Monaro Rock Quarry Project

I am writing this submission against the proposed quarry to be situated near my home in Royalla.
I am extremely concerned about the impact such a quarry will have on the natural environment which is home to many species of birds that are both endangered and important to the biodiversity in the area. I am an avid bird watcher and gardener and enjoy the many species of birds such as scarlet robins, flame robins and the regent honeyeaters that visit my garden and whose breeding areas are within the proposed quarry site.
My mental health and wellbeing since being retired has always been positively influenced to time in my garden watching birds and spending many hours outside. I am extremely worried and stressed about the quarry and how it will impact my garden and the birds that visit it. I don't want to be breathing in the dust that will be created by such a quarry and hearing and feeling the blasts that will be occurring on a daily basis. My anxiety levels have increased since learning about the proposed quarry and reading about the flora and fauna that will be affected by the devastating destruction of the environment of the Enchanted hill.
I cannot understand why such an important environmental area is even being considered for the site of the quarry.
I have been a resident of Royalla for twenty years and have put years of work into my property to support the natural environment which is endemic to this area. Another quarry is the last thing we need and its impact will not only be devastating to the environment but the health and well being of myself and my family.
Wendy Noad.

I oppose the project because of concerns about water usage, road safety, dust pollution and noise pollution

My household opposes the proposed new Quarry
For many reasons:
1/The impacts of silica dust on respiratory health has been well documented. We do not need the potential impact of this in the air and also falling on our roofs leading to containment of our drinking water as we all rely on tank water in the area.
2/ the impact to the ground water, the quarry will access ground water limiting the water in the water table that is relied on my many in the area for more sustainable
3/ the quarry process uses water and thus produces waste water. This can contaminate ground water and is also expected to run off into the local Tuggeranong creek
4/ Traffic, the exisiting roads will not tolerate the extra heavy vehicles traffic. The Monaro hwy is not designed to tolerate the extra traffic the Quarry will create. Heading into Canberra (north) the road is only one lane, there are also concerns about the safety of a slow heavy fully laden truck leaving the quarry crossing the highway with vehicles traveling at 100km/hr
In snow season the turn from old Cooma road onto the hwy at intersection with good visibility can be challenging we do not need extra truck traffic on this road and the location that the proposed quarry will be accessing the highway will only make traffic conditions dangerous and likely force unsafe overtaking of slow trucks
The alternate route for the trucks to travel down old Cooma road and the road between fernleigh park and wellsvale drive is narrow, with no shoulder and potholed and will not stand up to the extra traffic movements especially wide and heavy loads. When residents have requested this road look at being widened we have been told by QPRC that the corridor contains protected trees and thus can’t be widened

5/ local septic systems and brownouts
The extra draw on the electrical infrastructure may cause brownouts that affect many electrical appliances but importantly the pumps of the septic system we rely on. Why should we be forced to pay for replacement pumps and other electrical items affected by these potential brownouts.
6/ impact on local flora and fauna,
The impact to ecosystems may have far ranging and irreversible impacts
Ultimately we moved our family out of town for a more peaceful, Clean lifestyle not to hear blasting and trucks thundering by 6 days per week and be concerned about impacts to our health.
Don’t let this quarry go head to line the pockets of the owners at the detriment of the greater community it

Protect the environment

My family and I live in Tuggeranong and we strongly object to the proposed new quarry to be operated in Royalla. The activity at the proposed quarry will adversely affect 1000s of residents and have a significant detrimental environmental impact in the area. Both the flora and fauna in the area will be negatively affected by noise, dust, the huge number of vehicles passing through hourly. There is a huge risk of silica dust being transferred in the atmosphere, to people. The health of residents needs to be of major concern. There are schools in the area and there is a huge risk that the health, well-being and education of our children will be impacted by the changes and disruption that will inevitably become evident . This is the wrong place to establish an environmentally harmful, destructive and divisive development.

Monaro Rail Trail Inc is a community organization that wishes to convert the disused 213 km long Monaro rail corridor from Queanbeyan to Bombala into a recreation facility, known as a rail trail, and which supports, walking, running and cycling activities for people of all ages and abilities. MRT Inc does not oppose the quarry proposal but does wish to comment on some aspects of its proposed development and its activities
The MRT project brings benefits to community health and gives rise to a new form of tourism which will help boost economic activity in the bypassed villages and towns along the rail corridor. The project has widespread support from, individuals, business operators, resident associations, and importantly the two key stakeholders – Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council and Snowy Monaro Regional Councils who have funded feasibility studies. The NSW Government has funded the supporting business case and the project is now shovel ready.
One of the most used segments on the trail will be the section Queanbeyan to Michelago, it is anticipated that each year over 100,000 people will make use of the trail between those two points. Although the actual quarry will not be visible to users of the rail trail, the proposed quarry access road and the suggested daily 500 vehicle movements, will be close to the rail corridor for approximately 800m as the road approaches the Monaro highway. Consequently, MRT Inc feels it is appropriate to comment on the proposal to establish the Monaro Rock Quarry on land bordering the rail corridor.
Dust suppression: During the dry summer months, December to April, when dust suppression may be most difficult, the prevailing wind direction is easterly and users of the rail trail could be subject to poor air quality. If the access road is unsealed then trail users will certainly be subject to dust as trucks travel parallel and close to the rail corridor. We do note that the EIS statement reports that there will be no discernible changes to the air quality. However, an assurance that the access road is to be sealed along that section close to the rail corridor would alleviate concerns from MRT Inc.
Noise suppression: The EIS reports that 500 heavy trucks will be entering/leaving the quarry per day (page 35). These will all travel along the access road and in proximity to users of the rail trail and although the trucks will be travelling slowly, there will still be the noise linked with general movement, and particularly acceleration and braking. This will certainly intrude into the space of trail users. However, we believe that increasing the distance between the access road and the rail corridor plus screening with vegetation would help to alleviate this issue. An alternative option is to consider the proposed fence on the east side of the access road, could it be built on the west side of the access road for that 800metre section where it is parallel to the rail corridor? Tree and shrub planting on both sides of the access road will also help buffer noise.
Visual abatement: Our comments here mirror those on noise suppression. Users of the trail, in an otherwise rural setting, do not wish to feel they are walking/running/cycling alongside heavy trucks. The EIS reports up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day, which means for an 8-hour day there will be a truck on the road every minute. Installation of a fence on the west side of the access road would reduce rail trail user’s views of truck movements. Furthermore, dense planting of appropriate plant species would enhance visual screening of, not only vehicles but also the proposed 3m high fence.
Traffic movement: MRT Inc is pleased that the proposal has planned for the access road to include a bridge over the rail corridor. This immediately removes all risks to trail users as vehicles will be separated from trail users. We note that the planners are sensitive to routing quarry traffic through local roads and have instead wisely chosen to use the Monaro Highway. However, we do have a general concern about the number of slow-moving trucks that will enter the Monaro Highway and pose a potential risk to fast moving highway traffic. We urge that the intersection of the quarry access road and the Monaro Highway be planned carefully.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposal.
Andrew Carter
Secretary MRT Inc

My wife and I are residents of Royalla, NSW, and object to the proposed Monaro rock quarry project. My parents are also previous residents having moved to Royalla in 2000. My parents were drawn to Royalla for its proximity to family who reside close by in the ACT. In addition to this, the Royalla area also offered a quiet area free from issues which come from living in the suburbs e.g. traffic, noise, and access to nature. The area was precious not only to my parents but to myself to the extent that on my parents' passing, I purchased their property. The proposed quarry will destroy all the reasons which make Royalla the beautiful area that it currently is. Establishment and operation of the proposed quarry will negatively impact the environment (site is already zoned RU2 and C2 and contains critically endangered box-gum grassy woodland) e.g. clearing of endangered bushland and the resultant impact on wildlife, cause dust/silica dust which can lead to the development of lung cancer, silicosis, kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This will also impact residents of Tuggeranong and the surrounding areas. We and the other the residents of Royalla are also dependant on rainwater for our water supply which the dust/silica dust will also impact. The proposed quarry will also generate a huge volume of traffic on roads already unsafe, particularly during periods of increased traffic e.g. snow season. Noise and dust pollution during operations including blasting will also have a huge impact on not only Royalla residents but those in surrounding areas including suburbs within the ACT (approximately 49000 people live within 10 kilometres of the proposed site). In addition to the negative human and environmental impacts the economics of the proposed site, are also questionable given the existence of four quarries within 30kms with sufficient capacity to last 100 years.

I would like to raise objections to the planned new Monaro Rock quarry in Royalla. I have read the Environment Impact Submission and am concerned by numerous aspects of the plan.
Operating up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, this quarry is estimated to extract up to 1,000,000 tonnes of rock annually from land that has been environmentally protected. In addition to this, Monaro Rock plan to crush up to 20,000 tonnes of concrete and produce up to 150,000 tonnes of asphalt on site. This level of industrial activity will completely transform the corridor between Royalla and Hume and have profound and lasting impacts on the residents in this area, those who use the Monaro Highway, and potentially anyone who lives within a 20kms radius of the site who may be subjected to negative health outcomes. I will be extremely disappointed if the NSW Government allows the profits of a private company to trump the lifestyle, health and land considerations of thousands of people. Following are my primary concerns:

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
• I am concerned at the destruction of Enchanted Hill, an existing area of 22.44 hectares of Box Gum grassy woodland which would be destroyed by this venture. There is less than 5% of this type of land left anywhere in world and it deserves to be protected. This quarry could be built elsewhere, or products sourced from elsewhere; we cannot recreate established Box Gum grassy woodland and such a thriving ecosystem.
• I also note from the EIS that an additional 77HA of land will be partially destroyed. This biodiversity should be protected.
• This area is next to the Melrose Reserve and a number of other reserves.
• I object that the proposed quarry would allow runoff into the Tuggeranong Creek
• My understanding is that this land has been identified as a C2 environmental conservation protection zone and as an RU2 rural landscape. I understood that to mean that this land had been protected from incompatible development. The specified purpose of a C2 zone is to “protect, manage and restore areas of high ecological, scientific, cultural or aesthetic values” and to “prevent development that could destroy, damage or otherwise have an adverse effect on those values.” How does a quarry meet any of these conservation objectives?

STATE SIGNIFICANT PROJECT
• This is being called a ‘State Significant Project’ due to the predicted capital it will raise. But the financial benefits of the quarry will primarily service private companies (2 families), not the public. And they will primarily serve the interests of the ACT, not NSW.
• I am disappointed that this quarry has been proposed to be placed within a country estate and especially on land that has already been protected.

ROAD/SAFETY IMPACT
• I am concerned about the number of additional trucks on the Monaro Highway. The addition of between 200 and 500 truck movements per day will have a negative ongoing impact on this section of the highway.
• It will require, in time, the need for substantial construction, which will significantly impact the ability of Royalla and regional residents to get to and from the ACT for work. And, prior to this work being undertaken, it will place up to 500 truck journeys on smaller country roads.
• Several hundred trucks journeys per day will take a toll on the highway. 240 fully laden trucks leaving the site each day and lead to significant bottlenecks at the roundabout near Calwell.
• I already travel a substantial amount of time each day to work at a hospital in the ACT. I am concerned about delays from the additional activity of trucks, the wear and tear to the road, and the delays for roadworks and changes. When I moved to rural NSW earlier this year, the one concern I had was my difficulty in getting to work if the Monaro Highway were every substantially slowed down or out of commission for periods of time.
• I am extremely concerned about the additional danger on the Monaro Highway of so many heavy-laden trucks crossing across the lanes and then needing to get up to speed, all which travelling up an incline in an area that is known to be dangerous in respect of traffic accidents. The existing trucks from the other quarries and logging trucks are already at speed on the highway, not trying to join and speed up near a crest. There have been accidents at that exact locations where trucks have cleaned up cars. This seems unnecessarily dangerous.
• The assessments of impact of trucks etc, that I have read seem to be based on just the activity for the rock extraction part of the quarry, not even including the asphalting and concreting components.

EXISTING QUARRIES and NEED
• The EIS Assessment of Economic Need is largely based on projected population growth in the ACT over the coming years. So why can’t Monao Rock construct a quarry away from this suburban area and then transport the products? It seems counter-intuitive to argue that, because of the increasing population in this area, that they should locate a quarry in the same area.
• There are four existing quarries within 30 kilometres of the proposed site.
• This quarry is not critical to supply. Nearby quarries have over 80 years life in them, more than enough to supply demand. Other quarries in the area do not seem to be operating at capacity, workers have recently been laid off. Annual reports indicate they are operating at 40% capacity.
• The EIS states “Because of geological, geographical, ecological, environmental amenity and land use constraints, other than the subject proposed quarry, there are no other known equivalent or realistically prospective ‘greenfield’ hard rock sites available to meet the projected demand for aggregates in the Canberra-Queanbeyan region of the demand catchment… If the Monaro Rock Quarry is not approved, then the shortfall in local supply of crushed aggregates to the ACT-Queanbeyan region from around 2030 onwards will increasingly need to be met by importing aggregates from more distant high capacity hard rock quarries such as those at Marulan in the NSW Southern Highlands, around 125-130km by road from Canberra and Queanbeyan. If aggregates were sourced from these more distant quarries, because of the cost of freight and distance by road the importation would, as a minimum, increase the delivered cost of the aggregate to Canberra and Queanbeyan region by around 40-45%. In addition, there are indirect costs to the broader community from ‘externalities’ such as greenhouse gas emissions from fuel burn, road safety and additional road wear and tear impacts, because of the additional heavy vehicle kilometres hauled.” This seems to be the perfect explanation as to why NOT to build a new quarry. There are existing quarries that could be used. Quarries impact all the externalities listed above. Similar hard rock exists in many locations between here and the coast. The assertion that increased transport costs would increase the cost of materials by 40-45% is laughable. It seems that the entire cost of the new quarry, and the resulting infrastructure, could be saved by utilising existing quarries. The EIS raises concerns about increased traffic and environment impact for an existing quarry, but not for the NSW/ACT region of building an entire new quarry? This does not make sense.

HEALTH IMPACTS
• 31,000 ACT and NSW residents live within five kilometres of the site. 92,000 residents live within ten kilometres. The nearest Royalla residents are only 1.6km away. ACT residents are only 2.6km away.
• Silica dust and noise can travel further than this in all directions. Royalla is an extremely windy place, which will exacerbate the transportation of silica dust. This dust will blow all over a region that is off town water. Meaning silica will be on the roof of my house, which will then be in my water tank, and then in my body.
• Silica dust can have devastating effects on a person’s health.
• There was not sufficient data provided in the EIS about the possible spread of silica given the high amount of wind in Royalla.
• Residents near the existing Williamsdale Quarry have consistently had issues with silica produced from that site.

IMPACTS ON ROYALLA
• I am concerned about the heavy usage the quarry would have on groundwater, which is a precious and needed supply for our rural community. It would also require profound amounts of electricity.
• We are a rural community. People ride horses and walk along the streets. My family and I paid a substantial amount of money to buy into Royalla recently because it is considered a desirable country lifestyle and to allow for medical conditions within my family. This proposed quarry would negatively affect our quality of life. The idea of the quarry is already causing me considerable stress.

CONCLUSION
I propose that the Monaro Rock project be located at a different site; one away from a rural estate and a location which would have such profound impacts on the ACT and this region of NSW. From reading the EIS, I do not believe that this project will be that financially lucrative for the NSW Government, given the amount of funding that will need to be expended in respect of water provision, electricity grid capability, and road construction, among other considerations. I hope that the money to be gained by two businesses will not trump the health, wellbeing and livelihoods of thousands. This proposal seems to provide for the profits of the few at the risk of the many. I do not think it is the right thing for the NSW Government to build a new quarry in an existing rural community and in close proximity to tens of thousands of ACT and NSW residents. We know enough as a society about the environment, health and social impacts of quarries to know that this is a harmful idea.

Thank you for your consideration of these objections and I hope that this quarry will not proceed.

The increased heavy vehicle traffic should not be allowed on ACT or NSW roads without major road works being undertaken beforehand. The increase in noise and dust should not be allowed in such a heavily populated area.

I am objecting to the Monaro Rock quarry.

I request that the Independent Planning Commissioner review the request

These are a summary of my objections:

There are already enough quarries in the local area and they are not at
capacity.

All existing quarries have capacity to meet the growing need.

There will be dust, noise and traffic impacts that will compound with the
two other quarries using the roads in the immediate vicinity.

The dust from quarrying is a known documented risk via silica. The
non-industrial risks from silica are under-studies but emerging as a genuine
risk.

The road intersection on Monaro will require a major speed reduction in the
overtaking section meaning there will be more risk in the single carriageway
section. Already I see the most appalling overtaking and dangerous driving
on this section of single carriageway. Reducing the speed limit in the
overtaking section (the only viable option) will, with certainty, cause
accident in the area where the overtaking lane ends. I have genuine concern
for my own safety travelling that highway every day already. The proposed
intersection makes it worse.

Mates Drive should not be used for heavy vehicles as it is unsuitable and
puts an unacceptable impact on residents.

Royalla will be impacted from a property value perspective.

I work in the heavy vehicle repair industry. The EIS does not cover enough
detail on the workshop on site and the fuel storage arrangements. The lack
of detail means there is a direct risk.

There will be a direct dust impact to the solar farm at Royalla damaging or
degrading Canberra power infrastructure.

I completely object the unnecessary quarry proposed.

I am concerned about the serious implications the proposed quarry poses to my family. Not only is our home a residence it's where we host barbecues, birthdays, playdates for grandchildren and various events associated to family and friends on a regular basis. The proximity of the proposed quarry threatens to severely undermine our ability to enjoy our home.
A major concern is the health risk associated with silica dust, while industrial workers who are required to use protective equipment we and our visitors would be exposed with no means of protection. The long term effects of daily exposure to airborne dust particles that will travel beyond the quarry is of particular worry.
The increased volume of heavy vehicle traffic on the road in this area poses a danger and significant disruption to either Monaro Highway or Old Cooma Road. If the ACT govt. does allow the quarry to use the Monaro Highway for heavy haulage trucks to enter a high speed road the potential for accidents will be immense. If the Old Cooma Road is used the same will happen in addition to the road being damaged resulting in extra cost to ratepayers for repair and maintenance.
The location of the proposed quarry will have damaging consequences for the environment and biodiversity, the landscape supports a range of native flora and fauna. With operation times of 12 hours a day, 6 days a week will produce constant noise, vibration, and dust, it will disrupt habitats and the potential for runoff or pollution into local waterways could impact aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
This is not a theoretical issue for us, this is about safety, health and future of our family and our way of life. A quarry so close to residential properties would change the liveability of our home, with daily risks to health, peace of mind and the environment we cherish.
I respectfully urge the refusal of this development.

This project poses a risk to the health and safety of the local community. Blasting, dust, noise and increased traffic are all of concern to me. The impact of property values would also be of concern to residents in the area. There is already a quarry at Williamsdale that is impacting local residents. There is sufficient evidence that the Monaro quarry will impact the community. There is insufficient evidence demonstrating that the need for this quarry outweighs the risk to the community.

This quarry will impact my parents home and a place where I spend significant time. As a young adult, I am concerned about the impact to our environment from the removal of critically endangered habitat. I am concerned about my long term health and the cumulative impacts of quarrying. I am concerned about the direct impact to my parents in overlapping quarry impact areas and may friends who reside close to the new quarry. It's upsetting when these decisions are for the greed of people, not for the good of the community. It's not needed and it impacts Royalla, Tuggeranong and more.
I object. The independent minister should review and not let this quarry be decided by those who don't know the impact to our heritage. Australia needs conservation for our future. This is what matters. Our lands matter and as an indigenous person, this quarry is not ok. Let the indigenous people of the area have more say on this quarry. They will say no. Bring the indigenous people to the planning table and let them speak their truth about these lands. They were not meant to be dug up and destroyed.

Due to health this would affect me and my kids

My family purchased a block ~14 yrs ago to build our forever home, out of a town for fresh, clean air,  space for children and adults to live more of life outside with active pursuits. We knew of the existing quarries which informed our decision on the "where" to buy & build. The proposed location was farming land. 


Over the years we have met families that reside near the existing, learned of how the operations affect their lives, electrical brown outs causing equipment to burn out with regularity, blasting rocking their houses, layer of dust, that we now know is silica dust which has led to the Australian ban of man-made bench tops due to the impact on health.
The proposed location does not have my or my community's support ( no social licence) for multiple reasons,some of which are below:
Impact on health from silica dust transmissionBiodiversity negative impacts.. the site is home to many species of flora and fauna, some are already critically endangered such as the box gum Grassy Woodlands,Massive increase in number of large , heavy trucks on district roads that are already subpar with increased lighter traffic from the housing developments , including Googong who traverse the Old Cooma road onto Monaro highway to enter the ACT for work.  There has been an increase in accidents at that intersection with this proposal bringing in an excessive, unmanaged risk with much larger vehicles .  The local council is proportedly unable to upgrade the Old Cooma road near Googong township due to the endangered gum trees beside it.. how then can the critically endangered box gum woodland be sacrificed for this venture?This raises many questions that should be answered in a public hearing:
Will the NSW government cover the cost of upgrades BEFORE  the proposed quarry enters into production? How can the NSW government guarantee access from the site to the monaro highway given the recent ruling by ACT planning relating to the strip of land - DA202442874Will the NSW government ENSURE/GUARANTEE that the proposed mitigations contained within the proposal are implemented BEFORE production would commence and MAINTAIN quarterly physical reviews for the life of the operation that all requirements are consistently met to protect flora and fauna along with the human residents and their quality of life?Will the unfortunate folk within immediate vicinity be recompensed as their proper value plummets along with their quality of life?Do any of the proponents actually reside within the critical, scientifically proven danger zone for the operations and if so,  will they remain there with their families if operations commence?
Would the minister move their family and friends to live within the transmission zone of the silica dust?

For us, the local residents, our water supply is from rainfall collected from our roofs and stored in tanks.
What will the silica particles in our tanks do to our and our children's health?
Where are the long term studies for that?
Will we be provided with the necessary filtration systems and ongoing servicing,  replacement filters etc at NO cost?

It's not nibism when there are already 3 active quarries in the near vicinity, which by all accounts have many years left in them. I hold reservations that the stated employment grow is unlikely, suspect it would more likely be same resources that are already engaged across the existing quarries and recycling centres.

Perhaps a more gentile and sustainable option that is environmentally friendly for the local flora and fauna & acknowledges existing residents, roads, water quality, energy supplies, health concerns.. should be investigated rather than a disruptive, damaging venture that appears to benefit few. 

The decision should not be based on fiscal gains for NSW government and the owners of the proposal at the expense of the existing inhabitants, flora, fauna and human.
A public hearing is called for, with representations from the unfunded, heavily impacted locals, both NSW and ACT residents & the existing quarries to publically present the  qualified current % of production, any plans for expansion & end of production / life expectation.

I wouldn’t normally go through the effort of making a submission such as this, however I feel morally compelled to do so following the very strong negative feelings which I have heard amongst the local community. The health risks of silica dust being propagated into the air is my primary concern, however I have many secondary concerns such as the added traffic from large machinery on the Monary Hwy and the risk of negatively affecting the housing market in the region due to the added noise from the site’s operation and the increased silica dust levels in suburban areas.

From my research, it is my understanding that similar facilities such as this are operating at present, however are not at full capacity. It seems disgraceful that a facility such as this could be considered when the benefit is for very few, when the repercussions could be felt by so many.

This is why myself and many who I have spoken to in the community are in deep opposition to this project.

Submission in Strong Opposition — Monaro Rock (Royalla) Quarry (SSD / Major Project)
To: NSW Department of Planning & Environment — Assessment Directorate
Re: Monaro Rock Quarry Project (Royalla) — SSD-27223807 (EIS on exhibition)
From: [Alex Tine — Resident, living within 1.5 km of the proposed quarry site]
Date: 22/09/2025

Executive statement — my position (short, unequivocal)
I STRONGLY OPPOSE the Monaro Rock quarry proposal. As a resident who lives 1.5 km from the proposed pit, I am speaking from direct lived experience and local knowledge. This project would bring daily, sustained and unacceptable harm to my health, my family’s wellbeing, our property, our wildlife, our Indigenous heritage and the integrity of the local environment for decades. The EIS does not justify placing this heavy industry in a rapidly growing residential and peri-urban area. The project must be refused. If it is not refused, it must face legally enforceable, non-negotiable conditions (listed below) that protect the community — starting with an absolute ban on any quarry truck movements on Old Cooma Road.
(Planning filing & project facts for the record: Monaro Rock proposes up to 1,000,000 tpa and a multi-decade operation; project documents confirm road haulage by heavy vehicles is fundamental to the proposal.)
NSW Planning Portal+1
My lived reasons for opposition (personal, detailed)
1) Dust and respirable crystalline silica (RCS): an immediate health threat — worse on windy days

Hard-rock quarries and crushing plants generate airborne dust that contains respirable crystalline silica (RCS) — a proven cause of silicosis, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease. The EIS itself acknowledges dust and RCS emissions are possible; the proponent’s claims that “levels will be below acceptable limits” do not reassure me because real world quarry and construction projects frequently record exceedances on windy days despite controls. The science and national guidance require conservative, independent community protection measures (continuous monitoring, automatic shutdown triggers, funded health surveillance), not voluntary partial measures. I will not accept a guarantee based only on proponent monitoring plans.
Safe Work Australia+1
Demand: Binding, enforceable protections including continuous, third-party PM10/PM2.5 and RCS monitoring at multiple community receptor sites (public live feeds), immediate automatic operational shutdown triggers when levels exceed conservative community protection thresholds, and a developer-funded long-term community health surveillance and medical fund (life of project + 10 years).
2) Truck movements, road safety and haul routes — absolute ban on Old Cooma Road
The EIS and community summary show the project will generate huge heavy vehicle movements — Monaro Rock documents indicate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day (the applicant’s community summary). This number, and the presence of concrete / asphalt dispatch vehicles and other heavy plant, will move across local roads. I refuse to accept the use of Old Cooma Road by quarry trucks for any reason.
Old Cooma Road runs through residential peri-urban areas and is not an acceptable haul route for sustained heavy-truck traffic. I demand:
• No trucks at any time to or from the quarry on Old Cooma Road (absolute prohibition).
• The road must carry a 12 tonne maximum vehicle limit for any regular traffic classification; quarry trucks are specifically excluded. (Apply and enforce local Council / RMS weight limits and install physical controls, signage and enforcement cameras.)
• All proponent haulage must use the Monaro Highway or other designated, upgraded heavy-vehicle corridors (but only if those routes have been independently assessed and funded for the expected volumes).
• Legally binding haul route agreements and an indexed bond to pay for road repair, intersection upgrades and long-term maintenance if quarry traffic is permitted on any road elsewhere.
Monaro Rock Pty Ltd - Royalla Quarry+1
Old Cooma Road is already subject to staged duplication upgrades by Council — it is being prepared for residential growth, not industrial trucking. The quarry must not hijack local road planning for its own freight needs.
qprc.nsw.gov.au
3) Scale: 500 trucks/day, population growth and cumulative impacts
The community summary and EIS documents indicate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day at peak — this is not a small rural pit, it is an industrial operation sized to support major regional construction. That traffic will intersect with a community that is growing rapidly. Local government population forecasts show the Queanbeyan-Palerang region and surrounding Canberra southern districts are experiencing substantial growth (tens of thousands of additional residents over coming decades), increasing exposure and vulnerability to dust, noise and safety impacts. The Department cannot approve a major industrial freight generator into a locality that is transitioning to higher population density.
Monaro Rock Pty Ltd - Royalla Quarry+1
Demand: The application must be refused on the grounds of cumulative unacceptable amenity and safety impacts; at minimum the Department must require an independent cumulative impact assessment that includes projected regional population growth and the full life-of-project vehicle movements.
4) Threatened ecological communities and species — clearing is unacceptable
The proposed quarry would directly remove and fragment remnant native woodland that is part of the White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely’s Red Gum grassy woodland ecological community — listed as critically endangered in NSW and nationally. These woodlands are irreplaceable, host hollow-bearing trees and groundcover communities, and support threatened fauna. The surrounding region is habitat for threatened woodland birds and fauna (for example, the Superb Parrot, Brown Treecreeper (south-eastern subspecies) and Hooded Robin (south-eastern) are representative threatened species of woodland remnants in this part of NSW/ACT). Loss of remnant woodland cannot be adequately offset and must be avoided.
Climate and Water Dept+3
Environment and Heritage+3
DCCEEW+3
Demand: Absolute avoidance of all remnant woodland and CEEC; if any ground disturbance would harm CEEC, the project must be refused. If the Department entertains offsets, they must be independent, in-perpetuity, and demonstrated to be ecologically equivalent — but avoiding clearance is the only acceptable standard.
5) Aboriginal cultural heritage — precaution and statutory protections
The area around Royalla has Aboriginal heritage value and the NSW guidelines (and AHIMS checks) require thorough assessment, consultation with Traditional Owners / Local Aboriginal Land Councils and meaningful mitigation before any approval. The EIS references a Preliminary Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment, but the Department cannot approve a project with the risk of irreversible harm to Aboriginal objects, places and intangible heritage. The proponent must satisfy the Due Diligence Code and seek any necessary Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit only after robust consultation.
Environment and Heritage+1
Demand: Independent, properly resourced Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment with local Traditional Owner leadership; no disturbance to identified sites; refusal if harm cannot be avoided.
6) Groundwater, surface water and wetlands — high uncertainty, irreversible consequences
Quarrying and dewatering can change groundwater levels and flow paths, threatening groundwater-dependent ecosystems and private water supplies (wells), and potentially affecting downstream springs and agricultural uses. The EIS must provide independent hydrogeological modelling, conservative worst-case scenarios, and legally enforceable monitoring, remediation and financial assurance. The risk of drying and water quality impacts to neighbouring properties is unacceptable without ironclad guarantees.
Major Projects
Demand: Refuse if groundwater impacts cannot be excluded. If not refused, require independent peer review of groundwater modelling and an unconditional, indexed rehabilitation and impact bond large enough to fund remediation, compensation and long-term monitoring.
7) Noise, blasting and vibration — unacceptable for nearby homes and wildlife
Blasting, crushing and constant heavy vehicle noise will materially reduce amenity and could damage homes and farm infrastructure. Blasting also affects fauna, causes sleep disturbance and will be felt by the growing nearby population and by wildlife within remnant woodland. I demand a precautionary approach — refusal unless the proponent can show blasting and noise will not exceed conservative limits at the nearest homes and sensitive ecological receptors for all operations and for the project’s full life.
Monaro Rock Pty Ltd - Royalla Quarry
8) Property values and social/economic harms
There is substantial empirical evidence that large pits and quarries depress nearby property values and that public announcements of haul routes can reduce buyer demand — losses that are borne by homeowners, not the proponent. I (and my neighbours) should not be forced to assume the financial risk of permanently reduced land values because a private business wants cheaper aggregate close to its batching plants. The Department must treat expected property value harm as a material social impact.
Appraisal Institute of Canada+1
Demand: If approval is considered then require an independent property-impact valuation study paid for by the proponent, with a developer-funded compensation scheme for any demonstrable loss to homeowners within a defined buffer (minimum 5 km, with a higher compensation scale within 1.5 km).
Concrete, non-negotiable demands (if the Department permits any further assessment rather than refusing outright)
Absolute ban on Old Cooma Road for quarry traffic.

Excessive traffic, Silica dust, damage to local wild life

I wish to oppose the development of the Monaro Rock Quarry.
We purchased our Monaro Station property in 2017. It was a massive financial outlay for us but after looking into the areas zoning, what price do you put on your family’s health and wellbeing what a wonderfully unique lifestyle for our family and even for friends to visit, it was such an exciting prospect, we couldn’t believe our luck we had managed to secure a property in an absolutely stunning rural area only minutes from Canberra. Given the financial commitment we had to consider this our “superannuation” becoming either an option for our children to purchase off us later in life or to on sell as a unique opportunity for someone to purchase a rural residence only ten minutes from Canberra, what would become an even rarer commodity in the future.
Wow, we had no idea what an amazing community we were moving into, it was almost like stepping back in time! If we left the door unlocked, we didn’t need to worry, neighbours look out for each other, everybody is house proud and maintain the appearance of their property, people were always trying to help each other… the list goes on, in short just a great place to live. A community centre built by the resident for the residents and the surrounding regions with regular local volunteer coordinated children’s events, sausage sizzles and bonfires…
Since our purchase we had been excitingly looking into so many options for our property, we were planning on re-developing our driveway, entrance and even a substantial extension to our home including large deck and inground swimming pool. We were just about to begin the process of relocating our children from school in central Canberra to one of the local south Tuggeranong schools to allow us the ability to use the local bus service and aid in mingling more in the local community.
Then in early 2021, I read a Facebook post one Sunday afternoon and there was a photo of proposed quarry and an associated letter posted by an angry resident. I was astonished, could not believe this could happen, I made my way down to my letterbox to find an unsealed, unaddressed envelope with the recently posted on Facebook documents inside, with consultation times of short notice and inconvenient times. From that point on our lives and the lives of our family, neighbours and community have been turned upside down. The consultation days where ill-prepared and provided very little information and only gave the impression that they were going ahead with this project as it will mean increased profits for our company and it’s your problem to stop it!
Due to the location and nature of this proposal our quiet and clean aired lifestyle could now be impacted but not limited to, a relentless line of trucks driving past or in close proximity to our property on a daily basis (500 a day from 7am to 6pm!!!), producing noise, dust, diesel fumes, rubbish (rocks ,dirt etc) on road to be flicked up and break windscreens, general traffic congestion. Noise from explosions, heavy machinery, trucks, increased visitor and employee traffic. Dust, no matter how well it is claimed this can be reduced realistically all the dust can simply not be stopped. This is an extremely windy location we will be inundated with dust both the dirty annoying dust and deadly silica dust, affecting our health, our water supplies, swimming pools, dams, solar panels even down to the smaller issue extra cleaning both inside and outside we will now have to perform. Damage, there is no denying that all properties within a certain radius will be affect by the shock waves of the blasting potentially cracking home and shed foundations, water tanks, underground services. There will obviously be an increase of debris on the roads be it small rocks, dirt dust, to damage windscreens and duco or the potential damage caused by inevitable potholes which will frequently turn up due to the heavy traffic on our residential streets. Not to mention the damage to pumps and filters on our water systems. Speaking of water, what about our water table, our community relies heavily on the underground water table to maintain our properties and stock the existing community respect the limited resource that it is and are very careful with its usage however according to the proposers they will be accessing this to use astronomical amounts of water on a daily basis with the only other option being to truck in water which apparently was unfeasible due to the amount required! and if it was the chosen option it would only increase the already unacceptable amount of trucks on the road. Last but not least power, as existing residents know the installation of the other quarries in the region have been closely associated with brown outs causing an unusual amount of electrical failures of water pumps and sewerage in the past, it seems the existing quarry and electrical authorities have more or less got this under control now but if the proposed quarry goes ahead we will most likely be faced with this problem yet again.
Given the above issues as a family we had to put our lives on hold, we didn’t want to move our children to a school that is potentially within the fallout area of the quarry, this would mean they would be exposed to silica dust both at home and at school, we wouldn’t be able to use the local bus service as it will be too dangerous to have my children walk down to the local bus stop as the existing roads are not appropriate for both pedestrian access and heavy vehicle access. Any plans to extend our home were and still are put on hold, we couldn’t afford to risk extending a home that may lose value and put ourselves at risk of over capitalising, the option of a pool is now more or less out of the question as it would more than likely just be filled with dust and become a mud bath.
We didn’t come here to live next to a quarry, we will most probably have little choice other than to move if the project goes ahead but who is going to want to buy our home now! What was to become our retirement fund is now a dwindling flame and ultimately has the potential to leave us financially crippled, how could we possibly be compensated for this.
I am still at a loss as how this proposal can even be considered given the huge number of residents affected by this, with our knowledge of the health risks associated with industrial developments like this, surely, they should be moved away from residents not closer. With three other quarries in the region not running at full capacity you can only assume that this is purely for higher profit which should not come before existing resident’s lifestyle and health.
Here we are now getting towards the end of the approval process and as I read through the EIS sure they have included several of the issues which I mentioned above but for me, it is just a lot of facts and figures, there are no guarantees, no promises, anything could happen really… Unfortunately I can only see downsides, I can’t find one upside in this for myself or my community.
In conclusion, when we bought this home, we carefully considered the zoning of the area, what else can we base the possibilities of future development on? We were aware of the proposed development of extra residential blocks behind us and were actively involved in the approval process, we were under the impression that the zoning laws would keep this untouched unique paradise maintained, if we had known a quarry or similar could be built so close to homes in a residential area we would not have invested our lifesavings into this property. The prospect of the Monaro Rock Quarry has left us deflated, disappointed and at a loss as to what to do next, what was an exciting opportunity to look forward to has become a long list of unknowns causing, incredible stress to my children and our marriage. The proposal has already affected the mental health of my entire family and the community and will only get worse.
Please don’t approve this horrible industrial development in our beautiful rural community and let us get back to living our dreams without this dark cloud hanging over us.

We moved to Royalla for the country living and fresh air. There is already a quarry in Williamsdale which is expanding without community consultation. This quarry is already directly affecting Royalla residents and the expansion of this needs to be reviewed and consulted on. It is an eyesore- now directly in view of properties in Royalla. Another quarry will increase heavy vehicle traffic, live stock and dust. It is not an appropriate location in the Royalla community. A industrial estate would surely be more appropriate.