me.

I love living here. It’s peaceful, surrounded by nature, and has always felt like a safe place to raise a family. I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. That’s why the idea of another quarry so close to home feels like such a big step in the wrong direction.

One of my biggest concerns is the silica dust. With the wind the way it is out here, it’s likely that dust will end up drifting across Royalla and neighbouring area such as Burra, Googong and other local suburbs like Theodore, Banks, Calwell, and Richardson.

This isn’t just annoying dust on the washing line—it’s dangerous to breathe in, especially for kids, older people, and anyone with health issues. My daughter has a compromised immune system, so this really hits home for me.

Then there’s the noise and blasting. We’ve lived in Royalla for over 22 years. We came here for the quiet, the space, and the slower pace of life. Blasting from a quarry would completely change that. It’s not just about loud noises—it’s about losing the peaceful environment we’ve worked so hard to create. I think about the stress it could cause for young kids, older people, and even animals. It makes me really sad to imagine not being able to enjoy time in our own backyard like we do now.

I also can’t stop thinking about the Monaro Highway. We use it all the time, for school runs, work, groceries, at all hours of the day. It’s already a pretty dangerous stretch of road, especially in winter with snow traffic, and summer with holiday traffic. Adding hundreds more truck movements every day? That’s just asking for trouble. We’ve seen so many near misses already. Honestly, it’s scary.

And then there’s Enchanted Hill. It’s such a special spot. We see kangaroos there, hear the birds every morning, and it’s just a beautiful place to walk, or unwind. It’s part of what makes living here so amazing.
If a quarry goes ahead, that all disappears. Once you lose that kind of natural beauty and wildlife, you don’t get it back.

I just don’t understand why this is even needed. There are already three quarries in the area, and none of them are running at full capacity. Why build another one? It doesn’t seem like it makes any real sense.

What really gets to me though is what this would mean for the people who live here. Families like mine chose this area for the lifestyle, the fresh air, the quiet, and the chance to raise our kids in a healthy, natural environment. If a quarry is approved, that all goes out the window. Property values will drop, the peace will be gone, and the sense of community we love could really be damaged.

Please, I’m asking on behalf of myself, my family, and so many neighbours who feel the same—don’t let this go ahead. I’m sure you wouldn’t want this built in your backyard?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.
From a concerned 
Royalla resident, mum, and grandmother.

I am writing to formally express my strong support for the Monaro Rock Quarry project and its associated batch plant. This proposal is not only important for the local construction sector, but it also provides significant economic, environmental, and social benefits for our region.
At present, the quarrying and concrete supply industries in our area are dominated by large national corporations. Local independents have been rapidly disappearing, with Elvin who was once the largest independent concrete supplier was recently acquired by a major national company. This has left our region with very limited independent options, making it increasingly difficult to achieve fair pricing, local accountability, and competition. The Monaro Rock Quarry and batch plant will directly address this imbalance by introducing two businesses that are locally owned, operated, and invested in the long-term prosperity of our community.
Economic Benefits
• Increased Competition: Breaking up the dominance of national corporations will lead to fairer pricing for contractors, developers, and end customers. This will help keep construction costs more manageable for local projects.
In other localities such as Sydney, due to the market and being controlled by the larger corporations, concrete is at least $100m3 more expensive.
• Local Employment: The project will create direct jobs at the quarry and batch plant, along with indirect jobs in transport, machinery servicing, and local supply chains. This will sustain employment opportunities within the region.
• Economic Reinvestment: Unlike national companies that extract profits and send them elsewhere, locally owned operations reinvest earnings back into the community, supporting other small businesses and services.
Environmental Benefits
• Responsiveness to Environmental Concerns: Local owners, who live within the community, are more likely to respond quickly and responsibly to environmental issues raised by neighbours and regulators, ensuring high levels of accountability.
The families live in area where the quarry is being proposed, so any negative effect also affects them. Other members of family are also planning on moving to the area.
• Efficient Resource Use: A local integrated quarry and batch plant reduces waste and makes better use of extracted materials, compared with fragmented operations controlled by corporations headquartered elsewhere.
Societal Benefits
• Local Ownership and Accountability: With owners who live and work in the community, there is direct accountability to residents. This strengthens trust and ensures operations are conducted with local interests in mind.
• Reduced Trucks through out Queanbeyan/Canberra: Currently there are trucks going from the Quarries to other batch plants. By having a batch plant on site, there is a reduction in the total number of trucks throughout Queanbeyan/Canberra
• Community Support: Locally owned businesses are more likely to support local sporting clubs, charities, schools, and events, reinforcing community wellbeing.
• Security of Supply for Local Builders: Small and medium builders often find themselves disadvantaged when competing with the bulk purchasing power of nationals. An independent local supplier provides greater access and fairness for these businesses.
• Long-Term Regional Sustainability: By diversifying the ownership structure in the quarrying and concrete industries, the project helps protect against monopolistic control that could otherwise weaken the region’s resilience.
The Monaro Rock Quarry and batch plant proposal is not just about opening another quarry. It is about creating competition, generating jobs, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring that the benefits of these essential industries stay within our community.
For all these reasons, I strongly support the approval of the Monaro Rock Quarry project and urge decision-makers to recognise its significance for the long-term economic, environmental, and social wellbeing of our region.

I live on Conder, right beside the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve (https://www.parks.act.gov.au/find-a-nature-park/canberra-nature-park/tuggeranong-hill-nature-reserve) with my husband and my daughter who is aged 1 year 8 months old. My husband and I moved into this house which backs onto the Reserve in 2022. I had not been made aware of any community consultation on this project until a friend of mine posted about this on Facebook yesterday.

I note that this project is proposed for New South Wales, and the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been prepared on that basis, however the EIS completely fails to take into account the impact on residents of Conder, Theodore and Banks in the ACT, as well as the impact on biodiversity in the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve which is only separated from the proposed project site by the Monaro Highway. Despite being less than 2km away, the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve is not even mentioned in the EIS at all. While the EIS has apparently been limited by the ACT/NSW border, I note that birds and wildlife are not constrained by such arbitrary lines.

I am deeply concerned by the EIS' finding that "there are likely to be significant impacts to Commonwealth-listed Box-Gum Woodland and to Gang-gang Cockatoo foraging habitat, Key's Matchstick Grasshopper habitat, and Small Purple-pea habitat."

The Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve is also critically endangered Yellow Box–Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland, and in addition to the species mentioned in the EIS, is also home to a large area of Drooping She-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata) open forest (including old-growth patches), a food source for the vulnerable Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami).

My family spend a lot of time recreationally on Tuggeranong Hill walking and running with our daughter and our dogs, and frequently observe many native flora and fauna including Glossy Black-cockatoos, wombats, echidnas, and many other species of birds and marsupials. My husband has even observed "echidna train" mating behaviour as recently as this winter. I am very concerned that the impacts on these species in the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve due to blasting noises, air particulate and destruction of habitat have not been outlined. Destruction of Box-Gum Woodland in the project site may result in more species moving to Tuggeranong Hill, creating higher demand for resources and more animals being hit by cars as they cross the Monaro Highway due to displacement from their habitat.

I am also deeply concerned about the impact of noise and dust particulate on my family. The EIS acknowledges that "Respiratory risks for children and vulnerable individuals: Children and those with respiratory conditions may be more susceptible to dust exposure." My daughter spends a significant amount of time outdoors on the Tuggeranong Nature Hill Reserve, in our backyard, walking in the community and while at day care in Conder. In fact, we run together as a family to day care with my daughter in a running pram several times a week and enjoy the nature and fresh air to and from drop off. I am very concerned about her potential exposure, no matter how small, to silica dust.

I am also concerned for my husband who runs ultramarathons and trains daily in the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve.

My husband works from home full-time, and I work from home on a part-time basis, and I am concerned about the impact of blasting on our mental wellbeing and productivity. One of my dogs in particular is very frightened of thunder and I am concerned about the impact of blasting noise on him if this project goes ahead.

I do not support this project at all, and consider the EIS has manifestly failed to take into account the neighbouring population of ACT residents and the impact of native wildlife sharing the Tuggeranong Hill Nature Reserve corridor with the project site.

We have been out here for the last 23 years we love our peace and our calmness and not the city bustle and Hustle.
I believe the project would damage the area and atmosphere impactng people with asthma and creating other health issues, ncluding risk of cancers from exposeure to silica dust.
The extra dirt and Dust on our solar panels and in our water tanks and filters will create cost and incovienience to all members of the community, as well having negative impacting on our power supplies, thus impacting our safety.
I am concerned for the animal wealfare and safley of children on their horses as they could be startled from trucks and blasts. I am also very worried as some trucks are so big they won't even see children on bikes or walking on their way to school or other activities. The noise the project would create would increase mental health concerns as will trying to use the road under the increased traffic conditions.
I have fears the large trucks and increased traffic will negatively impact the wildlife population that is already challenged. I am also very concerned that we could lose indangered species of flora and fauna.
I don't believe this project would bring enough economic benefits to the region to come anywhere close to offsetting the risks accociated with it if it went ahead.

I object to the project and have provided my reasons in the attached document.

I see this Quarry as an asset to our surrounding region.
It will keep the supply of local material for any future projects available for a long period of time without the need to source material from other states or worse, overseas.
It will also help to keep local people employed for the future.
It will help local business by keeping a local supply of material for the future.
This project will ensure a sustainable supply of local materials for all future projects for the development of infastructure as required by the surrounding region.

I vehemently oppose the proposed development for the following reasons:
1- adverse health effects from contamination of drinking water and inhalation of dust
2- further destruction of already fragile environments for native vegetation and animals
3- outrageous use of already straightened water supplies. 4- road safety issues caused by increased number of heavy vehicles
5- increased number of brown outs causing increased damage to electrical appliances inside the home as well as damage to envirocycle and water pumps outside the home.
We moved into this area for peace and quiet and a healthier environment.
Heavy industrialisation is inappropriate

I am writing to lodge my objection to the Proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project located near my daughters home in Royalla NSW.

Health Concerns
My daughter suffers from a serious autoimmune condition (psoriatic arthritis) and is under the care of specialists doctors in Sydney, NSW. That care is beginning to show some level of success, and I fear the introduction of air borne dust pollutants, including crystalline silica, and heavy vehicle exhaust gases, posed a serious and unacceptable risk to her continued improvement.

My daughter lived in suburban Canberra ACT for many years but moved to Royalla because of its clean rural environment. I note that the land under consideration for the quarry is zoned RU2 and C2 (Rural and conservation). I have great difficulty in accepting that environmental protection measures will be effective in the prevention of dust pollution that will impact the entire Royalla community particularly on windy days.

I am also concerned at the estimated number of heavy vehicle movements that would be necessary to support of the operation of the proposed quarry. This level of heavy vehicle movement will further impact adversely the air quality at Royalla

Water impact
As with many of her neighbours my daughter depends on bore water to augment her rainwater tanks and I consider the proposed use of ground water for the proposed quarry must impact the viability of the Royalla ground water supply. The rural environment of Royalla will always be subject to risk of bush fires and that risk is mitigated to some extent by having a reliable water supply.

Conclusion
The world in general, and Australian in particular, has become much more knowledgeable and questioning of environmental issues. As a nation we are going to great length to produce clean forms of energy, to ensure vehicle emissions are not dangerous and polluting industries no longer operate in a manner that impacts the environment or nearby residents.

To proceed with this proposal seems contrary to the Federal and State desire to protect the environment and nearby inhabitants.