Monaro Rock Quarry Project

My name is Blake and I am a resident of Calwell. I am writing to formally object to the proposed quarry, asphalt plant, and concrete recycling facility in Royalla.

This development poses serious risks to the health, safety, and environment of residents across Tuggeranong and surrounding regions. The public submission period is unreasonably short, and there has been little opportunity for genuine community input.

MY OBJECTIONS:

AIR QUALITY & HEALTH RISKS
This project will release ultrafine dust, silica particles, and other known carcinogens. Tuggeranong already faces elevated asthma and respiratory illness rates from winter woodfire smoke and bushfire seasons. Adding quarry emissions will worsen community health, especially for children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups.

WATER SECURITY & GROUNDWATER
Runoff and groundwater disruption from the quarry risk long-term contamination of Canberra’s drinking water catchment. With declining rainfall, lower soil moisture, and increased drought stress, we cannot afford this additional pressure on water security.

TRAFFIC & ROAD SAFETY
The Monaro Highway is already unsafe and congested. Adding high-volume quarry trucks will increase accidents, road wear, and travel delays for residents who rely on this arterial route daily.

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE & BUSHFIRE RISKS
Clearing bushland and operating heavy industrial machinery will threaten wildlife habitats and increase ignition risks in an already fire-prone area. The ecosystem disruption will be long-lasting and irreversible.

LIMITED COMMUNITY BENEFIT
The proposed 30 jobs and access to additional rock do not justify the massive health, safety, and environmental costs. The primary financial benefit goes to the quarry operators, not to our community.

PROXIMITY TO HOMES & SCHOOLS
The site is less than 6km from Conder, Banks, and Gordon, and under 3km from Theodore. This project directly threatens families, schools, and aged care facilities in the region.

HOUSE VALUES
Tuggeranong is often left forgotten when it comes to funding and this project will leave residents further behind as the health risks will mean a reduction in house value as no sound minded person would want to live here and put their families at risk.


This project will affect the health, safety, and environment of our community for decades to come. For this project to go ahead it is an ultimate failure on our children and any future generations who will feel the most impacts from this. There are 18 schools in the affected area and each one of those hold countless young people who count on us to make the right decision and to keep them safe. It is our duty of care not to fail them, I certainly don't want to be remembered as someone who failed my children and caused irreversible damage to their health, do you?

I urge you to reconsider the quarry and the ongoing, long lasting impacts it will have on our health, the health of our children, the animals and the flora of our homes.

Kind regards,
Blake Greenhalgh
Calwell

My name is Bec and I am a resident of Calwell. I am writing to formally object to the proposed quarry, asphalt plant, and concrete recycling facility in Royalla.

This development poses serious risks to the health, safety, and environment of residents across Tuggeranong and surrounding regions. The public submission period is unreasonably short, and there has been little opportunity for genuine community input.

MY OBJECTIONS:

AIR QUALITY & HEALTH RISKS
This project will release ultrafine dust, silica particles, and other known carcinogens. Tuggeranong already faces elevated asthma and respiratory illness rates from winter woodfire smoke and bushfire seasons. Adding quarry emissions will worsen community health, especially for children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups.

WATER SECURITY & GROUNDWATER
Runoff and groundwater disruption from the quarry risk long-term contamination of Canberra’s drinking water catchment. With declining rainfall, lower soil moisture, and increased drought stress, we cannot afford this additional pressure on water security.

TRAFFIC & ROAD SAFETY
The Monaro Highway is already unsafe and congested. Adding high-volume quarry trucks will increase accidents, road wear, and travel delays for residents who rely on this arterial route daily.

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE & BUSHFIRE RISKS
Clearing bushland and operating heavy industrial machinery will threaten wildlife habitats and increase ignition risks in an already fire-prone area. The ecosystem disruption will be long-lasting and irreversible.

LIMITED COMMUNITY BENEFIT
The proposed 30 jobs and access to additional rock do not justify the massive health, safety, and environmental costs. The primary financial benefit goes to the quarry operators, not to our community.

PROXIMITY TO HOMES & SCHOOLS
The site is less than 6km from Conder, Banks, and Gordon, and under 3km from Theodore. This project directly threatens families, schools, and aged care facilities in the region.

HOUSE VALUES
Tuggeranong is often left forgotten when it comes to funding and this project will leave residents further behind as the health risks will mean a reduction in house value as no sound minded person would want to live here and put their families at risk.


This project will affect the health, safety, and environment of our community for decades to come. For this project to go ahead it is an ultimate failure on our children and any future generations who will feel the most impacts from this. There are 18 schools in the affected area and each one of those hold countless young people who count on us to make the right decision and to keep them safe. It is our duty of care not to fail them, I certainly don't want to be remembered as someone who failed my children and caused irreversible damage to their health, do you?

I urge you to reconsider the quarry and the ongoing, long lasting impacts it will have on our health, the health of our children, the animals and the flora of our homes.

Kind regards,
Bec Lawrence Greenhalgh
Calwell

As you know the Federal and state governments have banned the use,supply and manufacture of engineered stone due to risks of silicosis. This was effective as of 1 July 2024. I now hear that silicon dust,the same dust banned because of heath dangers will now be intentionally spead over close surrounding suburbs of the newly proposed Monaro Rock PTY in Royalla NSW. If this is allowed to happen by the NSW State government under the watch of the Australian Federal Government. This I believe this will be a crime under the current laws in relation to silica dust. If this does get the rubber stamp I believe money will buy. Be prepared for multiple class action lawsuit from many law abiding Australian citizens that will be place intentionally in harms way. Good luck paying the vast amount of money that will take from you in the future. This to me sounds like another James Hardy Asbestos fiasco in the making. Governments are here to protect our children from harm at all costs. Kind regards Colette Greenhalgh.

I do not believe a project of this scale being so close to residential properties, and with possible health implications due to silica dust should be permitted to proceed.
My property is within the 5km radius from the proposed development.

As a resident of Royalla for almost 20 years I object to this proposal for the following reasons:
- Community safety - the project will significantly increase traffic on local roads and the Monaro Highway to an unsafe level (500 heavy vehicles a day). Significant road upgrades would be required to support such a proposal, and these have not been planned or costed to enable a robust assessment of the proposal.
- Community health - impacts of dust, including silica dust from a development so close to residents, contaminating our tanks and posing serious health risks to all of us who live here.
- Approving this proposal would be a missed opportunity to use the land for more housing which this country desperately needs. Population growth is increasingly rapidly with the expansion of the Googong area putting more people in harm's way if this development goes ahead. Instead, using the land for housing would be a far superior economic and social outcome.
- Environmental damage - the proposal will impact water and electricity supply as well as creating a pollution risk.
If the full costs of this proposal outlined above were factored into decision-making it would be clear that it makes no sense from an economic or social perspective. The proposal will have a significant adverse impact on my family's health, safety and quality of life and I therefore object to the project in its entirety. It is not possible to put conditions on any approval that would mitigate the above detrimental impacts to my family, our community and the broader region.

Please see attached objection document

I am Ian kook and I reside at 180 settlers road Royalla NSW.
I am opposed to the proposed Monaro quarry for the reasons listed below,
1. Dust emanating from the site during construction and operation, silica dust settling on the roofs of our buildings that is our source of our drinking and household water supply. Silica dust is a known carcinogen and extremely difficult to remove from drinking water.
2. Royalla is a rural residential area designed for a peaceful existence and not a location for a noisy heavy industry which is what the proposed quarry will entail from blasting and plant operation.
3. Odour from the proposed bitumen plant will affect all residences.
4. The proposed extraction of 42.4 million litres of ground water is unsustainable and will affect every residence with a bore water system as the water table will drop to levels most domestic bore water pumps will not reach.
5. The proposed quarry is located in the Murrumbidgee river water catchment area and water runoff from the site will effect all down stream residences from the ACT to South Australia who rely on the river for their daily water supply.
6. The generated 500 trucks per day travelling from the site to both the ACT and Queanbeyan areas will cause major traffic, environmental and congestion issues affecting all adjoining areas of the ACT and NSW.
The roads to be used by the Quarry operation are single lane that feed the Snowy Mountain areas/ Far South Coast and Victoria.
7. To consider placing this proposed quarry in proximity to 49,000 people will have a detrimental effect on all residence within a 10 kilometre radius of the quarry, degradation of the local environment with ongoing issues with noise, odour, dust, water, electric supply and traffic.

I object to this project on the following grounds:
1) proximity to existing residential areas (too close)
2) impact on residents from blast vibrations (including air blasts)
3) impact on community from dust (dust pollution in general but particularly dusts with health impacts such as silica)
4) environmental impacts

My name is Debbie Kook and I live at 180 Settlers Road in Royalla and I strongly object to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry in Royalla. My husband and I have lived in Royalla since 2004 and we are now retired and spend most days at home. We chose to live rurally for a number of reasons, some of which include living in a peaceful environment, the open spaces with minimal traffic and being close to plenty of wildlife and beautiful woodlands.
I have a number of concerns about the proposed quarry, however, my main concern is the silica dust emissions that will be produced from the quarry's daily operations. If the wind blows from the North East, the silica dust from the quarry will cover our roof, we are not connected to town water and rely on the rainwater that falls on the roof, so effectively we will be ingesting that silicia dust. Fine dust containing crystalline silica will also be in the air and there is a significant health hazards associated with inhaling it, such as silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. I am very concerned about the exposure to the silica dust on both myself and my husband's health and our neighbours, even at low levels the dust is known to cause serious health conditions which are irreversible.
I am at a loss to understand why a proposal to build a quarry so close to our community could even be considered by our state government.

We object to this proposed development in the sternest measure possible.

I reside, with my family , at 43 Moringol Place Royalla. This development is within 1.5 kilometres or our residence and will severely impact the quality of our life.

I am 55 years old and have been living on this property for 25 years. We have a great local community and this quarry proposal, if approved, will destroy this community.

My wife has asthma, and i have only 60% lung capacity after working in concrete plants and quarries for half of my life. Dust blowing in from Monaro Rock could be considered fatal to both of us.

From 1990 to 2000 i was employed by a major Australian construction materials company as a Concrete Technologist and Quarry Manager including 3 years based in Jakarta Indonesia. I am well aware of the issues with the dust problem associated with Quarry blasting and rock crushing operations and suffer to this day.
Water can be used to suppress dust, but common practice is not to use if a superior clean product is required. This has been evident in the existing quarry to the south of Royalla with water either not being used or not available for dust suppression resulting in dust from operations travelling many kilometres on a windy day. The EPA do little to address these existing concerns.

In July 2021 I requested from Monaro Rock the Free Silica Content as determined by petrographic analysis. This was ignored, something to hide there.

The existing water table is marginal at best and according to local water experts has dropped 17 metres in the last 22 years. Monaro Rock will be extracting water from this water table for dust suppression. This water table will run dry if Monaro Rock draw water for dust suppression.

The "Eroroc 2025" report is a fanciful publication with misleading graphs. The data has not been supplied by the operators of the existing surrounding quarries. This is nothing more than scaremongering based on made up future projections.

The proposed development is located in an C2 environmental protection area designated Rural Residential. This is an area designed for hobby farms and Fauna and Flora protection. It was not designed for ripping bloody big holes in the ground, adding 200 plus trucks a day to our roads and spewing dust for tens of kilometres around. There is also a proposed concrete batching plant and an asphalt operation. The toxic smells and noise associated with these operations will be unbearable. A small pile of dirt in front will do nothing to offset the effects.

All the councilors of Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council, including Mayor Kenrick Winchester, State Member for Monaro Steve Whan, Federal Member for Eden Monaro Kristy McBain, previous members of parliament from both parties and previous QRPC councilors have all voiced opposition to this proposed development. The previous Mayor Mr Tim Overall attended the initial information briefing on site and attested to the requirements of a quarry being approved and that none of the requirements could be met. They all understand the negative impacts the Monaro Rock proposal will have on our comunity. You can anticipate what the greens think.

After the initial two on site information meetings and a site tour, no further face to face meetings have taken place. RWCorkery have hidden behind newsletters and zoom type computer meetings with people having to type questions and these questions carefully selected before responding. This has been the result of the community fury that was displayed at these 2 initial on site meetings. The whole development process has been a slick, well funded decietful campaign.

We have engaged legal representation who are building a possible action against the state should this proposal be given the go ahead.

Please do not approve this development.
Neil Thompson

Reasons for Objection

1. Biodiversity and Environmental Impact
• The quarry will clear 22.44 hectares of critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland and a total of 77.83 hectares of vegetation.
• This habitat supports over 300 species of flora and fauna, many of which are already threatened or endangered.
• The destruction of this ecosystem is irreversible and directly contradicts government commitments to protect endangered communities.

2. Traffic and Safety
• The project is forecast to generate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day, including haulage trucks and concrete dispatch vehicles.
• This will dramatically increase traffic volumes on the Monaro Highway, rural roads, and Old Cooma Road, creating serious risks for residents and commuters.
• Increased heavy vehicle use near residential areas will heighten road safety hazards, noise, and disruption.

3. Noise, Dust and Air Quality
• Blasting, crushing, and asphalt production will produce ongoing noise, dust, and vibration.
• Dust will settle on homes, solar panels, and rainwater tanks, directly affecting residents’ health, quality of life, and access to clean water.
• Asphalt production will release persistent odours and harmful emissions.

4. Water Security
• The project proposes extracting up to 42.4 million litres of groundwater per year. This will reduce water availability for local residents and downstream ecosystems such as Tuggeranong Creek.
• Reduced groundwater levels will have long-term impacts on farms, households, and native habitats.

5. Indigenous Heritage
• The Environmental Impact Statement identifies culturally modified trees (ring trees, scar trees) and other significant artefacts. These sites should be protected and respected, not destroyed by industrial activity.

6. Proximity to Residents
• The site is within 10km of over 49,000 residents, with the population projected to grow to 69,000 in the next decade.
• It is unacceptable to approve such a large-scale industrial development so close to a growing residential community.

7. Economic Need
• There is no demonstrated need for this quarry. The Environmental Impact Statement itself notes that four existing quarries within 30km of the site already have sufficient capacity to meet demand.
• Approving a fifth quarry is unnecessary and will only impose costs on the local community through health, safety, and environmental degradation.

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Conclusion

For the above reasons, I strongly object to the Monaro Rock Quarry Project. The risks to biodiversity, community health, road safety, water security, and Indigenous heritage far outweigh any potential economic benefit.

I urge NSW Planning to reject this application in order to protect the unique environment of Enchanted Hill and the wellbeing of the Royalla and surrounding communities.

We live not too far away from the proposed site. Despite all the supposed dust suppression measures, we are extremely concerned about the impact that the dust may have on us. This concern is not just in respect to the breathing of the dust when we are outside, which is bad enough. However, what is the impact on our drinking water given we are solely reliant on tank water.

Below is a summary of my submission. Further details have been provided in the attachment.
As a resident in Googong, I strongly object to the approval of the Monaro Rock (Royalla) quarry in its current form. I purchased land in Googong in 2023 and only very recently became aware of the EIS and its scale, which shows a lack of community consultation in areas affected by the proposed quarry. This oversight or neglect is a theme apparent in the project’s submission documents.
For a project that proposes a staged production of up to 1,000,000 tpa, involving asphalt, concrete batching, and heavy haulage, earlier and proportionate consultation should have occurred; the delayed notification has denied materially affected residents procedural fairness and meaningful participation. The EIS appendices prepared by the proponent (Northstar AQIA and enRiskS HHRA) contain material assumptions and gaps that undermine confidence in the proponent’s conclusion that health risks and amenity impacts will be “low and acceptable”, particularly regarding air quality, respirable crystalline silica (RCS), episodic PM2.5 events, and the use of distant background monitoring and uncertain emission factors. Additionally, the proponent has failed to consider the contextual situation in which it is seeking to create a quarry. This area is deemed a high-growth Local Government Area (LGA), with around ~9 per cent annualised growth (between February 2024 and March 2025). Given the strong and growing epidemiological evidence that even small increases in PM2.5 cause measurable population health harms, the Department should refuse the current application.

The Monaro Rock Quarry project should not proceed due to its significant environmental and social impacts. The development would destroy native habitats, threatening local biodiversity and disrupting ecosystems that support wildlife. Increased dust, noise, and heavy vehicle traffic would directly affect the health, safety, and quality of life of nearby communities. Water resources could be contaminated or depleted, placing further pressure on an already fragile environment. The quarry’s proximity to residential areas risks long-term damage to property values and undermines the character and amenity of surrounding suburbs. Once natural landscapes are disturbed at this scale, the impacts are largely irreversible, leaving future generations with a degraded environment. With sustainable alternatives available to meet resource needs, pursuing a destructive project such as this is unnecessary and short-sighted. Protecting the region’s natural and social assets should take precedence over short-term industrial gains.

My concerns are the silica issues, more trucks on the roads, the safety of my wife and kids on the roads. Noice pollution, air pollution, safety of the animals and plant life.

Submission of Objection – Proposed Quarry Development

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to formally object to the proposed quarry development near my home. The impact on myself, my family, and the broader community would be significant and overwhelmingly negative.

1. Traffic and Road Safety Concerns
The projected increase of up to 500 heavy vehicles per day on Old Cooma Road and the Monaro Highway poses a serious risk to road safety. My family and I travel these roads daily, and the additional heavy vehicle traffic will greatly increase the likelihood of accidents. Furthermore, such volumes will cause significant road damage, which in turn increases costs to the community.

2. Impact on Protected Land and the Environment
The proposed site is classified as protected land. Developing a quarry here would destroy important woodlands and habitats, putting native flora and fauna at risk. This is an unacceptable environmental cost.

3. Dust, Silica, and Health Risks
Dust emissions, including crystalline silica, are a major concern. Silica exposure is known to cause cancer, and airborne particles will inevitably settle into rainwater tanks used by local residents, including my family. This poses a direct health hazard and contaminates our household water supply.

4. Pollution of Drinking Water and Waterways
Quarry runoff and dust will not only impact tanks but will also enter local waterways and ultimately flow into Lake Tuggeranong. This contamination risks polluting our drinking water sources, damaging aquatic ecosystems, and creating long-term health risks for people, animals, and the broader community.

5. Blasting, Noise, and Proximity to Homes
Blasting activities and the resulting dust clouds will have a significant and ongoing negative impact on the wellbeing of local residents. The proposed quarry is far too close to houses, which will amplify the effects of dust, noise, and vibration on families. There are many other locations available where a quarry could be built away from built-up residential areas. My understanding is that this site has been selected purely to reduce transport costs for the business and therefore maximise profits. I urge the government not to put money ahead of the welfare of residents and the protection of our environment.

6. Existing Quarries Operating Below Capacity
There are already several quarries in the region that are only operating at approximately 40% capacity. Given this under-utilisation, the development of yet another quarry in such close proximity to residential areas is unnecessary and unjustified.

Conclusion
The proposed quarry is unnecessary, unsafe, and harmful to both the community and the environment. The risks to traffic safety, drinking water, public health, protected lands, waterways, local ecosystems, and nearby households far outweigh any potential benefits.

For these reasons, I strongly oppose this quarry development and urge the responsible authorities to reject the proposal.

Sincerely,
Donna

Royalla is a country estate not an industrial area.
People have bought in this area for the peace, quiet and clean air. A quarry this close to houses is not necessary and the impact on families and the environment is totally avoidable.
The traffic alone will be horrendous and the Monaro Highway on that stretch of road has seen many accidents.
The dust, odour and noise so close to houses is unthinkable.
The biodiversity, Indigenous artifacts, water and pollution should be considered carefully .
Finally, who is going to benefit from this economically? Monaro Rock! Not the residence and not the council or territory government.
I do not believe that Monaro Rock has thought about the impact on the many residents or habitats that surround this proposed site.
I am absolutely certain that this proposed rock quarry should NOT go ahead and it should be made clear that no other industry should try to take away the tranquility of Royalla Country Estate and surrounding areas!

Objection to the New Quarry Project
I’m writing to object to the proposed new quarry near my home in Tralee. I understand the need for development, but this project would have a big impact on my family, my health, and the community.

I live in a small family home in Tralee, close to Royalla. One of the main reasons I moved here was for the quiet, semi-rural feel. I love seeing the open fields, wildlife, and having space to walk with my baby. The thought of a quarry so close really worries me.

I have an autoimmune condition, and I’m already careful about my health. The silica dust from a quarry is a real danger, not just for me but for my baby too. Even small amounts of dust could cause long-term harm, and knowing that trucks and blasting would put our family at risk every day is really frightening.

Water is another concern. Living near Canberra, we’ve seen droughts many times. The quarry would take millions of litres from the groundwater, and even though we mostly use town water, I worry about the impact on the environment and the broader community.

Traffic and safety are also huge worries. I drive on the Monaro Highway to get to work, family, friends, and other essentials. Hundreds of heavy trucks every day would make the road unsafe, noisy, and stressful. Within Tralee, where I walk my baby, the dust and noise from the quarry could still affect our local streets and the peaceful environment we enjoy.

There are already quarries nearby. I don’t understand why we need another one here, in an area that is meant to protect rural and conservation values. It feels unnecessary and unfair to the people who live here.

Even if I can’t see the quarry from my home, I visit family who would have it in full view. It would be ugly, noisy, and lower property values. We’ve worked so hard to buy our home here and planned for a future in this community, and a quarry threatens that.

Tralee is meant to be a growing, welcoming community. The amenities being built and the future growth are part of why people move here. A quarry would make people think twice about moving in and could stop the community from growing.

For all these reasons, I ask that the Department reject the new quarry project. The risks to health, the environment, property values, and the future of our community far outweigh any short-term benefits.

Thank you for listening to my concerns. I hope you will consider the impact this project would have on families like mine and the community we are trying to build.

Sincerely
Sarah Janse van Rensburg

I wish to formally object to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project development near my home in Royalla. While I understand the need for development and industry, I believe this project poses significant risks to the environment, local community, and my personal health.

1. Zoning and Land Use
The land identified for this quarry is zoned RU2 and C2 (Rural and Conservation), which is intended to protect biodiversity, water catchments, and the rural character of the area. Approving a quarry in such a zone would undermine the intent of the planning framework and make a farce of the zoning laws that residents rely upon to protect their community and environment.

2. Environmental Impact
The Royalla region is home to diverse wildlife, much of which depends on undeveloped land for survival. The proposed quarry would destroy natural habitats including the clearing of over 22 hectares of critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland, threaten native species and disrupt ecological balance in an area that should be preserved.

3. Water Concerns
The proposed quarry would extract up to 42.4 million litres of water per year from the groundwater table. This is an unsustainable volume for a rural and conservation area and risks lowering groundwater levels, drying out creeks, and reducing water security for residents, farmers, and ecosystems. Once the water table is depleted or damaged, recovery is uncertain and may cause irreversible harm to our local environment and community.

4. Traffic and Safety

The Monaro Rock Quarry would generate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day, placing a huge and unsustainable burden on local roads. These roads were not designed for such high volumes of quarry trucks. This raises serious concerns about road safety, noise, vibration, air pollution, and congestion, particularly for families, school buses, cyclists, and pedestrians who rely on these routes.

5. Health Impacts

I have an autoimmune condition, and exposure to silica dust from quarry operations presents a serious risk to my health. Silica dust is a known hazard, linked to long-term respiratory and immune complications. The dust pollution from blasting, crushing, and transporting materials will not only impact me but the entire community.

6. Existing Supply of Quarry Materials

There are already four operational quarries within 30 kilometres of Royalla, each with reserves that provide a combined capacity projected to last well over 100 years. Given this abundant local supply, the Monaro Rock Quarry cannot reasonably be considered a significant or necessary project. Its approval would create duplication of capacity while imposing unacceptable social, environmental, and health costs on the community.

7. Visual Amenity

Due to the elevation of my property, my home will look directly out towards the proposed quarry. This would destroy the peaceful rural outlook that my family and I currently enjoy and significantly reduce the amenity and value of our home. The visual intrusion of quarrying activity, dust plumes, machinery, and truck movements is incompatible with the character of this rural and conservation-zoned area.

For these reasons, I strongly urge the Department to reject the Monaro Rock Quarry Project application. The long-term costs to community health, the environment, and local lifestyle far outweigh any short-term economic benefits.

Thank you for considering my concerns. I trust that the Department will act to protect the health and wellbeing of residents and the environment in Royalla and the surrounding district.

I offer the following to support my objection:
Social Impact
From the initial ‘Community Consultation’ meeting on 16.04.21, Corkery’s rep has given the distinct impression that this project will proceed despite our many well-founded concerns. As recently as August 2025, the Monaro Rock newsletter stated ‘’We recognise that the project represents a source of change 'beyond the community’s control' and may introduce impacts not currently experienced in the vicinity of the project’’, again implying our opposition to the project is regarded by Monaro Rock as trivial and futile.
My wife and I have lived in Royalla since November 2004, cherishing the tranquil, picturesque surrounds, idyllic lifestyle and abundant wildlife. We regard ourselves as fortunate, regarded by others to be ‘living the dream’.
Since learning of the proposal 4 years ago, a high degree of stress exists directly attributable to this project completely destroying our amenity and value of what took the majority of our working lives to afford, 5 years of searching for to purchase and 21 years of hard work to transform into what we proudly possess today. The prospect of willful destruction of our fortunate lifestyle to bolster others’ wealth is highly distressing.

Project Need
The 4 existing quarries began far from suburbia, suburbia expanding outward toward them. The proposal prefers to abandon time honoured practice to commence operating in our backyards, literally.
There is no requirement for a 5th quarry to meet demand in this region well into the future, certainly none for a second quarry adversely affecting even more residents of Royalla and the surrounds.
The project’s claims as fact regards the lifespan of the existing quarries ability to meet local demand appear to be based on unproven speculation.
The Williamsdale quarry has advised me of adequate reserves and capacity to meet demand. Heidelberg Materials recently acquired the largest concrete company in the ACT, the Elvin Group, demonstrating their long-term commitment and ability to expand as required.
The Cooma Road Holcim quarry has advised me that their ‘commercially sensitive operational plans are confidential’, as such they are unknown by Ecoroc. Holcim’s website reveals they are capable of expanding the approved extraction boundary and increasing their total production limit to at least Oct 2035 before further approval is sought.
The proposal to operate a concrete recycling plant when 2 exist already at Symonston and Pialligo, an asphalt plant when 2 exist in Hume and yet another concrete batching plant on site are totally unnecessary.

Air Quality
Those living in southern Royalla already endure serious dust pollution by the Williamsdale quarry, presumably with identical mitigation requirements to this project, yet it occurs often enough to present a serious problem. Heidelberg Materials are unable to control this pollution 24/7, I have no confidence Monaro Rock will differ.
Prevailing NW winds in Royalla will see us among the first to be impacted by airborne breathable pollutants which will also settle on our roof contaminating our water supply, our sole source of potable water.

Human Health
Prevailing NW winds in Royalla will see us among the first to be impacted by airborne breathable pollutants. Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica contamination is paramount. Open cut mining and its accompanying processing is a dusty process, when it is the primary method of extracting hard rock, in this case Rhyodacitic Ignimbrite with a Quartz content of 30-40%.
Crushing and handling of this material has the likely potential of liberating Respirable Crystalline Silica. This product is comparable with Asbestos in its lethality. Given there is no safe level of any description for either of these products, any exposure is unacceptable. We have no confidence whatsoever in Monaro Rock claiming that we won’t be exposed when we are located nearby the plant with NW winds presenting the most danger for us, occurring 21.41% of the time. The heavy machinery required to handle the product on site will compound the amount of dust and airborne pollution freely escaping the site.
The dangers of silica dust exposure leading to the death sentence of Silicosis have only recently been learnt and acted upon. Silica has become a growing concern and deemed by governing authorities as ‘The New Asbestos’, every bit as lethal. Exposing us and so many others to this danger is unacceptable.

Noise
We have lived in Royalla for 21 years. What we regard as normal, is that the only sound outside is generally that made by the frogs or birdlife which are ever present which we enjoy immensely and actively encourage. We always know from the birds alert calls if there is something unusual around, be it fox, echidna, snake or blue tongued lizards as we have become highly attuned to their various calls, and we are able to decipher them.
I have no experience of the noise created by quarry operations, as I’ve never been unfortunate enough to live nearby one. It is clearly obvious that any plant machinery powerful enough to be capable of monotonously crushing the large chunks of hard rock extracted and slabs of concrete to be recycled into aggregates of varying sizes, together with the accompanying heavy machinery to move that product around onsite will produce and expose us to an unacceptable level of extremely harsh industrial noise. It has been claimed that the sound emanating from the plant will be comparable to that of an operating air conditioner compressor. That statement is rubbish. Reality will dictate that noise levels will prove to be unacceptable.

Biodiversity
This project is seeking to transform a pristine environment classified as C2 and RU2 and their respective objectives into a large scale heavy industrial site, directly contravening the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Local Environmental Plan 2022, specifically drafted and enforced to provide protection from noncompliance.
The nature of quarry operations will ensure that the project property will not be the only landholding affected as the entire area will transform into a hostile environment for all wildlife within an indeterminate but substantial radius of the project site and surrounds. No species of any description, capable of fleeing will remain anywhere near the project property due to the frequent blasting shock, constant noise created by processing machinery, the heavy amount of associated transport traffic on, into and out of the project site, and the expanding destruction of their habitat.
This Box Gum woodland is increasingly rare, and every remnant must be treasured. It is listed Federally as Critically Endangered as it provides habitat for many endangered species of both fauna & flora. Offsetting does not excuse or compensate any destruction.
Any consent to destroy a precious and rare resource of such high conservation value in contravention of the local LEP for the financial benefit of so few to the complete detriment of so many will be an absolutely inexcusable short-sighted disgrace.

Transport
The plan to use the Monaro Highway as the access point for fully loaded 19 metre B-Double trucks with an average gross weight of 57.5 tonnes, with the scope for higher capacity vehicles of up to 25 metre B-Double trucks utilised occasionally, turning out onto, or trying to gain momentum along the Monaro Highway whilst approaching the crest with limited visibility, under any conditions will prove lethal or cause serious injury to an unfortunate number of motorists travelling along the highway at 100 km/h, often exceeded by many.
The highway attracts far too many careless drivers who notoriously don’t drive to conditions, are impatient and do not use their headlights to be seen in low visibility during any time of the year. This is greatly exacerbated during the snow season. The mitigation measures proposed by a Northbound merge lane does nothing to protect Southbound traffic confronted with trucks entering the highway from the access road, and it is highly doubtful if it will offer effective protection for Northbound motorists encountering trucks lumbering uphill attempting to merge with traffic jockeying to get past them at all costs whilst approaching the limited vision experienced at the crest of the hill especially in low visibility conditions. At 200 plus trucks daily, this additional, unacceptable hazard will prove disastrous for too many unfortunate victims.

Groundwater
We share a communal bore with 2 of our neighbours, it is for stock and domestic purpose. Our bore site sees it among the closest to the project site to be impacted. Over the 21 years the bore has been in service, it has proven to be marginal in terms of reliability with the supply being ‘overrun’ at times i.e. more water is required by us than can be provided by the source. This has generally occurred most often at times of most inconvenience when that source of water is needed the most by each of us.
According to one local expert who specialises in servicing bore pumps and equipment, with an intricate knowledge of the situation in our district has publicly stated that the water table has dropped 17 metres in the time he has been working locally over 22 years. He has stated that this has resulted in a drop in yield of approximately 25% at his own bore site.
We, and many others, depend on groundwater as a necessary source for our stock animals and critically essential static water supply for fire protection. I am unconvinced that Monaro Rock will not have to draw groundwater at anything less than maximum capacity to extract every drop of the groundwater available in an attempt to contain airborne contaminants, severely affecting the water table. We have been led to believe that the project will not impact the rights of other landholders who depend on that same groundwater. Reality often refutes and no consultant’s glossy presentation of theory will alter my pragmatism.