Sutton Forest Sand Quarry

I have strong concerns regarding the environmental impact on biodiversity threats (koalas, Gang Gang cockatoos, Glossy Black cockatoos to name a few) and water quality in Long Swamp. I also believe there would be an impact on humans and livestock in the area from increased traffic and dust produced from the quarry, let alone the future possibility of the area becoming a garbage tip after quarrying has stopped, which would also continue the traffic and dust threats and environmental impact.

I strongly object to this destructive mining project and consider that it must be disallowed. I
have many concerns, including:
Environment
This mine will destroy 63 hectares of native vegetation at this environmentally sensitive
location at this critically narrowest point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. The ensuing
dust, noise, light pollution that will be continuous for 30 years, will irreparably damage the
wildlife habitat, endangering many species whose survival is are already classified as
vulnerable.
Water
This open−pit mine will excavate 39 metres below the current water table and lower the aquifer.
Mining processes and the replacement of sandstone with backfill and toxic finings will pollute
the adjacent Long Swamp, permanently damaging the Nepean/Sydney water catchment. The
huge water license requirement means diverting precious water from agriculture to industry.
Rehabilitation
At the end of the sought 30−year approval, we will have a 47−hectare hole that has only been
partially filled (12%). Thereafter, there is not only a risk of further mining and/or inappropriate
filling, but also little chance of rehabilitation, given the appalling record of the mining industry.
Social environment
Dust, blasting, noise and trucking pollution will damage the human habitat of the Southern
Highlands with its cultural heritage of agriculture and tourism that are based on a healthy
environment and jeopardise the health and wellbeing of many residents.
This is a flawed proposal at many levels and I urge the Department and NSW
Government to reject it.

Please see below my reasons for objecting to this proposed project:
1. environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution;
2. location at the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, a region targeted for
biodiversity, and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem, which is listed as a threatened ecosystem;
3. endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounds;
4. air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences,
polluting the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment;
5. long term health risks to neighbouring and Highlands residents from dust through mining and high-grade
silica rock processing and transporting;
6. disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local
indigenous communities;
7. pollution damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels and residences;
8. removal of sandstone with its critical role in the ground water hydrology of the wider area;
9. lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies;
10. noise, vibration and light pollution. 24/7 disturbing the peace and tranquillity of local residents, wildlife
and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary;
11. traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average), 24/7 for the next 30 years leaving and
entering the Hume Highway;
12. the visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland;
13. there is no need for this mine as nearby Green Valley sand mine extracts token amounts just to keep its
licence active;
The mine company “Hi-Quality” has an appalling record with 24 EPA NSW penalties and, now that it has
established in Victoria, it and the company director, Patrick Hallinan, already face 33 new EPA charges. This
is not a fit and proper operator that can be trusted to abide by governing regulations.
This is being done to our beautiful Southern Highlands by a Sydney developer without benefit to our
community and only damage to our environment. A mine like this has no place in any environmentally
sensitive or populated area.

I have attached my submission to highlight my objections to the proposal.

This far to wide spread a project and the length of time of 30 yrs is way to long…
The impact to the environment will be huge..
We spend half the year in wingercabbie st property and have been involved in the the are for some 30 yrs. So we can see this is not a good project and Strong are against it, in any form

The Southern Highlands is not an industrial area it is farming, beautiful scenery and where almost 60,000 people have made home due to the ability to escape the noise, the pressure and the hundreds of thousands of people who live in Sydney and the suburbs.
We do not want a major industrial mining project in our beautiful countryside and which will operate 24/7 with large trucks continually on the expressway and our roads. Then to think that after many years of mining the huge pit will then be filled with waste from trucks travelling from locations all over NSW. This will destroy the beautiful Southern Highlands! Please do not allow this destructive project to continue, Laurie Stewart

I am the owner of 2952 Canyonleigh Rd, Canyonleigh, NSW 2577, a 100 acre pastoral property which is situated directly to the northern border of the proposed quarry. My opposition is on the grounds of noise pollution, visual impact and night-time light pollution and the devaluing of my property.
1) There were no noise predictions taken near our properties, which lie within 1.5km north of the proposed quarry. The next closest noise monitoring site to our properties is 2.3 km north of the proposed quarry. This noise monitoring site is located behind a hill, while our properties are generally on a south facing slope - toward the proposed site, with no hill in the way. The approved housing areas on each property are not located behind this hill, and lie facing the proposed quarry.
While noise mitigation efforts have been taken to the east of the proposed site in the form of a bund, there are no noise mitigation plans to the north of the site.
There are currently newly built, under construction, and planned residential houses on these properties that are unaccounted for in the updated proposal.
2) The visual impact assessment; we note that our properties with newly built, under construction, and planned residential houses are less than 1.5km away from the proposed development.
Our properties were ignored by the visual impact assessment, despite an available access road being present for over three years. Likewise, the computer-modelled zone of theoretical visibility shows that the majority of each of our properties are covered by hundreds-tier of visible modelled points.
Current, under construction, and planned housing sites all lie within this zone.
3) The proposal does not properly address night-time light glare concerns. The Hume Highway is not illuminated on the section bordering the proposed site, and there is currently not a significant resulting glow. The local night sky around the properties 2950, 2952, 2954 and 2956 Canyonleigh Rd is dark in the areas facing towards the proposed site. Constellations are clearly visible in this sector of the night sky - this is important to the intrinsic beauty and value of my property. Local glow from the proposed quarry will negatively affect the night sky – this was not taken into satisfactory account from the amended proposal.
4) This sand quarry will detrimentally affect the surrounding natural beauty of the forest, not to mention native animals inhabiting the area. The quarry will be an 'eye sore' to what is a beautiful and natural area. This will result in substantial devaluing of neighbouring surrounds

Please refer to the attached submission

As per attachment

I strongly object to this destructive mining project and consider that it must be disallowed. I have many concerns: Environment, Water, Rehabilitation and the Social environment. I’m horrified that the Project will have the following detailed detrimental outcomes now and in the future. The NSW Government must eliminate it immediately.

I am the immediate neighbour of the proposed mine. I live at 32 Hanging Rock Road.
I have not been consulted at all by the developers about this project.
I came to live here because of the unique its unique beautiful and peaceful environment.
I run a health and wellness retreat centre here that relies on peace and tranquillity and the pristine environment that this area provides.

This proposed massive mining development will negatively impact on my life, my health and well-being and my livelihood.

Other issues that the application does not resolve are:
the risks to environment, flora and fauna,
dust and noise pollution,
the effects on health and the many disease conditions it will cause,
travel and tourism,
traffic disruption by trucks outside our place,
damage to the swamp and surrounding natural bushland,
long term damage to the aqifer that has the best water in NSW replacing the sandstone with waste.

I urge all bodies to REJECT this proposal.

Conclusion
The proposal will have a significant impact on a known important wildlife corridor through causing disruption to the corridor through intended habitat fragmentation, that will impact on the viability of the local population of at least one endangered species ie koala.
The proposal should be refused due to numerous likely significant impacts, including:
• Human generated environmental stressors increasing disease and mortality in koala populations.
• Noise as an environmental stressor and how noise can impact the lifecycles of koalas and other wildlife.
• Lack of investigation for potential edge effects of dust.
• Increased vehicle movements, the road traffic effect, air pollution and climate change.
The documentation is lacking, and further investigation is required, on numerous issues, including:
• Insufficient ecological studies.
• Unacceptable levels of noise, dust, increased vehicle movements, lighting, resulting in increased air pollution, noise, traffic movement and the decline of biodiversity.
• Insufficient consideration of avoidance and mitigation efforts.
• Insufficient consideration of cumulative and combined impacts on threatened wildlife.
• Insufficient mitigation efforts regarding climate change.
• Insufficient commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Lack of justification that the proposal is an ecologically sustainable project.

In conclusion, the Sutton Forest sand quarry proposal is likely to have a significant impact on biodiversity and therefore is not in the public interest and should not be approved.

I object as the mine proposal as the negatives associated with it far outweigh any benefits if indeed there are any benefits at all to the Wingecarribee Shire.

I remain opposed to the Project as set out in the attached letter.

I object to the project for the reasons very clearly outlined by the “Save Our Sands Alliance” in their document dated 21/11/2023.
Each item identified is a significant reason for the proposal to be rejected and taken altogether indicate overwhelming reasons for the total rejection of the proposal. My reasons for objecting are:
• Environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution,
• location at the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, a region targeted for biodiversity, and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem, which is listed as a threatened ecosystem.
• endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounds,
• air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences,
• long term health risks to neighbouring and Highlands residents from dust through mining and high-grade silica rock processing and transporting,
• disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local indigenous communities
• pollution damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels and residences,
• removal of sandstone with its critical role in the ground water hydrology of the wider area,
• lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies,
• noise, vibration and light pollution. 24/7 disturbing the peace and tranquillity of local residents, wildlife and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary,
• traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average), 24/7 for the next 30 years leaving and entering the Hume Highway,
• the visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland,
• there is no need for this mine as nearby Green Valley sand mine extracts token amounts just to keep its licence active.
It is hoped that the concerns of the local communities, specialist experts, Government Departments and Wingecarribee Shire Council are taken seriously and that the project is rejected.
It is terribly sad, and quite appalling, to realise that at the end of the mining process this enormous pit will be filled with Sydney’s garbage and waste. Communities in the Sydney area would object greatly to this if it was imposed in their neighbourhood so why should we have it imposed in our neighbourhood.
If approved it will have enormous impacts on the local environment and destroy the local community.
“There is no benefit to our community and only damage to our local environment”
There are no good reasons for the project to proceed, please reject it.

Please, use our knowledge of environment protection and sustainability to stop this sand quarry and protect our environment.
There are others ways to bring development to our community.
Thank you

I object to this development based on the following:
. environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution,
o location at the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, a region targeted for
biodiversity, and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem, which is listed as a threatened ecosystem.
o endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounds,
o air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences,
o polluting the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment,
o long term health risks to neighbouring and Highlands residents from dust through mining and high-grade
silica rock processing and transporting, this is a major concern
o disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local
indigenous communities
o pollution damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels and residences,
o removal of sandstone with its critical role in the ground water hydrology of the wider area,
o lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies,
o noise, vibration and light pollution. 24/7 disturbing the peace and tranquillity of local residents, wildlife
and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary,
o traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average), 24/7 for the next 30 years leaving and
entering the Hume Highway,
o the visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland,
o there is no need for this mine as nearby Green Valley sand mine extracts token amounts just to keep its
licence active.

I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposal for the Sutton Forest Sand Quarry.

I am writing on behalf of the properties 2950, 2952, 2954 and 2956 Canyonleigh Rd, Canyonleigh, NSW 2577. I am the owner of one of these properties. This opposition is on the grounds of noise pollution, visual impact and night-time light pollution.

Firstly, I note that according to the noise level prediction in Appendix O, there were no noise predictions taken near our properties, which lie within 1.5km north of the proposed quarry. The next closest noise monitoring site (Appendix O, Figure 2.1, Site 42A) to our properties is 2.3 km north of the proposed quarry. This noise monitoring site (42A) is located behind a hill, while our properties are generally on a south facing slope - toward the proposed site, with no hill in the way (See Image 1 - Google Earth overlay of our properties against noise monitoring sites). The approved housing areas on each property are not located behind this hill, and lie facing the proposed quarry.

Likewise, while noise mitigation efforts have been taken to the east of the proposed site in the form of a bund, there are no noise mitigation plans to the north of the site.

There are currently newly built, under construction, and planned residential houses on these properties that are unaccounted for in the updated proposal.

I am concerned that if approved, noise levels from the site will unreasonably disturb the quiet of my property.

(Image 1)
Similarly, in Appendix S - the visual impact assessment, we note that our properties with newly built, under construction, and planned residential houses are less than 1.5km away from the proposed development, while the nearest closest observers point (Appendix S, Figure 2.1, Site 46) is 2.9 km away. Our properties were ignored by the visual impact assessment, despite an available access road being present for over three years. Likewise, the computer-modelled zone of theoretical visibility shows that the majority of each of our properties are covered by hundreds-tier of visible modelled points (Appendix S, Figure 2.1).
Current, under construction, and planned housing sites all lie within this zone. Please see Image 2 – Google Earth overlay of our properties against the computer-modelled zone of theoretical visibility.

I am concerned that if approved, the proposed quarry will unreasonably visually impact my property.
(Image 2)
Lastly, Appendix S, Part 4.4 does not properly address night-time light pollution concerns. The Hume Highway is not illuminated on the section bordering the proposed site, and there is currently not a significant resulting glow. The local night sky around the properties 2950, 2952, 2954 and 2956 Canyonleigh Rd is dark in the areas facing towards the proposed site. Constellations are clearly visible in this sector of the night sky - this is important to the intrinsic beauty and value of my property. Local glow from the proposed quarry will negatively affect the night sky – this was not taken into satisfactory account from the amended proposal.

I am concerned that if approved, the proposed quarry will unreasonably impact the darkness of the night-sky above my property.
Appendix O -
https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=SSD-6334%2120231003T224538.195%20GMT


Appendix S - https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=SSD-6334%2120231003T224536.575%20GMT

I am writing this submission to oppose the Sutton Forest Sand Mine proposal.  We need to preserve remaining vestiges of the natural environment, this is more critical now after the horrific conflagration of 2019-2020 and the increasing likelihood of worse to come as more vegetation is obliterated in the name of short term profit. So much habitat was destroyed, and we need to prevent more destruction of habitat and genetic variety. The preservation of this area of the southern highlands far outweighs any short term financial gains and the inevitable claims for taxpayer “assistance” to “maintain” or” increase employment”.

This mine proposal is to clear 110 HECTARES of land, mostly native bushland to mine sandstone to a depth 60 m below ground level which is below the water table thereby disrupting, severely compromising, degrading, or simply destroying habitat and life. The silica rock will be processed on site by crushing to sand and trucked out 24/7, 365 days for 30 years. The pit will eventually be filled with trucked-in waste, becoming Sydney’s new tip. The size of the proposed mine and plant is huge more than 5-times that of Hi-Quality’s operations at Windemalla and Menangle. This is in the middle of the rural-residential community of the Southern Highlands. The removal of sandstone with its critical role in the ground water hydrology of the wider area that is increasingly becoming absorbed into the Sydney water catchment is of major concern.

Our local communities, (actual) specialist experts and Government Departments and Wingecarribee Shire Council have serious concerns about this project. The mine company proposes only token changes to the initial plan and concerns remain valid. If approved it will have enormous impacts on the local environment and all but destroy our local community. 

One of the issues is environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution, polluting the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment, lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies.  Science backs the view that we are going to experience longer and hotter summers in the future and we need to preserve water courses as they are crucial for our future.  The location of the mine at the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, a region targeted for biodiversity, and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem, which is listed as a threatened ecosystem.  We cannot risk endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounding areas.

There will be long term health risks to neighbouring residents, and potentially southern highlands residents further away from the mine site, from dust (especially the very dangerous silica) through mining and high-grade silica rock processing and transporting, air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences.  Also pollution damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels and residences, the population of the southern highlands is rapidly increasing and we need to decide what is of paramount importance - the health and prosperity of our community or the short term economic health of the mine company “Hi-Quality” which has an appalling record with 24 EPA NSW penalties and, now that it has established in Victoria, it and the company director, Patrick Hallinan, already face 33 new EPA charges. This is not a fit and proper operator that can be trusted to abide by governing regulations. 

Also there is the issue of disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local indigenous communities.  Once this area is mined we stand to lose so much and it will never recover.  The community will be subjected to noise, vibration and light pollution constantly and this will disturb the peace and tranquillity of local residents who live here for those conditions, wildlife and also The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary,

 Something else which needs to be taken into consideration is the traffic safety and danger with up to another 344 trucks a day (250 average), twenty four hours a day for the next 30 years leaving and entering the Hume Highway.

This is being done to our beautiful Southern Highlands by a Sydney developer without benefit to our community and only damage to the environment. A mine like this has no place in any environmentally sensitive or populated area. There is patently no need for this mine as nearby Green Valley sand mine already extracts token amounts just to keep its licence active.

Birdlife Southern Highlands NSW objects to Sutton Forest Sand Quarry