Monaro Rock Quarry Project

Please see the attachment below for my detailed concerns.

Please see attached the submission from the Conservation Council ACT Region on the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry.

I wish to strongly object to the Monaro Rock Project on the following grounds:
1. Increased heavy vehicle movements. I have heard the the Quarry operation will mean a substantial heavy vehicle increase on the Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road (up to 500 a day!). I have two young adult children living at home who need to use these roads daily. They have not been licenced to drive for that long and my daughter especially would be classed as a timid driver. I am very stressed and anxious at the prospect of these kids having to negotiate the roads to and from our house with this increased heavy vehicle traffic.

2. Air contamination. I am very concerned about the increased levels of dust that the quarry may cause in our area. In particular, harmful contaminants such as silica dust. Our son is in the construction industry is is very aware and concerned about the health impacts of these dusts in his workplace. We do not want have to have the added worry of the same impacts in our safe home environment as well. Also, we harvest all our drinking water from the roof of the house and are very concerned about the possible contamination to our water.

One of the primary reasons for building in Royalla was the quiet, fresh, clean rural environment that exists here. Our intention is that our Royalla 'paradise' home becomes a treasured family asset that is passed through generations. Our concern is that the existence of a nearby quarry will not only bring the mentioned lifestyle changes of increased heavy vehicles and air, noise contamination to our home but also will impact the future value of this family investment that will impact my children and my future grand-children. Please do not let this quarry project go a-head at the proposed location.

My objection to the Royalla Rock Quarry.
I have lived here in this beautiful community for 24 years, Our family is building our future with all the others with the same ideals of being happy, comfortable…and supposed to be safe.

Dust:- we work in the area and would be subjected to the additional dust from this quarry for one day per fortnight just in Monaro Sation alone, which is not good for my health as I have developed asthma in the last 5 years, had 6 bouts of pneumonia in the last 2 years along with related illnesses. This would be subjecting my body to even more stress.

Wind:- when the predominant winds are North-Westerly delivering the dust directly to our family home, impacting myself and all 3 generations of my family directly.
This will be deposited on our roof which collects our ONLY domestic water supply, thus reducing the life of our current water filters (already in place due to the Williamsdale Quarry) also onto the paddocks that our pets roam in. Plus the abundant herds of Kangaroos, Wombats and other local animals.
When blowing in a South-Westerly direction, (we try and work out of area because of the dust) the contaminants will be blowing towards the houses and schools of the border area, affecting the children’s play grounds, settling on play equipment in the schools and private homes, (relatives of our family live there)….what are these children’s future going to look like?

Traffic:-Up to 500 trucks a day, that is horrendous on multiple levels, because we are working in the area, we are entering multiple properties each day in that area servicing the Aerated WasteWater Treatment Systems. So, the traffic will increase our possibilities of us and others being involved in a traffic accident. It will put the bus drivers that take the local children to and from school every day under even more stress in their endeavor to keep the children under their charge in a safe position. It will be even more harrowing for the grandparents (us) driving the grand kids to and from school. The current roads are NOT adequately designed for this amount of traffic as can be seen by the degradation caused by the trucks going to and from the development of Googong, the extra load will make them totally unsafe for all who try and travel along them.

Ground Shock:- this will have the possibility of increased failures on the concrete septic tanks, domestic water tanks and ground movement that has detrimental effects on the PVC plumbing connections, all of which can result in untreated human waste being leaked onto the ground or loss of domestic water.

Electricity Supply Fluctuations:- we already see evidence of this from the Williamsdale Quarry affecting the southern end of Royalla Estate in the form of multiple “Brownouts”, The new Monaro Quarry being even bigger with more plant that relies on electricity, will have a bigger impact on the local power supply due to the massive increase on demand that it will impact on the Current and Future residents.


Water Table (bore water):- in the 24 years living here we have noticed the static water level of our domestic bore has dropped 14 meters. After having worked on projects in other quarries, I know that the use of bore water will exceed the quantities they have quoted …if they are to meet the “dust suppression levels” that the EPA will try to enforce. When they don’t meet these levels, the EPA will impose fines …….which, will be after the fact! That is not a comforting thought for all of us.

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.

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.

Major Projects Team
NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

I am writing to you on behalf of members of the Queanbeyan Landcare Group in relation to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project (SSD-27223807).
Queanbeyan Landcare Group has been in existence for over 35 years, to conduct environmental improvement projects and activities within the broader Queanbeyan region, aimed primarily at restoring and enhancing the ecological resources of the region and in doing so, directly involving the community. Queanbeyan currently has over 80 members and activities are conducted cooperatively with Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council and the Molonglo Conservation Group.
Queanbeyan Landcare wishes to state up front that it has had dealings with the nearby Holcim Quarry (previously Readymix) over a long period.
We are aware that there is lot of interest in this project because of potential impacts on lifestyle and health of nearby residents of rural residential developments and also potential impacts on biodiversity. Also, the project is less than 10 kilometers from a major and growing population in the eastern Tuggeranong suburbs in the ACT.
As we understand, the principal rationale for the project is to maintain supplies of hard rock for 30 years to fill the anticipated shortfall from the four other suppliers in the Canberra Region. The explanatory statements for this and the graphs are lacking in confirmation of the accuracy of extrapolations of demand and supply. Currently there is anecdotal evidence of a general slackening in demand for hard rock. A final EIS must address this shortcoming, utilising an independent assessment of the future of this important local industry, to include the ability of other quarries in the region to meet future demand.
It is disappointing that the project is now taking on a greater range of activities including batching concrete and hot mix asphalt production, adding to environmental and human impacts, including persistent odours and enhanced opportunities for pollution.
Sand: The proposed production of manufactured sand is concerning, given that there is an enormous supply of sand in the Murrumbidgee River west of Canberra, which over white settlement, floods have filled in the many huge and valuable aquatic refugia along the river. This sand can be extracted at times of low flow, in time restoring lost aquatic biodiversity.
Biodiversity: Much of the vegetation of the subject land is high conservation box woodland. We are concerned about the clearance of 22 hectares of the endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland ecosystem, containing well over 200 species of flora and fauna, yet there has not yet been a referral under the Commonwealths EPBC legislation. A further 55 hectares of native vegetation will disappear, and with it, loss of distinctive landscape features. A final EIS must incorporate the outcome of a referral, and made public.
The EIS also requires a commitment that the native vegetation in the unaffected areas will be managed sustainably, requiring control of invasive weeds, treatment of erosion and judicious management of wildfire risk. This standard is undertaken by the nearby Holcim Quarry.
Dust: The EIS recognises that dust will be a major management issue – Dust carried on the wind can directly impact on residents in many ways. For this reason, no access roads should be gravel. Health risks from respirable silica dust has now become a major health issue.
Water Supply: It would seem that the planning for water contains uncertainties because of the massive quantity of water required for dust suppression, over 40 million litres for dust suppression and the production of concrete and asphalt production. Water will also be required for washing trucks and equipment. Relying on groundwater is notoriously uncertain because of the nature of the region’s fractured bedrock. The EIS needs to explain how shortfalls will be addressed.
The reduction of water in local ephemeral creeks flowing east and west needs to be adequately recognised in the EIS.
Blasting – We note that the issue of noise, vibrations and dust from blasting and heavy trucks has been addressed. It will be important to satisfy nearby residents that these levels of standards can be achieved. We note that visual and acoustic shielding will be implemented, further impacting on the landscape of Enchanted Hill.
Wildfire Risk: A Fire Management Plan must be developed, involving the RFA and the community, because of the enhanced risk of outbreaks from varied industrial activities.
Truck movements: The EIS states a maximum of 200 vehicles per day. There are other estimates coming forth, of movements far in excess of this with the inclusion of other activities. A definite, licenced limit on daily truck movements is the only way to manage noise and traffic issues to acceptable levels. Consideration should be given to restricting truck movements to and from the site at peak times, such as when children are travelling to and from school. This practice occurs at the Dargues Mine at Majors Creek.
Indigenous Artifacts: We are satisfied that indigenous objects and areas of archaeological deposits would be protected.
Section 355 Committee contribution: The proposed contribution of 12 cents per tonne of product, to benefit the community via section 355 Committees, we estimate to be an amount to $276,000 in the first year, is welcome compensation for project impacts.
Energy source: In line with Australia’s climate change strategies and commitments, a renewable energy source at the site would help to compensate for industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Upon completion of the project, such a facility could revert to the local community to support a decentralised power network.
End of Life of the Project: As part of end-of-life Plan, the potential for transition of the site for other renewable energy, eg pump hydro should be addressed.

Yours sincerely
Ian Johnnson
Chairperson
24 September 2025

Hi, having a quarry so close to the ACT and Royalla would greatly impact so many people and animals. There are many horses and other livestock in the surrounding area that would be effected by noise and dust caused by the quarry. i am worried dust may travel to effect even more places , people and animals. i am also worried for the traffic increase along the Monaro which will greatly impact commutes around those areas. please reconsider this project.

We have been residents of Royalla for the past 22 years and feel we know the area and those who reside in it well. Over this time we have also observed the development of rural residential allotments and the increased pressure on the Monaro Highway and Old Cooma Road. The impact to these roads is not only the increased traffic on them but also the deterioration of the road surfaces that pose a risk to those travelling on it. There are large populations of kangaroos living in this area. Along with wombats, deer and other animals their dead bodies line the highway posing another grim hazard for those who use it on a daily basis. My concern is that truck movements associated with the quarry will start early in the morning when animals are moving about, increasing the risk for collisions with wild life. It is my experience that truck drivers do not stop to remove dead or injured animals from the middle of the road. Foggy conditions are common on the highway and it is very dangerous to come upon a dead kangaroo buck or wombat in the middle of the the road. We see the increase of these incidences in winter time with people travelling to the ski resorts.
I am opposed to this development because it’s purpose will completely destroy the land and all the plants and animals that are living on the 77.83 hectares of this proposed quarry. It does not seem fair for the residents of this area who are actively enhancing the biodiversity on their properties and in community projects to have their efforts so dramatically diminished by a single party. When we moved to Royalla the land was degraded by grazing animals. We have worked so hard to improve the biodiversity on our 5.2 hectares with planting local trees and plants and weed removal. All my neighbours do the same. The reward is enjoying the birds, lizards, and mammals that are supported by the environment at close hand, an experience not possible in suburbia. My feeling is why can’t they build a quarry in an area that does not effect so many people. We live approximately 5 kms from the rock quarry south of Royalla and can hear the rumbling of the rock crusher, the windows shake when they are blasting and the power supply dips in the morning when they are starting up machinery. Hence I already understand the impacts of living in the proximity of a quarry. I urge the department to reject this proposal.

This project will have major detrimental impacts on the environment and residents that surround the proposed site. A quarry located near residential and farmland areas can have significant negative effects on both the residents and the environment. One of the primary concerns is the release of toxic dust into the air. As mining activities unfold, fine particles such as silica can become airborne, contaminating the air quality and posing serious health risks to residents. Long-term exposure to these dust particles can lead to respiratory issues, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. The toxic dust also settles on surrounding vegetation and farmland, potentially affecting crops, soil health, and even contaminating local water sources. For those living nearby, the air quality decline becomes an ongoing threat to both physical health and quality of life.

In addition to the dust, the constant noise and vibrations from blasting, machinery, and truck traffic can severely disrupt daily living. The excessive noise from the quarry operations and the hundreds of trucks transporting materials through local roads each day can make life unbearable for nearby residents, affecting their sleep, concentration, and mental health. The vibrations from blasting and heavy equipment can damage nearby homes, buildings, and infrastructure, leading to costly repairs. Furthermore, the increase in truck traffic on local roads often leads to congestion, greater risk of accidents, and accelerated wear and tear on roads, forcing communities to bear the economic burden of maintaining these infrastructures. Overall, the presence of a quarry near residential and agricultural zones creates a cascade of environmental, health, and economic issues that significantly diminish the quality of life for those nearby. There is no economic, financial or environmental benefit to local residents in approving this quarry and it should not be allowed to go ahead.

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

I am 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.