Sutton Forest Sand Quarry

Environmental concerns and biodiversity threat as well as dust pollution
Environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution.
Location in the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, endangering biodiversity and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem.
Endangering threatened fauna and flora species and crucial koala habitat
Air and water pollution with severe health, farming, and environmental consequences
Pollution of the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment.
Long-term health risks from dust, mining, and high-grade silica rock processing.

I am very concerned about this proposed Quarry. This is the second time the Co has tried to get this approved without public support. I object to this proposal because of significant bio-diversity damage, additional traffic in a rural area, water run off /pollution, and degradation of the environment within a pristine rural peaceful community.

I object in the strongest possible terms to this proposal. Key concerns are:
Impact on Great Western Wildlife Corridor, key biodiversity corridor linking Southern Blue Mountains with Morton National Park, an area which has already been significantly impacted by historical and recent clearing.
Proposed quarry location is within Greater Sydney Water Catchment Area
Threats to Long Swamp threatened ecological community given location and scale of quarrying and crushing activities
Threats to wildlife species within the proposed area arising from scale, nature of operations and the 30 year lifespan proposed.
Scale of proposed quarry operations will negatively impact on amenity of Southern Highlands, negatively impacting on tourism and visitor activity, a significant contributor to the local economy.
Green Valley quarry is nearby and is already approved.
Hi Quality appear to have a questionable operating history based on the number of EPA charges brought in Victoria and NSW.

It is my personal option that the NSW State Government has it's FOCUS set on the Southern Highlands of NSW. All that you are planning or proposing with NO future plan - Infrastructure at No 1. NSW Gov you want more residential and that's happening, you are still debating a Toxic Plasrefine plastic recycling facility within 200m of Moss Vale village (this has been going for 3 yrs too long) , you wanted a wind farm in CanyonLeigh and NOW you think that a Sand Mining Quarry that will operate for up to 30yrs is a positive project. God help this beautiful country landscape - our tourism - our wine, agriculture and farming industries.
From one election to the next to the next - be it Liberal or Labor then our ongoing incompetent Wingecarribee council. How on earth do we have any faith that you really get the grasp and environmental impact of your decisions.
This quarry operating 7 days a week including night operations and up to 344 trucks how do our roads handle this! Who will pay for road maintenance - not the Rate payers this should be clearly an operational expenses!
The clearing of 110 hectares of native bushland must not happen.
Polluted industrial surface water runoff will destroy the Long Swamp ecosystem. This water feeds into the Nepean River and Warragamba Dam.
The environmental destruction of natural habit will endangered both flora and fauna.
So many Sydney people visit the beautiful, clear air, seasonal climate Southern Highlands both for day trips, tulip time, 1000's of weddings per calendar year and YET the State Government thinks this Quarry has merit - How and Why do we even Vote for you - oh that's right we have to otherwise we get a FINE!
There is not place for this Sutton Forest Sand Quarry in the Southern Highlands NSW.
I say PLEASE look seriously at all you have planned for the Southern Highlands now and in the future with clearer vision!
Please please stop this proposal.

I strongly object to the proposed Quarry for the reasons a listed below. These concerns remain unchanged from when this proposal was previously reviewed and in the present increased awareness of climate conditions issues relating to water are even more relevant and demand that this proposal not go forward.
List of concerns:
Issues are:
o 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,
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.

Thank you for considering my submission .

I strongly oppose this environmentally disastrous proposal. The area indicated is native virgin bushland and forms a part of an important wildlife corridor. We have some of the most unique flora and fauna in the world yet human habitation has seen many species now extinct or endangered. Yet, propositions such as this defy responsibility for flora and fauna protection. Destroying habitats, food sources, access to clean water and fresh air will all be consequences of this mine proposal. It's time to step up and say NO more to environmental destruction. The idea of 'monitoring 'is a cheats way of addressing the problems. Monitoring after an event is useless . Learn from past mistakes that human behaviour has had a negative impact on fauna and flora: don't say we are going to monitor how much impact (damage caused) there will be but instead make positive amendments to negate concerns.

The impact on human and animal lives due to silica dust must also be considered. The smallest particle inhaled into the lungs can be deadly. Why are the residents of the Southern Highlands being put at risk ? The scientific knowledge on silicosis and other air born particle diseases is there. It needs to be heeded above anything else. Learn from past mistakes before further suffering results.

I have many other relevant objections to this proposal. I feel that many of the problematic issues in the original proposal in 2018 have not been adequately addressed. Why is that the case and why can a new proposal from one of the original proponents be allowed? It defies belief that this is allowed to happen. Learn from past mistakes. We want solutions and answers to the original concerns and not to be told that things will be' monitored'. No point wasting time closing the gate after the horse has bolted.
I strongly oppose this proposed project.

Our area is a quiet, rural area. It is known and loved for it's peace, tranquility and natural landscape. This project would greatly negatively impact the local area in terms of loss of tourism and will impact house prices negatively too. I greatly object to this proposal as I believe in preservation of our local landscape, including both it's fauna and flora.

I object to this sand mine proposal for a variety of reasons including:

· The detrimental impacts it will have on the ecological functioning of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor (GWWC), particularly the habitat and connectivity it provides.
GWWC is a
- core regional corridor in Wingecarribee Shire Council’s Local Environment Plan; and
- key corridor of the Great Eastern Ranges (GER) initiative, a recognised significant continental-scale connectivity conservation project.

· Fragmentation is a key risk for the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. The location of the proposed sand mine and the associated land clearing will reduce the width of the corridor and unacceptably add to its fragmentation.

· The detrimental indirect and cumulative impacts on the area, particularly the Great Western Wildlife Corridor (GWWC), from this and surrounding developments such as the ‘Green Valley’ sand mine (i.e. current and potential development allowed under their licence) plus any historic ‘Zombie’ developments that do not require ‘current day’ environmental assessment. There is a real risk that direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of this project will result in the connectivity of the GWWC being severed.

· The detrimental impacts it will have on the area’s biodiversity particularly threatened and declining native fauna, flora and other biotic species.

· The detrimental impacts on the area’s hydrology, water table and Long Swamp Eco System

· Potential disturbance and damage to significant aboriginal heritage – sites, objects etc

· Detrimental impacts of air, water, noise and light pollution on humans as well as native fauna and flora.

Recycling sand from the built environment needs to be prioritised and regulated so that it replaces the need for using natural sand. This also applies to non-sand based concrete products. The real cost of sand as a component of building projects needs accounted for. Simply exhausting sand deposits close to Sydney then moving to the next closest deposit is unsustainable.

I object to this project because of environmental concerns. It will damage pristine bushland which is an important part of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. It will also adversely effect the underground water resources because the quarry is removing the sandstone aquifer to a depth well below the water table. It could potentially contaminate the groundwater as well. The company proposing the project has a terrible record with the EPA regarding damaging the environment with other projects it operates. So I have no confidence it will care about the dust, noise, water pollution and other environmental issues it will cause. I live due east of the project and in winter we experience strong westerly winds regularly. The dust from the quarry will be blown over Exeter and Sutton Forest for months and it would be very difficult to prevent this.

The huge scale of this project proposal is extremely concerning for many reasons and I am particularly concerned about the environmental destruction it will cause given its location in the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. If the project were to go ahead it would endanger biodiversity and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem. It would also endanger threatened fauna and flora species and a crucial koala habitat. Given that it will be operation 24/7 the noise, vibration and light pollution will affect fauna as well as local residents and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy.

It should be noted that the pollution caused by the proposal will affect the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment and the removal of sandstone that is critical to the groundwater hydrology of the wider Southern Highlands area. Similarly the lowering of the water table will have detrimental and unpredictable effects on local water supplies.

Other problems caused by the pollution relate to long term health risks from dust, mining and high-grade silica rock processing. As you would be aware the dangers posed by silica have recently been in the news with the proposal to ban engineered stone products because of the dangers they have imposed to workers' health. We do not need more problems with silica dust.

I am also concerned about the increase in traffic with up to 344 trucks per day entering and leaving the Hume Highway.

The area where the proposed sand mine is located is also the southern gateway to the Southern Highlands where tourists come to enjoy the clean fresh air and beautiful bushland environment. The proposed sand mine would have a severely detrimental on the tourist industry and the wineries that are located nearby.

As if these issues were not enough to permanently stop such a proposal, the fact that the company, "High Quality", has been unable to comply with environmental requirements having 24 NSW EPA penalties and now also faces 33 new EPA charges in Victoria, where it has failed to comply with EPA remedial notices, clearly shows that the company is not a fit and proper company to operate such a sand mine, since it is obvious that it cannot adhere to the regulations required.

I demand therefore that this project be rejected outright due to both the operator's unsatisfactory record and the environmental and biodiversity threat it will create.

The environmental impact of this proposal will be huge. With plans to clear 110ha of remnant bush in the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, the habitat for wildlife will be non-existent and corridor will have no connectivity. Water quality and aquifer pollution will impact the Long Swamp ecosystem. The proposal will result in pollution of the headwaters of the Sydney Water Catchment. There will be long-term health issues to residents and beyond due to dust and poor air quality from processing of silica rock and its transportation. Indigenous rock art of high significance, according to the OEH and local indigenous community will be disturbed. The impact on lowering the water table may alter the hydrology of the area and well beyond. Draining of Long Swamp will impact many animals and plants. The Hume Highway is already very busy at certain times of day and 344 truck leaving and entering the Highway will jeopardise fast-flowing traffic.

I strongly object to the Sutton Forest Sand Quarry Project (SSD-6334).

The proposal to clear 110 hectares of land, more than half of it native bush, and to excavate a watershed through aquifers to 60 m, for a massive open pit sand quarry, is breathtakingly reckless. Slated to operate for 7 long days a week for at least 30 years, and then become a tip for trucked in waste, it presents unacceptable risks:
o to local environments and their biodiversity, including the unique and threatened ecosystem of Long Swamp
o to pollute a watershed and its aquifers, in the headwaters of the Sydney catchment
o to the local water table and reliable water supply
o to endangered wildlife and their ability to traverse a fragmented section of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, at its most fragile point. This includes a noted population of koalas, several species of gliders and bats and numerous birds: glossy black cockatoos, gang gangs, powerful owls, scarlet robins,
o to local people living in rural and semi-rural communities who will be adversely affected by: the constant noise; vast numbers of truck movements presenting new and ongoing safety risks to motorists and their local roads; air quality polluted by silica rock dust; and the great risk of polluted water needed for bushland, crops, livestock, gardens
o to vibrant local economies dependent on local environmental and social health
o to Indigenous heritage on site. The significant rock shelter remains at risk despite the 1090 metre buffer zone, and any artefacts found will not remain locally, but will end up in the Illawarra
o The company making the proposal has a shocking environmental record and is facing numerous EPA charges in NSW and Victoria. This suggests that it is an operator unable to abide by regulations in such an environmentally sensitive area, and not to be trusted to maintain the required environmental monitoring for the 30 years and more of its intended operations.
o The company report does not consider the recent patterns of extended drought followed by excessive rains.
It is vital that we protect diminishing and threatened environments, with all their life forms, and to preserve the purity of the interconnected aquifers and surface water on which we all depend. These aquifers pass through the sandstone this proposal seeks to extract. This proposal thus threatens the catchment providing clean water, to my community and via Warragamba Dam to most of Sydney.
The lives and health of people, biodiverse local environments and water cycles are inextricably interconnected, irreplaceably so.
The developer’s Flora and Fauna Survey states: The Proposal therefore represents a significant impact to threatened species. The Applicant has chosen to proceed with a biodiversity offset to manage the residual impacts to native vegetation and threatened flora species. Environments everywhere under threat, and individual populations cannot be endlessly “offset” or “ameliorated”.
“Offset” is a weasel word for “irreversible accidental-on-purpose destruction”. Offsets are a nonsense and an insult to the life they plan to disrupt. You could well ask “Will the developer send the koalas, glossy blacks, gang gangs, powerful owls, scarlet robins, many bats and gliders and a plant or two by the container load to Nauru or some other camp?”
The economic and social benefits of this proposal are not local, but for building and development industries further afield.
This proposal offers little to Wingecarribee communities except destruction of beautiful ecologies, peaceful ways of life and thriving rural businesses.
Its site is unsuitable for the proposed sand mine and the proposal should be refused.

This development is too close to property and wildlife corridor. Mass destruction of the environment and significant change to the beautiful landscape of the Southern Highlands. It will impact the health and safety of people in a large area. The Proposed company are not reputable and have had 33 charges brought against them from The Environment Protection Authority in Victoria. Wingecarribee Council is in disarray. They can't look after the infrastructure and developments they have now. ie road maintenance and residential developments. They can not be trusted to oversee or make decisions for the local community on such a large development. Council seems only interested in making money and in destroying the landscape of the Southern Highlands. Including a proposal for Australia's largest plastic recycling plant in Moss Vale, Solar farm on the historic Arthursleigh Farm site and now a Sand Quarry at Sutton Forest.

I feel the proposed Sutton Forest Sand quarry will have no positive effect on the local area and in fact will totally destroy it.
Imagin living on a property that over looks the quarry, or the hills to be mined.
How can the total destruction of 110 hectares of native bushland be good, it will have long term effects of the Great Western Wildlife corridor and has to have a huge impact on the local environment, flora and fauna. Not to mention the impact to the Aboriginal people’s sense of connection to Country due to lost or limited access to cultural sites and artifacts, as stated in the summary of social impacts. There are cave paintings on the site just west of the proposed pit.
I feel the health risks from the dust created from quarrying, processing (crushing) and transporting the sand has to have long reaching consequences, especially for people susceptible at lung diseases.
To combat this problem, you need an everlasting supply of water to wet everything down, this in itself creates another problem. Dam water will not be enough to sustain the amount of water required, especially in dry conditions, or drought. The quarry plains to use bore water to supplement their needs. Again, this creates yet other problem of lowering the water table and affecting the local bores and water supply, which will already be affected by the removal of sandstone, which is critical to the ground water hydrology of the area and a biological role in maintaining the Long Swamp ecosystem.
There is no way that a quarry that has a depth of 60m below ground level and 40m below the water table can’t have an effect of the surrounding water table.
The Long Swamp ecosystem will be under pressure from polluted surface water runoff from the quarry. All this will be happening on land classed as catchment area of Sydney water.
The amount, of trucks entering and leaving the quarry each day is insane. The quarry predicts 344 truck per day 7 days a week. Yet they claim this will have no affect on the local traffic. Have they ever sat at the corner of Hanging Rock Road and the highway on a Friday or Sunday afternoon. They supposably did their study on a week day morning between 4am & 6am but they couldn’t even get the date right in the report was it Monday 23rd May 2022 or a Wednesday 23rd May 2022.
Noise from the quarry will have devastating consequences on the peace and tranquility at the Shine of Our Lady of Mercy monastery which attracts thousands of people. It is on the southern border of the quarry and the quarry will have a huge impact on its operations.
The amended report states the quarry will have benefits to regional businesses, benefit of employment opportunities and training. But once the quarry activities start to affect the water table and change the quality of the water, it will but others out of business in the water industry. Jobs will be lost and businesses like the bottling plant and bulk water suppliers will have to close down if they can’t supply excellent quality water like they do at the moment. Not to mention the many surrounding farms and vineyards that rely on a good water supply to function.
This proposed quarry has no place in our beautiful area, it will have long lasting effects on the local community that far out weight the benefits of sending sand to Sydney, especially when there are no guarantees it want affect Long Swamp and the surrounding water table, impact the environment and flora and fauna habitat. It want happen straight away but it will happen eventually. Future generations will have to live with the mistakes made today if this quarry is allowed to go ahead.

I object to this proposed sandmine on environmental, traffic,safety and tourism based grounds.
The mine would create environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution.
It would endanger biodiversity and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem and endanger threatened fauna and flora species and crucial koala habitat
It would produce air and water pollution with severe health, farming, and environmental consequences.
Threaten tourism as the Southern Gateway to the Southern Highland with many Airbnbs and Wineries within 8 km radius
Pollution of the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment.
There would be the long-term health risks from dust, mining, and high-grade silica rock processing.
There would be disturbance to on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art.
It would involve removal of sandstone critical to the groundwater hydrology of the wider area.
There would be 24/7 noise, vibration, and light pollution affecting local residents, wildlife, and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy.
Traffic safety risk and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average) entering and leaving the Hume Highway.
Visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland.
No need for this mine, as nearby Green Valley sand mine extracts token amounts just to maintain its license.

Yours Sincerely
Anthony ( Tony) Ameneiro

The United Nations have called out 17 Sustainable Development Goals to "transform our world. They are a call to action to end poverty and inequality, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity."
The Sutton Forrest Quarry will destroy an important and unique ecosystem of flourishing biodiversity. Enough ecosystems and wildlife corridors are at risk of or have already been destroyed. ENOGH IS ENOUGH!! When we threaten biodiversity we threaten our own survival on this planet. I have 2 children and I want to see an end to the threat of their future livelihoods. It's already a dire situation.
I appreciate there are commercial interests at stake but any commercial gain will be a drop in the ocean compared to the irreversible damage that will be caused if this project goes ahead. Giving permission for the quarry is contrary to the UN which state we should “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss”.
If you care about anyone's future at all, you should put the submission for the Sutton Forrest Sand Quarry in the bin! FOREVER!
Every ecosystem that can be saved, should be; to give future generations any kind of chance at having an environment that can sustain life. Don't underestimate the importance of this ecosystem.

Here's something from the WWF: What is biodiversity?
"Biodiversity is the collection of all the different types of life found in any one area. It is the trees and grass that grow there, the animals that call them home and even the microorganisms, like bacteria, that live on the plants and animals. Biodiversity is all these things living together to create an ecosystem, which allows life to thrive. And every part of it is essential."
"Biodiversity is important for our continued existence.
Biodiversity creates balance, and every life form plays a part in maintaining that balance. If we lose the bacteria that purify water, the trees won’t be able to get the water they need, and as a result, many animals will lose their food source. And it’s not just the animals that require biodiversity to survive. As humans, we rely on this rich variety of nature for things like clean drinking water, food, medicine and shelter. A functioning ecosystem also helps to break down waste and regulate the climate. Put simply, life without biodiversity isn’t much of a life at all.

Our biodiversity is under threat.
Human progress has pushed our biodiversity to the brink. As human populations continue to grow, we put increasing pressure on plants, through land clearing, pollution, overexploitation of resources, human-induced climate change and the introduction of foreign species to our delicately balanced ecosystem. As a result, species extinction has increased by between 1,000 and 10,000 times the natural rate worldwide."

Between 1971 and 1983 my family owned and worked a property "Billyanawa" (where the water runs into the swamp) on the Canyanleigh Road. The property runs into the Long Swamp which fringes the site of the Sand Mining Quarry in question to the east. The long swamp which is vital to the flora and fauna of Canyanleigh is reliant on springs which erupt in the high ground around. Should that water source be interrupted by the proposed sand mining the Long Swamp will cease to be a food, water and security haven.
Hanging Rock and its surrounding countryside, although less visited, is part of the beautiful Southern Highlands. Its soil is not as fertile as other parts of the Shire but that doesn't mean that it should become the location of such a huge sand mining operation. Families who have owned properties for decades and those who have only recently escaped city living to give their children the benefits of fresh air will find that they have swopped their new peace and tranquillity for an industrial juggernaut with all its downsides of noise, pollution, dust and heavy truck movements 24/7.
The Southern Highlands is essentially a tourist destination. Just because Hanging Rock is so close to major processing centres does not mean it should become another State Significant supplier. Surely there are more appropriate sites in NSW.

I strongly object to the proposed project. My reasons are:

Environmental

Disruption of wildlife corridor:
The proposed project requires the clearing of 110 hectares of forest and vegetation in the wildlife corridor connecting habitats from Morton National Park to the Blue Mountains National Park.

Destruction of habitat:
The proposed project will destroy the habitat and ecosystem of the entire 110 hectares displacing and killing countless creatures and the plants they need.

Damaging the water table:
The proposed project will excavate below the water table which will disrupt waterways not only through the 110 hectares but well beyond as water moves through the whole environment not just in that 110 hectares - with unknown consequences for local water supplies. The mining activities would pollute the aquifer and headwaters of the Sydney water catchment.

Endangering threatened flora and fauna:
Threatened species have been identified on the site and surrounds. Also the destruction of the threatened ecosystem of Long Swamp.

Dust, noise pollution:
The proposed project is planning to operate 24 hours per day for 30 years, creating dust and noise and heavy transport adding up to 340 trucks per day to the traffic on the Hume Highway.

Removal of sandstone:
The removal of sandstone to the depth of 60m would affect the filtration of groundwater over the whole site and the surrounds.


Cultural

Disturbing indigenous heritage:
Highly significant rock cave art is on site.

Affecting the neighbouring Monastery:
A monastery with a large church and resident monks is on the boundary of the proposed mine. Goodbye to the peace and tranquillity of their contemplative existence.
Affecting local residents: The dust, noise and increased traffic will have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of the local residents. The tranquil rural nature of the local area in particular and the Southern Highlands in general will be badly impacted.

The gaping hole:
For thirty years the hole will be growing deeper and larger as millions of tonnes of sandstone are removed. When the thirty years is up - they say they’ll remediate and rehabilitate the landscape. How? What will they fill the gaping hole with? How will the ‘fill’ affect the water table? How do they propose revegetating, restoring a forest, an ecosystem? It is impossible to replicate what is there now - so it should just be left alone and the mine proposal should be rejected.

Who benefits?

The local community receives no benefit from this proposed project - instead the beautiful Southern Highlands environment would be damaged, scarred and abused as the community would be too.
The Sydney developer behind this proposal is in it for the money with no consideration for what the project is doing to the environment.

Taking into consideration all the above points (and I’m sure there are many more grounds for objection), I urge the people making a decision about this proposal to reject it in its entirety. It would have enormous and terrible impacts on the environment and community.

The mine will create significant dust. The site is approximatley 8 km from our house and indeed the villages of Bundanoon and Exeter and will be upwind on the prevailing Westerly winds. Silica dust is a signifcant health hazard and will affect us and other residents.
The mine proposal is to clear 110 hectares of land, mostly native bushland, in a location which iat the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. With extinction of native animals in Australia at record levels this is not acceptable.

I would like to object to the planned Sand Quarry at Sutton Forest for a number of reasons:

1. The impact on the environment would be devastating, not only to the wildlife, but to the water supply to the local area, as well as impact on the Long Swamp ecosystem and further to the people of greater Sydney as Long Swamp feeds into Warragamba Dam. The mine will destroy hectares of native vegetation in the Great Western Wildlife Corridor. In a time when we are seeing an increased need to protect our endangered native wildlife, this is unacceptable. The local wildlife, which includes many endangered species, along with the loss of habitat will be subjected to dust, noise and light pollution 24/7 for 30 years.
2. I am a regular visitor to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy on Hanging Rock Rd. We go there for peace and quiet and this would be greatly affected by mining 24/7. I note that in the submission, it was stated that not many cars travel on Hanging Rock Rd., this is misleading as apart from the water tankers, there are at least 18 homes along the stretch I travel on from the Goulburn end of Hanging Rock Rd to the Monastery. Most families have at least one car, but mostly I have noticed at least 2 cars on each property. At times the Shrine has well over 1000 visitors and it would make it even more difficult to cross the highway safely with the number of trucks being proposed for the quarry. The dust will both have an effect on the health of visitors and also dirty the shrine. The mine will also affect the Shrine's water supply, which it needs to provide for visitors.
3. Recently I have seen proof of indigenous cave paintings in the area of the proposed mine. This would be a tragedy to the Indigenous community if these were lost forever.
4. I read in the updated application that they reduced the extraction are from 45 to 34 hectares; so I wonder how they then can mine the same amount as the original proposal. Are they going further below the water table? It doesn't make sense.
5. I am very concerned regarding the amount of trucks which would be added to the already busy Hume Highway. The road is already in a poor state due to the trucks that are already using the road adding more would make it much worse. I also question the proposal that the trucks heading south will travel to the overhead bridge at Sallys Corner to turn around and the ones travelling north will go to Marulan to make a U- turn - this seems very unlikely due to the time this would add to the drivers log book, not to mention the cost of diesel.