Sancrox Quarry Expansion Project

I object to the expansion of the Sancrox Quarry as it will strongly impact on my home and the environment around me including the wildlife.
The noise and dust pollution will affect all the residents and animals that chose to call this area our home. The Koala population has been decimated in this area due to the recent bushfires so they can’t afford to lose any more habitat. I hope you take my comments into consideration when deciding on this issue.
Thanking you Jan Stone

Major concern of noise pollution hours of operation and devalue of properties in surrounding areas

I wish to object to the project and my letter of objection is attached.

I object to this project with the following key points;
1. Definitely no 24/7 operation - no blasting or vibration
2. Concerns of devaluation of surrounding homes & land
3. Extra traffic
4. Land/Home owners entitled to "peace & quiet" (back to reasonable work hours)
5. Ground water pollution & use
6. All residents should be notified of this in writing not by flyer in mail.

Dear Sir or Madam,
I oppose the Sancrox Quarry expansion as currently proposed for the following reasons:
1/ Operation hours - are stated as 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Due to noise generated I believe 24 hour operations at this site, close to rural residential areas, is inappropriate.
2/ Water use - The EIS states that dust will be mitigated mainly through the use of water. We are experiencing water restrictions at this time, and the excessive use of scarce water to suppress dust in dry periods is inappropriate.
3/ Emissions - Excessive fossil fuel emissions, including a high level of carcinogenic diesel emissions, and bitumen fumes
4/ Loss of vegetation - The proposed expansion of the site is significant and will result in the loss of habitat for a number of local fauna.
Thank you
Marcus Ludriks

RE: Hanson Heidelberg application SSD 9946 for a new quarry

I am a neighbouring property and there are alot of truck movements as it is.
The dust from the plant is more than enough now.
The noise and ground shaking.
Would not make it a nice place to live.
Allowing this to go ahead would ruin the properties around it.

I object to SSD 9946 and have listed my objections in an attachment

I live approximately approximately 800 meters away from the proposed site on Bushland Drive. There is a natural water course and koala habitat running directly through my property through my neighbours and down to Sancrox road. With the devastation of the koala and other wildlife populations due to the fires and their habitat there will be much interest from local and worldwide media on this site.
Noise, smell, dust and the increase in traffic will be highly criticised in light of the devastation around Port Macquarie that has been all across the media.

Secondly the residents of Bushland Drive have lived in relative peace with the quiet existing operations of the existing non Mega site.
We highly object to the proposed expansion and will make it well known within the local community, council, government and media.

Lastly Port Macquarie has a large number of families etc moving to the area every week (I own two local Child Care Centres).
Is Port Macquarie wanting to be known for a MEGA quarry that will be situated across the highway from the proposed new centre of Port Macquarie at sovereign hills shopping estate & centre . We have got to start thinking long term. If the wind blows in the wrong direction, dust, noise and smell are going to be impacting many more residents than just Bushland Drive.

Feel free to contact me directly for further comment.

Kind regards
Chris Munro
0418966902

I object to this project. This expansion will have a HUGE NEGATIVE impact on our local environment, our already devastated Koala population, it will also have a direct impact
on our endangered ecological community of paperbark and a subregional biological linkage corridor.
PLEASE do not go ahead and let this happen. I am also worried about the dust, noise and and possible sleep deprivation it will cause local residents.
How can you let a foreign owned company destroy our environment and impact our dwindling Koala population. YOU MUST SAY NO

I object to the clearing of land which needs to take place for this expansion. As a resident of the area we have recently been through the worst bushfires in memory which has decimated the wildlife and habitats they reside in. We cannot afford to lose another 40 hectares for this expansion. Not at a time when our climate and environment needs to be taken in to consideration more than ever

Please see attached submission.

I am extremely concerned about the clearing of 40 hectares of native bush land and the effect it will have on our native wildlife due to habitat loss. The wildlife has only just endured habitat loss from the recent and ongoing bushfires within only a few kilometers from this proposed development area. I believe that we should be preserving the native bush land that we have, not contributing to the extinction of our native wildlife.
I am also extremely concerned about the increased blasting and crushing, and proposed 24/7 operation of the rock crushing plant, and the associated level of noise pollution, ground vibration and air quality from the operation. We have purposely bought out of town on acreage to be away increasing noise levels and increased air pollution to bring up our young children in peace and good health, and this proposed development and all that it stands for is detrimental to that of a rural residential area and the effect is will have on us as the surrounding residential community.
I do not understand the need for extra crushing materials, as the Pacific Hwy has already been upgraded 100km in each direction of this plant, so the extra material extracted is clearly not for this use, nor am I aware of any project nearby that would require that quantity of materials so it’s location does not seem a viable one.

My son is ready to build a house on Verdun Rd., Sancrox and the noise, dust, vibrations & truck traffic throughout the area will be detrimental to all the new houses in this residential area. Recent bushfires make this native bushland valuable to koalas and other fauna & flora. I am against any expansion this close to a lical council approved residential area.

I wish to object to the quarry extension at Sancrox on the grounds of flora clearance and endangered or vulnerable wildlife, both under enormous pressure caused by urban expansion as well as industrial expansion. This expansion will also affect quality of life for current residents and future residents who have purchased land in the new Riverside Park estate. This degradation of quality of life will be caused by the proposed 24 hr. a day operation (light pollution at night as well as dust and machinery noise).

Thank you for your time in viewing my submission.

It is with deep concern that I put forth my objection to the Sancrox expansion.

I was one of thousands evacuated due to the NSW bushfires two weeks ago and saw absolute devastation. With families able to move on, I know my concerns over our Koala population are shared amongst many.

The bushfires have decimated, absolutely decimated already struggling populations and destroyed their natural habitat.

I implore this project to cease expanding and impacting on our native flora and fauna. Our environment simply cannot take anymore.

Kindly and sincerely,

Belinda Horne

This project will destroy 40ha of prime habitat for koalas. Since the devastating fires on the mid north coast the status of the koala has been upgraded to functionally extinct. Further destruction of this habitat that has not been impacted by fire would be cruel, unethical as well a smear on the image of a koala loving nation that Australia prides itself on. I sincerely hope this project is investigated appropriately, particularly in light of the tragedy that unfolded here only a few weeks ago and I hope that this expansion is declined for the sake of the future of the koala.

See attached

Submission Document
Attention: Director - Coal and Quarry Assessments
Planning and Assessment
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001

Re: Public Submission for SSD – 7293, Sancrox Quarry Expansion Project.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to submit my objection to the above development application.

My Name: Tom Whelan

My Address:___16_Bundaleer Crescent, Port Macquarie 2444 ____________________________________________________________

My objection to the proposal is on the grounds listed in ticked boxes below:

The Port Macquarie region is expanding rapidly. This development is in the Sancrox area, approximately 6km west of Port Macquarie, which is undergoing significant residential development that will be directly affected by the increased environmental impact of this quarry expansion.

The Sancrox area has already had a substantial increase in noise (24/7), due to the upgrading of the highway to a motorway. You only have to ask anyone living in the area that, despite noise mitigation measures, the rural ambience is already reduced and any extra noise generation, especially at night, will only make it worse.

The proposed ‘quarry expansion’ is more than that! It also includes two new additional operations, concrete batching and asphalt production. There are already other concrete and asphalt plants in the region that have the capacity to service the demand.

The noise impact of a 24 hour, 7 days a week operation is particularly concerning. There will be no respite from constant noisy plant and equipment. Daytime operation excluding Sundays is the maximum that should be allowed in a community precinct. The processes carried out do not have to run at night and can be easily shutdown/restarted.

The project includes “clearing 43.1 hectares of native forest vegetation, 0.55 ha of which is identified as the threatened ecological community Subtropical coastal floodplain forest (NR117)” with serious and irreversible environmental impact. (Ref: DA, Annex C)

The Greater Sancrox Area Structure Plan (Port Macquarie Hastings Shire Council, 2014), identifies the land to be cleared as medium to high activity koala habitat. The clearing also destroys an identified “critical link and vegetation connectivity in the immediate, and the Greater Sancrox Structure Plan, eliminating traverses by animals south-north through the centre of the Development Site”. (Ref: DA, Annex C)

The Biodiversity Assessment Report (DA, Annex C) was based on insufficient field work conducted in 2015, four years ago. Current, independent and comprehensive field surveys are required to validate the report.

The State of Emergency declared in NSW due to the catastrophic bushfires in November 2019 killed an estimated 350 koalas. Injured and now homeless koalas may have moved onto the proposed development site.

The environmental impact is serious and irreversible. The proposed development site supports unique biodiversity with a total of 27 threatened species identified so far, including 17 birds and 9 mammals, including 7 vunerable microchiropteran bats identified. The native vegetation should be retained to combat Australia’s current extinction crisis with some 964 of the 1,250 Australian terrestrial animal species currently listed as ‘Threatened’. (Ref. https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-vegetation/why-is-native-vegetation-important)

Proposed “Ecosystem credits” system of payment by the developer to offset destruction of threatened species does not compensate for the serious and irreversible impact on the natural environment.

Native vegetation in NSW stores a significant amount of carbon. This deforestation and forest degradation will contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions and fewer trees in a region can contribute to drought by reducing the amount of local rainfall.

The natural water on the site, currently supporting native flora and fauna, will be diverted to industrial use and North and west alluvial flood plains of the Hastings River and Haydons Creek will be impacted.

The company operating this site has a poor track record of environmental compliance and were fined $15,000 by the Environmental Protection Authority in 2016 for breaches to water their water management operational obligations. (Ref: EPA 24.03.2016).

The proposed works impact Aboriginal heritage sites, including a Scar Tree and ceremonial site of “high cultural significance.” (Ref: Annex D, Heritage Report)

Increased quarry trucks movement 24 hours a day 7 days will effect local road safety.

I have made no reportable political donations in the last two years.

Signed:____Tom Whelan________________________ Date: 26 Nov 2019

I AGREE to the Department publishing my submission on its website in accordance with The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Privacy Policy.
I DO NOT agree to the Department publishing my submission on its website in accordance with The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Privacy Policy

Further comments below and/or attached.

I personally believe this project should be stopped for the sale of maintaining wildlife and keeping the biodiversity in our beautiful country, 40 hectares of koala habitat to be destroyed for a quarry mining is unbelievable and unacceptable.