Monaro Rock Quarry Project

NO QUARRY - SAVE ENCHANTED HILL - THIS IS INSANE.

I am a retired Landscape Architect with over 50 years of working experience on projects in the ACT NSW and VIC.
Experience included a full range of project types and a full range of size and scale of landscape planning and development, visual assessments and community based projects.

Please find attached submission against the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry

Please find attached a submission from the Jerrabomberra Residents Association.

The hunter valley wineries and surrounding bring
Visitors and money into our area.

The more locally operating and sourcing companies, the better.

In a growing region like the Canberra–Queanbeyan surrounds, expansion is constant and with that comes a consistent need for natural rock and aggregates. Having a local quarry is essential to meet this demand with reliability and consistency.

What’s even more important is ensuring that such operations remain locally owned and run, rather than being taken over by national or multinational conglomerates with broader, and often conflicting, interests. Locally run businesses keep the focus where it belongs: on the needs of the community.

As a local Structural Engineer, I see first-hand the benefits of using locally sourced materials. Not only does this reduce unnecessary transportation. Helping us work toward a greener, more sustainable future, but it also ensures consistent quality across a wide range of construction projects and suppliers in our area.

As a resident of Tuggeranong, I wish to formally object to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project . The location of this project, in close proximity to a densely populated residential area, presents several risks to community health and well-being.

Quarry operations are known to generate significant amounts of silica dust, which poses documented health risks to humans. This dust can easily be dispersed into nearby homes, gardens, schools, sporting fields, and playgrounds, threatening both the safety and quality of life for residents. Furthermore, quarries often produce substantial noise pollution, disrupting daily life, learning spaces, and work environments.

The anticipated increase in truck traffic—approximately 200 fully loaded trucks per day—will inevitably lead to greater congestion and heightened safety risks for current road users. The influx of heavy vehicles will also place pressure on local infrastructure, resulting in accelerated wear and a greater need for maintenance.

Quarries are associated with well-documented environmental impacts, particularly downstream effects. Locating a quarry upstream from an established community carries substantial risks for both residents and the surrounding natural environment.

Establishing a quarry so close to residential areas is unsafe. Approving this project would negatively impact the health, well-being, and livelihoods of thousands of residents in both the ACT and NSW regions. For these reasons, I strongly oppose the Monaro Rock Quarry Project and urge that its proximity and potential risks be given thorough consideration.

I am writing to you out of concern for the quarry development submission from Monaro Rock.

My family and I have lived in Royalla for 18 years and love living in the peaceful rural community. Moving out of Canberra was a choice my husband and I made consciously. We wanted to get away from the noise and pollution, to have some land to grow our own vegetables, and have fruit and nut trees so we could eat our own produce. To eat healthier and breathe fresh air. We wanted chickens to have fresh eggs and have room for our children to learn and grow in this beautiful environment.

We bought the land knowing it was zoned rural residential and were happy knowing it wouldn’t be made into a high urban or industrial area.

I wake up every day loving living in Royalla. I look out my kitchen window and see the stunning views of the mountains and hills. Enjoying the birds and animals and nature I see all around us. The quiet and peaceful way of life we have here. The fresh air we breathe and clean water we collect in our tanks which we drink and water our plants and vegetables with.

To now find out this could all change because a quarry is planned just down the road. I keep coming back to why? Why do we need another quarry? There are already three quarries (Queanbeyan, Williamsdale and Mugga lane) with the same rock being mined in the area. That apparently aren’t even running at full capacity and still have years left of the same rock. I say again why do we need another one?

We had a meeting last week at the Royalla common for families that live near the Williamsdale Quarry. They stood up and informed us how that quarry affects them. The dust, the noise, the brown outs of the electricity, the water usage, the trucks and more.

Our fresh air, water we collect and drink, plants we grow and eat, the animals we farm now will have silica dust contamination. There goes our healthy way of life.

The noise from the blasting and trucks won’t be any better. If we wanted to live somewhere noisy, we would have stayed in town.

I know already from traffic and the trucks on the Monaro highway that any increased traffic will become more of a problem for people using the Monaro highway daily. I say this from experience because during the snow season we have to wait 10 minutes or even more to get out onto the Monaro highway at a time. There have been many Accidents, quite a few fatal, on this stretch of road due to the traffic load and now they want to increase it even more. To add big heavy trucks pulling out across traffic, I can’t believe this has even been considered. The school buses use this highway during the week. We already have high amounts of traffic on this worn-out road which gets repaired constantly.

If Monaro rock doesn’t get ACT approval to use the Monaro highway they will use Old Cooma road. The only other road that will have access to the quarry. This is a two-way country road not a highway. The school bus drops off and picks up kids on this road. If approval is given for the Monaro highway there will be infrastructure to be done first. So, they will be using Old Cooma road anyway as that is the only way through to the quarry site. The intersection from Old Cooma Road onto Monaro Highway is, in my view, already extremely dangerous.

I don’t even know why the Enchanted hill site was even considered ok to put a quarry there. What about the environmental impact it will have on the flora and fauna. The rare plants and trees on this hill, which should be protected.

So, I’m writing to ask you to reject this quarry development. Please think of the community and the hundreds of people and families which will be affected, who live in this area. It’s always the little people who are affected when big rich companies like Monaro Rock do this sort of thing.

They say it will bring money and jobs to the area. Has anyone asked who will work there (truck drivers taken from the other quarries?).

Will they put money into our community here? I don’t think so they are only going to take, cause destruction and impact our lives in such a negative way.

Hello. I would like to express my concerns about the proposal to develop a further quarry (making at least 4) in the vicinity of the Royalla Station Country Estate. I cant believe that it is even being considered given the very close proximity to where people live. I came out here for the lifestyle.

I am very concerned about what impact the quarry will have on my health. The negative health impacts of quarries are well documented and understood. These include the production of fine dust particles which cause silicosis/ lung cancer; respiratory problems; reduced lung functions and airways restrictions; nasal infections; coughs and asthma; and eye allergies, soreness and dryness. Additionally, the dust will cover plants which reduces/prevents photosynthesis.

I am concerned that the quarry will cause the destruction of our pristine environment which is a sanctuary for wildlife; flora and fauna. It is my understanding that we have critically endangered and endangered species here which share their home with us. We already have enough quarries to service the needs of the community. These are not operating at full capacity so any increased demand can be met by increasing production.

I am concerned that the additional traffic movements caused by trucks going to and from the quarry will have a significant impact on noise levels; traffic congestion/delays; wildlife killings and potential motor vehicle accidents.

I am concerned that the operation of the quarry will cause blackouts/brown outs as it draws electricity which residents need to live comfortably.

Operating a quarry requires an immense amount of water. I am concerned that this demand for water will impact the water supply to this area and that contained in the surrounding environment e.g. aquaducts.

Extracting the product will also be very noisy and enveloping.

I am concerned by the lengths to which the quarry owners have gone to in order to have this project approved. Is it really a State Significant Project? The Queanbeyan/Palerang Council did not want it to proceed. Additional activities to that first proposed have been included in the Environmental Impact Statement. For example concrete making and crushing and tar production. I wonder whether these are an attempt to distinguish this quarry from existing quarries! I am concerned that an area zoned to protect endangered species can be altered for financial gain.

I can see no valid reason for the quarry to go ahead, other than to put money in the owners' pockets. If they are sure that the operation of the quarry will be harmless to Royalla and other resdients, I suggest that they set aside monies to cover future contingencies occurring as a result of their activities. An actuary can help calculate what an appropriate amount may be.

Carrolle Colbert

Concerns if quarry goes ahead

We are very very concerned as we live in direct line from the proposed quarry and only 1.4 kms. We have no hills to protect our home and property from the fine dust that will be generated from blasting and traffic. We are an elderly couple and worried what these dust clouds will do to our breathing and lung functions. The fallout of dust/silica will firstly affect our drinking water quality as we rely on rain which is collected from our roof to our water tank. But also our livestock will be affected, our orchards, vegetable garden and vineyard. Our solar panels is another concern as they will be covered in dust therefore will not working efficiently. The dust will come into our home interior, pool and outdoor living areas. Enjoying outdoors will become a thing of the past. The blasting has been known to vibrate the house foundations and outdoor building footings and damage structures. Plus high electricity consumption at the quarry will affect the use and long time warranties on household appliances.

No Environmental assessment can assuage the significant impact of the proposed quarry both on the environment and the quiet enjoyment of tens of thousands of residents in the Googong/Royalla/Burra local region and within 10 kms of the proposed site: the hundreds of gravel trucks thundering along the Old Cooma Road, and the Monaro Hwy; the clearance of the native flora and concomitant fauna for the quarry in such a diverse habitat; the frequent westerly winds in this region blowing dust for kilometers; noise and vibrations from blasting and heavy vehicle movement (also impacting bird life); high potential of increases in electrical brownouts due to higher demand on grid (esp when dependent of water and sewage pumps as we are). I am particularly concerned about the impact on any reduction of the water table, and flow of the water courses, which is a further impacting surrounding flora and fauna. All of this is exacerbated by the more recent proposed expansion of the quarry's activities to onsite concrete production. I live within three kilometers east of the proposed quarry site, and I ask that you not approve the proposal, thereby giving priority to local flora and fauna, and to your community residents. We should not be subject to the placement of an industrial activity in our semirural environment and community.

I brought my property in 2007, it has a north westerly aspect, part of my planning back then took in the possibility that when I looked towards the northwest that there may be a suburb built on the land, that’s progress. Never at any stage did I think that a company would come along in the future and in the first instance propose a Major Rock Quarry a a major project, only now to see that initial proposal develop onto a concrete recycling centre, concrete mix and producer of ashpalt.

I live within 3000 metres in direct line of sight of the proposed industrial area. The wind comes out of the northwest constantly, it never ceases, it a rare day that it is still. The wind flow patterns used, have no basis at my location in Royalla, from my lived experience. Dust carried on the wind is constant, I cannot open north facing windows due to the amount of wind blown contaminates that enter my house on any given day. This will definitely have an impact on my health if I am unable to go outside and use my land as intended for living in a natural rural setting.
As well my meagre bore water supply I have no doubt, will be affected by the amount of water required for dust suppression and other operations at this site. Are the water tables separate?

I was against the first proposal, and I have not changed my position, there are as I understand it; current local quarry’s operating in the immediate area. Are they operating at full capacity.
I
The health and welfare of my household living within Royalla will be affected if this allowed to proceed, the immediate environment of existing plant and wildlife will be endangered further.

Quarrying rock by itself is a very dirty business.

Can mitigation, be it by water or other means stop silica dust and other wind blown chemicals used in the blasting process stop these contaminants from entering the living environment. The use of an already short supply of natural water for those living in Royalla and surrounding areas who all rely on tank and bore water for domestic use, will be further depleted by the vast amount needed to for the proposed industrial site, not to mention possible contamination by water runoff into the natural environment.

The hazard of having up to 500 trucks daily on the local roads transporting the rock, recycling of concrete, supplying mixed concrete and asphalt will certainly affect my family in Royalla, and the constant worry about the safety of family members travelling on these local roads. The harm to wildlife will only increase with that number of trucks using roads.

The quarry and additional works should not be allowed to proceed.

NSW Planning – Objection to Monaro rock Quarry - Royalla

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to formally object to the proposed development of the Monaro Rock Quarry Highway - Royalla, which I understand is currently under consideration by the NSW Planning Panel.

This objection is based on the following significant concerns:
Traffic Volume and Road Safety
The proposal indicates that up to 500 trucks per day will be operating in and out of the quarry. This volume is excessive and poses a serious risk to public safety. The existing roads in the area are already damaged and not designed to accommodate such heavy and frequent traffic. The highway has not been upgraded to support this level of industrial use, and the increased truck movements will likely result in:
- Massive increases: Higher accident rates, death rates to locals and anyone travelling on the roads.
- Increased wear and tear on public infrastructure
- Greater risk to pedestrians, cyclists, horse riding and local drivers, and residents

Pollution and Environmental Impact
The quarry operations will contribute significantly to air and noise pollution, affecting the health and wellbeing of nearby residents and wildlife. Dust from the quarry and truck movements will degrade air quality, while constant noise from machinery and traffic will disrupt Air Pollution and Dust

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) confirms that the quarry will generate respirable crystalline silica (RCS)—a hazardous dust linked to long-term health issues.
Despite claims that dust levels will remain below legal limits, residents are already experiencing dust from nearby quarries. Locals report homes covered in dust and fear worsening conditions.
The quarry will extract rhyodacite ignimbrite, a silica-rich material, increasing the risk of airborne pollutants.
Silica dust is linked to long-term respiratory illnesses, and recent changes to NSW industry standards have made its control a priority. We therefore do NOT want this risk to be near residential communities.

Threat to Enchanted Hill Wildlife and endangered species
The proposed site is adjacent to Enchanted Hill, a known habitat for native wildlife. The quarry threatens to destroy this delicate ecosystem, displacing species and damaging biodiversity. Once lost, this natural refuge cannot be restored.

Planning and Infrastructure Deficiencies
There is no evidence that the necessary infrastructure upgrades have been planned or funded to support this development. The lack of foresight in traffic management, environmental protection, and community consultation is deeply concerning. The Monaro Highway is one lane and does not have the capabilities to safely carry 500 trucks per day. All Royalla and surrounding Residents did not consent to this development.

Request for Reconsideration
In light of these issues, I respectfully request that the NSW Planning Panel:
Reject the current proposal- for the Monaro Quarry Highway - Royalla
Conduct a full environmental impact assessment
Engage with local residents and stakeholders - to explore alternative solutions that do not compromise public safety or environmental integrity.
Look for a remote location away from any developments.

This objection is made in accordance with Section 4.15(e) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), which requires consideration of the public interest.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Kind regards

Katie Tsiagalis
Emanuel Tsiagalis
Xavier Tsiagalis
Anthony Tsiagalis
Oliver Tsiagalis

Comments in attached document.

Impact on Monaro Highway will be huge with the reported 500 extra truck movements per day. This highway already gets congested in the snow season and this will make it far worse or even unusable at times. Additionally silica dust travelling on strong winds could severely impact the surrounding areas.

I am a Royalla resident, and I would like to express my strong objection to the Monaro Rock Project. The reasons for my objection are as follows:

1. Air pollution, including deadly silica dust.
There will no doubt be increased levels of dust that the quarry will produce, including silica dust, which is harmful and deadly. The dust can cause silicosis; silica air pollution MUST be prevented altogether. Otherwise, there will be increased cases of silicosis! Will the government or the quarry operator be prepared to compensate people who will be affected by it?
The dust will also contaminate our drinking water which we harvest from the roof of the house. There is no other source of drinking water in Royalla. Silica air pollution MUST be prevented. Otherwise, will the government or the quarry operator be prepared to provide alternative drinking water solutions at their cost?

2. Increased heavy vehicle traffic on Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road.
The quarry will result in a substantial heavy vehicle increase (I have been advised up to 500 a day!). This will significantly increase the risk of potentially fatal accidents, especially during ski seasons. My husband and I and two young adult children use these roads daily. I am very concerned about having to deal with this. It could also result in increased vehicle insurance premium!

3. Noise pollution.
We bought and build our family home in Royalla because of its rural setting, with fresh & clean air, and quite & peaceful neighbourhood. The quarry will create a lot of noise, from digging, detonation and heavy vehicle operation. Noise travels in this area. It will adversely impact the tranquil rural setting of Royalla and surrounds.

4. Decrease in real estate value.
There are a lot of beautiful homes in Royalla with gorgeous rural setting, fresh & clean air, and tranquillity. If the quarry is given the green light to proceed, the value of these houses will be adversely affected in that it will decrease significantly. It may even be impossible to sell our home in the future, because who wants to live next to a quarry? This would be highly unfair. The quarry MUST NOT be allowed to proceed!

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

The Monaro Rock project started with a ‘Community Consultation’ several years ago. We objected to the quarry then and I believe that with the support of the Queanbeyan Mayor and the Queanbeyan Palarang Council the project was shelved. But here we are again….this time, not only is there a quarry, but now we have an ‘industrial park’ consisting of the quarry, a concrete mixing plant, a concrete recycling plant and a hot asphalt facility. So I still object to the development but now the Monaro Rock project appears to go out of the way to be the most threatening health, lifestyle, traffic and economic development to profit someone not from this area.

I am gravely concerned about the health risks of silica dust, noise, vibrations, and odour which would be produced as part of the project. The proposed site is too close. In 2003 we purchased our block (zoned rural residential), designed and built our home and landscape. 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%.

We are south east and in close proximity to the proposed project and apart from communications and power, we are reliant on harvested water and our bore. Of great concern is the use of water by the project. We share a bore (we are not permitted a dam) with two other neighbours. We have spent around $9,000 in updating and maintaining the bore. We rely on the water for horses, gardens and firefighting. Having no, or significantly reduced, access to the bore water would no doubt lead to unsustainable living conditions. These impacts can only produce a great risk of decreased house and property values. In other words, impacts on our economic future.
Over the 22 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.
Local advice from our bore and septic servicemen, who has significant 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.
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. I do not believe them.

At present, anecdotally, the Monaro Highway already reaches full carrying capacity especially with the large increase in traffic in the snow season. The addition of a significant number of heavy vehicles daily as proposed, could create a 'black spot" in road usage and potential accidents. 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. I cannot see how the ACT Government will allow the planned excursion to the Monaro Highway, leaving me further concerned over possible redirection of traffic onto Old Room Road.

Finally, the detrimental economic impact of the ‘proposed development’ is being felt already. My neighbour has been trying to sell their property and I was informed by one of the potential buyers that the proposed development has delayed/destroyed their planned purchase. The risk to family and a deteriorating value of their purchase was a deciding factor.

I absolutely object to this development

Please find attached submission from Royalla Landcare objecting to the Monaro Rock Quarry project.