From: John Bennett
To: NSW Minister for Planning and Development
Re: Objections to Proposed Hard Rock Quarry and Industrial Development at Royalla

Primary Objections:

1. Zoning Issues

The proposed large scale quarry and industrial development are prohibited under the current applicable RU2 and C2 zoning classifications. This proposal will directly impinge on my home and other properties throughout Royalla. As such, the proposal should not be permitted to proceed.

2. Environmental Concerns

The 556.7 Ha quarry and industrial development operating six days per week, will permanently destroy all local flora and fauna on the site and result in toxic dust pollution, blasting and truck noise, pollution of stock dams, pollution and starvation of ground water feeding local property irrigation bores, directly negatively affecting all rural properties within Royalla. The lack of bore water poses a very real risk to increased bush fire danger. Bush fires usually occur in times of drought, if the proposed quarry were to go ahead and use the bore water, residents would have nothing left to protect their homes. We were already threatened by bush fires coming towards us in three directions in 2020, the most of concern came from the west. No body here wants to experience the fear of those threats again.

This proposal is nothing short of an environmental and ecological disaster which will last for 35+ years and must be rejected by QPRC and the NSW Government on this basis alone.

3. Destruction of Royalla Peaceful Rural Ambience

I moved to Royalla in 2004 to enjoy the rural ambience and have so far lived on my 13 acre property for over twenty years. My home is only 5.0 km from the proposed development site. The proposed large scale quarry and industrial development will not only destroy the rural ambience but due to high winds experienced in Royalla, the toxic dust pollution will impinge on my property all year around increasing toxins in our quality of air and tank water.

4. Personal Health Concerns

I am a chronic asthma sufferer and will not be able to tolerate airborne toxic silica dust blown from the quarry onto my property on a daily basis. The health risks from breathing silica dust daily will add an extra burden on my health and the medical system in general as I am sure I am not alone in Royalla suffering from asthma.

5. Quarry Capacity

Claims by the developer that this quarry is needed to meet local demand is misleading. We have been advised that the existing quarries at Williamsdale and Queanbeyan on Old Cooma Road and other local quarries are only operating at 40 percent capacity and can easily increase production to meet the local demand for the next 100 years.

6. Traffic Burden on Monaro Highway.

The proposed 500 plus truck movements per day or one truck every 3 minutes onto the Monaro Highway will cause unacceptable accident risks with daily users of the highway. This section of the highway has seen multiple fatalities and poses significant risks during peak hour and snow traffic season where it is already bumper to bumper for several kilometres heading north into Canberra.

On a personal level, I totally object to this proposed development.

Regards

John Bennett

We would like to formally OBJECT to the progression of the MONARO ROCK QUARRY Project.

Reasons:
This project is too close to a heavily populated area which includes residential, aged care, schools/daycare and fitness centres. There is also current work underway to construct a community health centre in close proximity.

The Tuggeranong Valley, like the ACT as a whole, already has issues with air quality particularly in the peak pollen and/or bushfire seasons. The increased dust produced by a quarry too close to the area will only compound this existing and real problem. Many Tuggeranong residents, particulary the elderly, already suffer with respiratory disorders and they should not be subjected to further impacting factors.

In terms of traffic disruption, the Monaro Highway is a major thoroughfare for Tuggeranong (and surrounding) residents in their daily commute to work in Hume/Fyshwick/Kingston/Manuka/Barton/Airport (just to name a few) and there are already significant delays some mornings, currently exarcerbated by the roadworks at Hume. The highway is also a major connect to the south coast, snow and Victoria, all of which are extremely popular holidays destinations for Canberrans. There are already trucks on this road but to increase by so many each day will have major impact. It is no secret that the Monaro Highway, particularly between Tuggeranong and Cooma is a major collision hotspot, with multiple fatalities recorded in recent years. We don't need more!

The added noise as a result of the blasting will also be an issue due to its close proximity to housing and should not be supported.

Further, while airborne dust particles will be a major factor, there will be further issue with particles that rest on site. Presumably these will be washed away, either manually onsite and/or washed away via rainfall compromising our waterways further. This should not be allowed.

For all the above reasons, and quite possibly more, the likelihood of house prices in the area decreasing is a very real possibility. No one chooses to live next to a quarry therefore no one will wish to buy in the area if this ridiculous project goes ahead. Tuggeranong was here well before this concept was thought of, then the houses and residents and further infrastructure came. Tuggeranong is built on its community and it should be allowed to remain as is without an unnecessary quarry

Please reconsider this proposed quarry location as it is, quite simply, unacceptable.

As a local resident I have a number of concerns about this project.

1) The need? There are multiple quarries around the area that are operating well below capacity.
2) The Roads. The roads are already strained, particularly the Monaro Highway at the Calwell Roundabout with 'Snow Traffic' and it could not cope with the increased volume of trucks. The roads already in bad repair will be further impacted by the trucks weight and wider turning circles. Old Cooma Rd is also very busy and dangerous. As a member of the local Rural Fire Service Brigade I have attended a lot of car accidents caused through impatient drivers speeding around slow agricultural traffic and colliding with local fauna.
3) Ground Water. I am a young farmer (32) trying to make my way in the agriculture industry that is becoming increasingly challenging to make a living. With residential development impacting water run-off and an increase in consumption coupled with periodic climate fluctuations impacting the volume of ground water available there is a real risk that even if the quarry don’t use the ground water for dust control and excavation the water quality could be effect with their practices. The Googong Dam is a water supply that is already impacted by the other quarries in the area, another quarry without an economic need is senseless.
4) Air Quality. It is widely known that the air quality in the area is already impacted significantly in winter due to the ACT wood heating practices. Silica dust will contribute to this poor air quality. The dust will also effect the cleanliness of local private and commercial solar farms in the area.
5) Blasting. As a veteran of the Iraq campaign who has diagnosed PTSD as a result of being rocketed, I moved to the country for the serenity to assist in my recovery. I moved South of Canberra to avoid the Majura Training Area where explosions often occur on the High Explosive Range and I can still hear them from Royalla. Blasting from the Monaro Rock Quarry will be much larger and closer which will be obviously be louder and have a greater impact on my life. I know there are a lot of local residents that have served or are still currently serving that this blasting would impact.
6) Community benefit. There seems to be a lot of cons to this project for the community but not a lot of benefit. I don't understand why this project is even being consider for the benefit so few. Why don't we revisit the proposal when one of the other existing quarries closes or is running at capacity.

I moved to this area to live a quiet life which would provide my family and my pets a rural lifestyle away from.the noise and pollution of a suburban environment.
The proposed monaro rock quarry is going to take this away from me and my family.
We will be exposed to silica dust particles noise from blasts and concrete and asphalt plants also the added road danger and damage from.a large number of trucks traveling on roads not built to carry such a large volume of traffic.
The value of the property I have worked hard to purchase and maintain as a single parent will be lost, This was to be a legacy for my children
The environmental impact on local flora and fauna also needs to be considered
in the decision-making.
There are already 2 other quarry 's in the area which are not at capacity so why introduce a third one.
Please take all these concerns into consideration when making decision to allow The Monaro rock quarry to go ahead

I have been a resident of Royalla for the past 16 years and a resided in rural residentials property’s around the ACT for over 45 years. I value the unique environment we have in the region and intent to work for it to remain as is.

I do not believe the EIS was able to demonstrate that the proposed project is viable, in the public interest or delivers enough benefit to offset the enormous amount of risks the project proposes to the land, people, economy and culture of the area.

The EIS process proved to be complex and flawed in its expectations of the lay person, it is unreasonable to expect the average citizen to be able to work through or understand the project data and information within the EIS or to understand, more crucially, if there is information missing that should be taken into account when completing submissions particularly in the timeframe provided. For example; I found the EIS lacked sufficient mediation for the Social and Mental impacts the project will have on members of the community, impacts that have been present and increasing for the last five years due to the length of the SSD process. Impacts that need to be properly evaluated as they relate to industrial proposals and activities for both individuals and communities.
The EIS also failed to demonstrate sufficient mitigation, take accountability or even fully identify the impacts the projects water requirements would have on the water tables and day to day lives of the people and surrounding area. Despite residents paying large amounts of money for bores and their associated water harvesting rights there have been many times over the last 15 years where I have witnessed the water supply fail to meet expectations leaving several of the bores dry or low, even during times of “normal” weather. The possibility of adding a quarry to these ongoing water supply issues has residents concerned about how they will water their livestock and gardens, or maintain a normal water supply for home use like washing cars or homes, let alone plan for times of drought and bushfire

Stakeholder consultation was inadequate and in the case of several ACT residents, who were specifically mentioned in the EIS, it was non-existent, this despite the EIS clearly stating that stakeholders were involved in consultation.
The wind data provided in the EIS was wind data was from Isabella an area of Canberra with very different conditions to Enchanted Hill, this would mean the spread of dust and odder would be much greater than scoped in the project.

For these reasons, I believe, the project proposal would need to be independently reviewed to asses if the data and information supplied is ‘fit for purpose’ prior to any review or consideration by NSW Planning.

The proposal itself creates extensive risk to the area, including but not limited to;

Traffic increases of up to 500 heavy truck movements are not congruent to the existing infrastructure beyond the project zone and would apply to much pressure to the road network and user loads. It would greatly increase risk to road users and in the event of an accident again put pressure on the communities health services.

The following observations identify some of the impacts of dust, as I saw them from my time living near a hard rock quarry.
Dust the silica dust will be created by the project site and from trucks is highly toxic to humans and animals. It will not be possible to contains the dust at all times and silica dust can travel up to 80km from the site of production. There are many open playing fields within this danger zone.
Dust will also be released from trucks, particularly as they will be entering populated areas immediately after leaving the production site, meaning there will be more dust that was resting on the vehicle as well as from the vehicle loads to spread into the populated community several kms from the site.
The dust will collect on solar panels, reducing power supply to many homes and creating added risk to homeowners who would need to regularly clean them.
People with conditions like Asthma or COPD, may lose the ability to enjoy time outside or, as has been the case with the existing quarries, be forced to move.
Dust will also
Dust from the quarry would impacts both water filters and machinery filters requiring more regular replacement and reducing the life of machines that require air for combustion.
Dust reduces the ability to enjoy the outdoors particularly as it tends to be worse in the summer.
BUT WORST OF ALL – It only takes once, one exposure, one lung full of toxic silica dust to cause damage and possibly reduce our life expectancy and providing us with years of pain and suffering. Most terrifying if you consider the amount of schools directly in the danger zone.
The community will be the ones to then wear the cost of healthcare required to manage these conditions and possibly worse, conditions such as Silicosis or Cancer into the future. Having an industrial site of this nature so close to populate areas is a recipe for disaster and while more research is necessary, the Australian Cancer Atlas identifies the majority of populated areas near hard rock quarries of this nature have higher than average cases of cancer, a risk our community is not willing to take.

Biodiversity- As it stands the project would be responsible for the loss of endangered flora and fauna. I don’t feel the proposed offset program would come close offsetting this issue as it will not replace the rare species wiped out from this project.

The impacts of blasting this close to homes are endless, mental health is often impacted and
noise, vibrations, and dust from blasting and heavy vehicle movements, electricity damage to homes and appliances and electrical equipment from brown out, as well as reduced solar capacity through dust on panels.

Damage to electrical cars, appliances and equipment as well as reductions in power due to dust on solar panels.

Asphalt production releases strong unpleasant odder that travels great distances and gets stuck in all types of material, a constant discomfort.

Poisoning of waterways and ground waterways from project run off is of particular risk to children and livestock and the risk of these types of contamination spreading great distances is highly likely due to the interconnecting water courses that go from the proposed site all the way to lake Burley Griffin and beyond.

Noise – due to the proposed location noise pollution will be extensive, noise
HOURS 5am to 6pm 6 days per week
Reversing beeps


I have read the EIS and reviewed the data and the projects possible and projected outcomes and compared these to the results of similar projects. I have listened to the community’s concerns and reviewed not only the projects risks to the community but also supported individuals with mental and social anxiety issues resulting from the proposal. I have tried to find examples of how this could work but whatever way you look at it this is a really bad idea and should not be approved as the risks just can’t be offset sufficiently for the project to deliver any worthwhile benefits. If the project is not withdrawn following the submission process, I believe it would need to go to a public meeting.

Hello, My name is Harrison Hynes and I am writing today to try to help give a better understanding of just how deep and widespread the effects of the Monaro rock quarry development have been, and will continue to be. First and foremost I would like to preface this plea with some experience of my own. I along with my family grew up alongside a quarry toward the back end of Royalla. Of course this was not the intention of my parents when they moved to Royalla some 25 years ago, this does not however change the fact that it became a reality soon after their having built one of the earlier houses in the area. Throughout my childhood the impacts of the quarry were very apparent, with issues ranging from a massive increase in dust pollution to the development of asthma in my mother, an issue that she still deals with to this day. These stand as obvious issues even without considering the fact that the quarry’s blasts would cause tremors, making the pictures on our very walls to fall, the cups on our tables to tip over. In saying that we eventually decided it was time to move, we had dealt with the effects of this mine for far too long and we could see the pollution starting to impede on all of our breathing, made especially scary as my younger sister had also been born with asthma. After months of home searching, in and out of the royalla region, we eventually settled on a block just off the monaro highway, not far along old cooma road. Although my family and I were sad to leave our old home, we were also looking forward to continuing, having found a house we knew would bring more amazing memories. And it was like this for some time, however eventually of course it would have to come to an end. The news of a quarry being established right on our doorstep was not the news we thought we would be hearing. How would you feel if you found out the primary reason for your family moving house was presenting itself to you once again? Except this time it was even closer.

This is just the tip of the truly sad iceberg that is the development of the Monaro rock quarry. Not only does the quarry negatively impact those living in royalla, but also basically everyone in the south canberra valley, and the surrounding NSW regions. It is extremely detrimental to the over 300 species found in the area, including both indigenous flora and fauna. It causes extreme damage to land brimming with cultural and historical importance. With up to 500 trucks going up and down our road everyday, causing long lasting damage to our streets, streets that the perpetrators would have no hand in fixing. Not only that but with this vast amount of trucks pulling upwards of 750,000 tons of rock daily, along with snow traffic would make the daily commutes of those living here hell. Aside from all the points above, supporting me, and the rest of the people fighting alongside me I pose a question, why here? There are many other places that could be developed, places outside the range of heritage sites and civilians. Does this shit really need to happen, just for the monetary gain of those taking advantage, creeping an agenda further and further past what it once was, what it was meant to be? We are people, just the same and truthfully it affects all of us. I truly hope the pleas of all those around me have proved to give even slight insight into the turmoil troubling all of us.

To whom it concerns,

I live in Royalla and I am extremely concerned about the proposal for a new quarry in the area.

As some background, I have lived in Royalla all of my life. From when I was born to few years ago, I lived at the southern end of Royalla, within sight of the Williamsdale quarry. In fact, the Williamsdale quarry played a significant role in my family and I’s decision to move house.

As a child, I was scared when the whole house shook. I was scared when my brother screamed in fear and I had to console him when we were just watching the morning cartoons. I was scared when picture frames fell off of the walls and my horse bolted. I was scared when I saw clouds of dust billow behind the big hill, and when the trees slowly gave way to the growing waste dirt and rock pile. I was scared when my grandfather kept going into hospital with the family being told that he would die there due to his lung issues. I was devastated when he could no longer visit even when he wasn’t at hospital, because nearly every time he came over, he relapsed. And most of all I was scared when my mother and siblings couldn’t breathe when they needed their asthma inhalers because they couldn’t breathe properly.

As I grew up, I was annoyed when I had to pick up the shattered glass from fallen photo frames, and when I had to make sure the fallen picture went back into the same place to cover up the hole that had been left behind when it fell. I was saddened by the ever growing pile of dirt and the decreasing number of trees, because I have always loved the environment - especially so close to the Bush Capital, which does, in fact, still need to have the Bush. I was nervous when I saw the truck drive around the street with the lights flashing to warn us that blasts were going to occur, so I knew that I couldn’t ride my horse just yet, because I knew that he would spook. I was always frustrated by the layer of dust that coated every inch of the house, no matter how hard we tried to keep it clean. And I was always irritated that the barbecue, the lid of the spa, the outside table and chairs were all always covered in a thick layer of dust. Every time we wanted to eat outside or use the barbecue, it would take an hour of scrubbing just to make things look like they had been touched in the last century - even if they had just been cleaned the weekend before.

I understand that the dust may not have all been caused by the quarry - they did have dust suppression for for legal reasons, I’m sure. However, I know that at the old house, there was rarely a strong wind for any dust to be blown towards us, and yet, it always was. And when we moved into our new house, suddenly we didn’t have to scrub down the patio table every time we wanted to use it - a simple wipe would do. By then my grandfather had long since passed, but I do not recall having seen my mother, my brother or my sister use their asthma inhaler since the move - I’m not even sure they have inhalers any more. Despite the facts that we have more animals, do more with them, and the wind is always blowing a gale - and should therefore kick up more dust - we have had none of the issues that we had at the old house.

Of course, the new house came with some new challenges as well. We have a bore now - I have read the EIS that refers to the ground and surface water, and I understand that minimal impacts are expected. However, I am of the opinion that even minimal impacts become major over time, especially in areas that are constantly growing in population and therefore water usage, in one of the driest countries in the world. And water can also be a significant component in dust suppression.

I have read the EIS that refers to air quality, which also indicates that there should be no significant impact. However, I do not believe that the Williamsdale quarry ever identified serious issues either, even though the events that I have detailed above indicate that it did create issues. Not to mention, we are constantly discovering the new impacts of various substances in various quantities, and we do not know what the future science will suggest is safe, especially when it comes to inhaling particles. This is especially relevant, given the windy nature of the immediate area, and the very close proximity of not just farmland, but various suburbs and schools. I also believe that the carbon emissions that come from this quarry will be significant - and in a country that has signed onto the Paris Climate agreement, and has a legislative aim of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, I do not believe that any infrastructure development should be going ahead without full carbon offset.

The EIS on the Transport indicates that the proposed access road would be more than adequate to support the additional traffic load of the proposed quarry. As this is still a proposal, I cannot vouch that it would or would not be suitable. What I can vouch for is the current state of both Old Cooma Road and the Monaro Highway. These are the only two major roads that a access road would be able to go onto, and they both already require regular repairs due to being, quite frankly, shoddy. The slightest amounts of rain can cause potholes big enough to blow a tire, and avoiding potholes and kangaroos at the same time can be more difficult than one would think. I also do not believe that any point along either road would be a safe exit due to the speeds, traffic and frequency of minor and major accidents. Not to mention, to build the proposed access road, the most likely access point would be via Monaro Station road and Mates drive. When the property was first purchased, approximately 2 trucks were going up and down these roads per day. Not only was the entire road so diminished in quality that it was dangerous at the best of times, with proper repairs never taking place, our driveway was also used as a turning circle. This caused such significant damage on our street, which took weeks to fix, that I was forced to scrape the bottom of my car against the lifted parts of road every time I left for work. I received multiple flat tyres during this time, along with a loose bracket that may well have been caused by the constant scraping.

I ultimately understand that this project has been deemed necessary, and I understand the practicality of having the quarry in such close proximity to where it would be needed. However, i do not believe that it is necessary to have it so close to residents, nor do I personally believe it is truly a necessary project at all, especially given the high number of established quarries in the general area.

Ultimately, I do not believe that anything I have said in this submission will make a real difference. I understand that mining is the biggest industry in Australia, and I do not expect the words of one women, or even the hundreds that I'm sure have submitted, will change that. What I sincerely hope is that the health of everyone in the area, the flora and the fauna, the health of the water table and ecosystem and the health of the world is seriously taken into account in the coming months proceedings.

Thank you.

I am writing to formally object to the proposed development of the Monaro Rock Quarry.

This development would have significant negative impacts on my family’s capacity to live safely and peacefully in our home which we purchased in 2023 as a safer environment to where we previously resided.

As a person living with significant physical and neurological disabilities, in addition to PTSD, the impact of developing a quarry so close to our home would be particularly detrimental for my health and my capacity to remain housed, access and contribute to the community and maintain safe employment.

Additionally, I rely on NDIS supports to maintain my health and wellbeing so I can continue working my job which I am fortunate enough and only able to access from my own home. These supports have voiced concerns over their reduced capacity to work safely in the valley during certain times of the year where the air pollution is particularly harmful and with the addition of the a nearby mining facility exacerbating these issues.

The Tuggeranong Valley's geography makes it particularly prone to temperature inversions, which trap air pollution close to the ground. The potential for silica dust from the quarry to become airborne is a major worry for my family, as several members and support workers suffer from severe asthma. The increased dust particles in the air would exacerbate their condition, posing a serious health risk that is compounded by the valley's tendency to hold on to pollutants.

Additionally, the proposed mining operations would introduce new sources of noise pollution, including the inevitable blasting and the constant movement of heavy machinery. We already experience significant noise pollution traveling across the valley from the Monaro Highway. The addition of quarry-related noise would compound this issue, creating an unbearable sensory environment that would severely impact my well-being and ability to function within my own home. This is not a matter of inconvenience; it is a direct threat to my capacity to maintain a safe and stable living environment.

Furthermore, I am deeply concerned about the environmental impact, particularly on our local waterways. The Tuggeranong Creek, which runs through Calwell, has recently undergone significant rehabilitation efforts. The potential for runoff and sedimentation from the quarry to pollute this creek would undermine all the work that has been done and would have a devastating effect on the local ecosystem.

Finally, the disruption to local wildlife is another major concern. The quarry's operations would inherently displace local wildlife, driving them towards the notoriously dangerous Monaro Highway and into various residential areas increasing the risk of road fatalities and property destruction.

In light of these significant health, safety, and environmental concerns, I object to the development of the proposed quarry and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to provide this submission. Thank you for your consideration.

The main objection lies in two places:

1) the confidence in the project to be held to the mitigation tactics outlined. Time and time again we see these projects approved and then no one holds to account the proponents to stick to the obligations made
2) As someone who lives in the identified social impact area, the consultation undertaken on this project could hardly be called extensive. The SIA references a range of activities but zero detail is given on where and when they took place and the first ai heard of this was 8 days before the submissions close on a local Facebook page. This does not give confidence in the transparency of the proponent.

I object to the project on many grounds but they can be summarised as:
1. this project profits the few at the risk and expense of the many
2. this project is utterly wrong and inappropriate in this location
My grounds for objection include location (zoning), traffic, dust, mental health impacts, and a lack of economic benefit, all expanded on in my submission.
We ask that this application be rejected, or that it be referred to the IPC with public meetings to be held.
Thank you