Monaro Rock Quarry Project

I would be devastated if this project was approved. I recently moved to the area with my young family. The reasons for moving were to raise a family in a rural setting, respectful of the environment and beautiful surrounds. This project is against the best interests of the community. The increased traffic on the road in growing populations is so short sighted. Will there be substantial investment to improve the roads from up to 200 trucks per day. Increasing travel time to schools, essential local amenities and other basic needs of a growing family? Will the government ensure that pollution levels are maintained in safe thresholds all the time? How can they do this? Everyone in the area is reliant on rainwater and any peak in pollution would be detrimental to the sustainable living needs of the community. This quarry should not be approved. It is unnecessary and against the best interests of my family and the Royalla and surrounding communities.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

As a nearby resident I am significantly concerned about the increase in large vehicle traffic and the spread of silica dust and the potential negative effects on the health of the nearby residents.

I object to the proposed Monaro quarry project because of the significant risks it poses to my family, our property, and the wider community. My primary concern is the release of silica dust and other fine particles, which can contaminate our drinking water and be inhaled by my family, creating serious long-term health risks.

I am also deeply concerned about the additional heavy vehicle traffic on Old Cooma Road, which is already struggling to cope with current demand. Increased truck movements would heighten the risk of accidents, create noise and vibration, and further damage the road network.

Further, there are unanswered questions about compensation for future damage to dwellings caused by quarry blasting, and the likely decline in local house prices if this quarry proceeds. These potential impacts threaten both the value and liveability of our home.

Before any approval is considered, I ask whether a public hearing will be held so that local residents can properly raise these concerns and have them addressed on the record.

My husband and I bought property out near Royalla about 3 years ago, because my health was being negatively affected by living in Canberra with the associated toxins there.
The mine will create a huge amount of silica dust, which is a known irritant for me. We know from many years of research how many seemingly harmless toxins have been discovered to affect people's health when it is too late. We bought a property to live off-grid (I react badly to chlorine, etc in town water) and to avoid chemicals. Many others will also be affected by this dust, as well as thousands of animals and plants. In an area that already has 3 underutilised quarries, it is senseless to add another one purely for the economical gain for two families. Surely the bigger impact on our already declining environment from mining, the extra pollution from 500 daily quarry trucks and the addition of pollutants in the air and into the riverine systems should be more important than the economical gain of a few?
Leave those of us who have chosen to live a healthier life, as well as the local flora and fauna, alone to improve our local environment and not destroy it.

I object to this project on the grounds of
- operating a industrial scale mining operation in a quiet residential area
- dust and noise that will affect the nearby residences, particularly with silica dust exposure now being linked to early deaths
- increased traffic on an already overburdened highway
- local roads not being suitable for the number of heavy truck movements proposed
- sheer damage to the local flora and fauna by clearing a site of this size
- the existing quarries in the area not being utilised to their full potential

Submission objecting to the project attached.

I'm one of Canberra prominent mountain climbers, resident of South Canberra, I've climbed all over Australia in and around mining sites and seen first hand the impacted mining and rock blasting has, I've seen the Pilbara blasted the Trakine mine, mine trucks everywhere the roads are full of heavy haulage vehicles but the difference is it not near a large metropolitan hub and l do not wish this within our community the health and environmental impact that will effect generations not to mention the environment significant to the woodland grasslands home to a variety of native wildlife and indigenous culture sites, I also grow up in and around quarry and aggregates with my family owning a company when I was a child and understand the businesses position on expansion but we do have a number of quarries already in the area.


Health:
I'm significantly concerned about the respirable crystalline silica particles, causes multiple diseases, including silicosis, is incurable lung disease that leads to disability and death Respirable crystalline silica also causes lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and kidney disease, and is on the same seriousness as asbestos, being a parent to children who attend a school within the 5km zone I don't find this acceptable look at cases around the world at places exposure to deadly particle exposure like Mr Fluffy for asbestos exposure and buy backs, it's like in Wittenoon WA, no access due to the exposure to blue asbestos and closed to public, how is Silica an acceptable exposure? As it's seen as the new asbestos.


Environmental significants:
the proposed sight sits close to a sacred indigenous site near theodore - Indigenous grinding groves the area has culture significant for the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people. We also have a number of endangered plants and animal life critically endangered box-gum grassy woodlands there are less than 10% left in the world on enchanted hill the site is also home to the critically endangered pink-tailed legless lizard, Swift parrot, Purple Pea in the proposed area also many invertebrates black rock scorpions and trapdoor spiders that all play a role in our eco system.


Enchanted hill NSW is part of the canberra hiking, mount climbing community, people climb Enchanted hill there many pages online showing this. As a climber we call it peak bragging I myself have climbed Enchanted hill I personally used it as a training mountain for my record breaking mountain climbs, l don't want to see it's destroyed and the effects on the environment and loss of green space.


Thank you for your time