The decision to allow a quarry and industrial estate on RU2 and C2 zoned land. As I understand this proposal contravenes the allowances under these zoning categories. Simply allowing this quarry to be established creates a mockery of the zoning process, and the public’s trust in the process.
The proposed quarry would extract up to 1 million tonnes of hard rock annually for 30 years, with the site close to homes in NSW and the ACT and trucks using community roads 13 hours per day, six days per week. This raises serious concerns, and I urge the NSW Planning department oppose this development, which impacts the communities in Royalla, Googong, Jerrabomberra and Burra, and those suburbs in South Canberra.
Traffic
Appendix I Road Transport Assessment of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) contradicts itself in respect to the number of heavy vehicles moving in and out of the proposed quarry.
In Section 3.6 Transport Limits (P27) it states that the ‘following limits on operational transport activities are proposed: no more than 200 laden trucks would travel to or from the Project Site on any one day’. In Table 4.2: Heavy Vehicle Trip Generation by Activity Type at Maximum Quarry Production (P33), states there will be 200 loads of Quarry product despatch with 400 trips. This is double to what was quoted above and with the additional 310 movements listed in the table – this equates to a maximum of 710 heavy vehicle trips per day, with 355 (half) being fully laden.
These heavy vehicle movements would be added to the Monaro Highway, which currently carries an average volume of 10,000 vehicles per day near Royalla, 20% of which are already heavy vehicles. An additional 710 trucks entering and leaving the Monaro Highway poses a significant risk to commuter safety and will impact travel times. Already there have been a number of fatal accidents in the area that the quarry will impact.
There is simply no safe way to move the material from this site. The science used by the proposer for heavy vehicles to enter onto the Monaro Hwy is dangerously flawed. The study (Appendix A) used to create the statistics used to make the assessments were conducted during the period just before and while Victoria was in Covid-19 lockdown for the 14-day period from Friday 28th May 2021 to Thursday 10th June 2021. This was anything but a normal period of time to be ‘driving on our roads’. The impact of an additional 710 heavy vehicles in ‘today’s’ traffic is a completely different story. My observation of regularly travelling along the Monaro Highway – in particular between the intersection of Royalla Drive and the roundabout on Johnson Drive, is that the traffic load has significantly increased over the past 5 years.
Everyone in our household, including our children, use this stretch of road, our friends and neighbours use this road, children commuting on the school buses use this road. Increasing the risk of accidents including fatal accidents by allowing this volume of heavy vehicles onto this road is highly inappropriate and irresponsible.
Dust
By their own admission, the quarry will extract and crush exactly the kind of hard rock that produces silica dust, described as the ‘asbestos of the 2020s’. There is growing scientific evidence and community concern that this dust has long term health impacts for people and animals. silicosis.org.au, lists quarry and mining workers as being at risk due to the crushing and processing stone in quarries and mines. Monaro Rock plans to control dust using water trucks, but this approach is impractical due to strong regional winds, especially in spring. Dust will likely travel long distances, risking health and contaminating local drinking water tanks.
A lesser issue is the impact of the settling dust in the tanks which use pumps to provide water to the homes in the area. The dust will lessen the life of the water pumps and increase the cost of living in the area.
Ecological and Environmental Concerns
The quarry site is on land zoned as C2 (“Environmental conservation”) and RU2 (“Rural Landscape”). The quarry’s impacts are in direct opposition to the legislated objectives of these zones and are by default prohibited.
The property encompasses 218 hectares of Critically Endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland, a vital ecological community supporting over 320 native species of flora and fauna. This unique habitat is increasingly rare and plays a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. These woodlands are easy to ‘gloss over’ but with simple research it is easy to identify them as ancient systems shaped over tens of thousands of years by evolving Australian landscapes and the human cultures that have interacted with them. Their existence pre-dates written history, with European settlement since about 1750 significantly reducing their extent and modifying their structure through clearing and grazing, leading to their current critically endangered status. They are part of the Australian landscape that we are hanging onto with our fingertips. Missing out on having these landscapes for our children’s children make me ache with regret – let us not concrete the future – or is Toni Mitchell right that we don't know what we’ve got till it's gone, and we’ll pave paradise and put up a parking lot.
In addition, this property provides a valuable corridor between a number of reserves next door and close by. Including Tuggeranong TSR, Melrose Reserve, Mt Rob Roy Reserve, Royalla Swainsona Reserve, Royalla TSR, Wandiyali and Havelock. The proposal actually suggests (Appendix F - Visual Impact Assessment) that will install a 3m high solid fence. The fence will be a barrier to the fauna moving from environment to environment – blocking the natural ‘roaming’ of our wildlife and to an extent the dispersal of natural flora. This is inconsistent with the environmental values and planning principles that underpin the Queanbeyan-Palerang region.
Economics
There is little economic benefit for the community or Council. As the three other quarries nearby are under-producing, any productivity gain for Monaro Rock would be a similar loss for the existing quarries, resulting in approximately a zero-sum economic benefit.
Other concerns
As a local resident, I want to raise several serious concerns about the Monaro Rocks quarry proposal that I hope the NSW Department of Planning and Environment will take into account:
Water Usage: The quarry plans to extract up to 42.4 million litres of groundwater each year. That’s a huge amount, and I’m deeply worried about the impact this will have on our local water table. It could affect the availability of water for residents like me and damage the surrounding environment.
Water Runoff: There’s a real risk that polluted water from the site could end up in Tuggeranong Creek and eventually flow into Lake Tuggeranong. This isn’t just a local issue - it affects downstream communities and ecosystems too.
Electricity Supply: I’ve lived through the problems caused by the Williamsdale Quarry, where residents experienced brownouts and damage to appliances every time the plant started up in the morning. I’m concerned we’ll face similar issues again, with impacts on our homes and daily lives.
Local Character: Royalla is a peaceful, rural-residential area. A quarry of this scale simply doesn’t belong here. These kinds of operations are usually located in remote areas - not next to family homes and quiet communities.
Alternative Locations: The same hard rock is available elsewhere, from Canberra to Cooma. The only reason to put the quarry here seems to be financial gain for the company, while the rest of us bear the cost - through noise, dust, traffic, and disruption to our way of life.

Submission: Objection to the Proposed Monaro Rock Quarry in Royalla

To Whom It May Concern,
I’m writing as a local resident of Royalla to strongly oppose the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry. I’ve lived here for just shy of a decade, and like many others, I chose this area for its peacefulness, safety, and sense of community. The idea of allowing a massive quarry to be built right next to our properties, which are zoned environmental living, is most distressing.

Too Close to Homes
The proposed site is within 10km of 49,000 people’s homes. It will affect Royalla residents and is also in very close proximity to Canberra and our children’s schools. That’s not just inconvenient, it’s dangerous. Quarries are noisy, dusty, and disruptive. They don’t belong in residential areas where they can significantly impact our wellbeing.

Health Concerns
I’m especially worried about the dust — particularly silica dust. Members of my family already suffer from Asthma and other allergies, before you introduce poisonous dust from the quarry. Even if the levels are technically “within limits,” we all know how unpredictable wind and weather can be. Once that dust is in the air, it’s in our lungs, our gardens, and our kids’ playgrounds. The long-term health risks are real, and I don’t think they’ve been taken seriously enough.

Traffic and Safety
The plan includes up to 200 truck movements a day. That’s a huge increase in heavy vehicle traffic on roads that weren’t built for it. It’s not just about congestion — it’s about safety. More trucks mean more risk, especially for families, our young learner drivers and school buses using the same roads. This affects a vast number of people who use the Monaro highway every day, all the way down to Cooma residents and beyond. The road is already dangerous enough, exacerbated further during ski season and on long weekends, without introducing such a huge number of trucks.

Environmental Impact
Royalla is a peaceful part of the world and we are lucky to be surrounded by bushland including critically endangered Box-Gum Woodland. Turning this land into an industrial site will destroy habitats, change the landscape, and affect local flora and fauna. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. No amount of “rehabilitation” can undo that kind of damage.

We Already Have Quarries Nearby
It’s also worth pointing out that there are already four quarries operating in the surrounding region. These quarries have existing capacity to last over 100 years. We do not need another one on our doorstep.

Community and Property Values
This proposal is already causing stress and anxiety in the community. People are worried about their health, their homes, and their future. Property values will drop, and the appeal of Royalla will diminish, affecting the lovely nature of this community.

To sum up: this quarry is not appropriate. It’s too close, too risky, and too disruptive. The proposal must be rejected to maintain our community and protect our families.

I offer my object to this project for the following reasons:
* I'm concerned about my health from dust which contains silica that will drift over the local area.
* Increased traffic on Old Cooma road. Extra trucks and cars will be traveling down old cooma road and frankly it can barely support the traffic that travels down it now let alone the volume of trucks and cars linked to the quarry. It is already a high accident area and the increased traffic will only add to the incidents of accidents. More heavy vehicles will add to the degradation of the road surface. Eventually the quarry plan to enter directly to the Monaro highway. This also has its own challenges. In winter it is a high fog area with limited visibility.
Please don't approve this project. The site proposed for quarry negatively affects the whole community of Royalla and beyond.

As residents of Royalla, we object to the quarry. We are deeply concerned about the silica dust and the known health impacts of this. In addition, we object to increased trucks on a road that already has significant traffic including accidents. As parents of four - our eldest has only recently got her P’s, and three more to come - we hold huge concern for the safety of new drivers on the roads navigating high numbers of trucks. We urge the government to cease this project.

As a local resident, new to Googong, a neighbouring area to Royalla, I’m deeply opposed and concerned about the impact of this quarry for a variety of very valid reasons.
My major concerns that will directly impact Googong and my family are as follows:

1.) The fact that the quarry will produce an excessive output over many years, it is a given that such a hard rock quarry will create silica dust. More and more evidence is coming to light of the long term health impacts of exposure to silica dust. This will become airborne and carried to Googong which is known to be a windy area. What will be the impact on our health and our children’s health? How will this be measured and mitigated? Googong amenities have been specifically designed to attract families and this quarry is far too close to guarantee the safety of our health.

2.) Long hours of crushing noises could travel to residents and the blasting from the quarry will be felt in homes kilometres away. This will be insufferable. Again how will these vibrations affect our health and wellbeing and what is understood about potential damage such as cracks in walls and windows?

3.) Up to two hundred fully laden trucks per day will be entering onto the Monaro Highway or Old Cooma Road. This is absolutely unacceptable due to the road surface and condition not only being unsuitable, but Old Cooma Rd also being the only exit out of Googong to major towns and Canberra.
There is already enough risk on these roads without more heavy trucks trying to merge onto highways and roads. This large number of trucks will be sure to damage the road and increase our commute times.

4.) House values will decrease if the above outcomes are certain.

5.) Social impacts. We have just moved from Bowral where there is also an SSD in Moss Vale that has caused significant stress over the last few years and is still continuing. The community has been left to defend this project primarily by themselves as council wants to minimise their financial risk. This quarry is also significantly unsuitable for the proposed area in Royalla due to the serious impact on nearby residents.
It is simply NOT THE RIGHT SITE.
This type of social impact cannot be underestimated and will have a sustained negative effect on the region and the tourism sector.

Other concerns that definitely need consideration:
1.) The site is zoned C2 (Environmental Conservation) and RU2 (Rural Landscape). Both prohibit this development, which goes directly against the objectives of the zone.

2.) The quarry will clear 22 hectares of critically endangered box-gum grassy woodland and 78 hectares of vegetation overall. The proposed site is home to over 300 species of flora and fauna.

3.) Quarries require lots of electricity, but no increase in supply is planned. Residents in Royalla already suffer large voltage swings and damage to sensitive pumps and other equipment.

4.) The quarry plans to use groundwater. Residents are concerned that this will impact the water table levels and may cause some bores to run dry.

5.) Waste water from the quarry will discharge into Tuggeranong Creek and then flow though Tuggeranong suburbs to Lake Tuggeranong.

I object to this project as it would be detrimental to the environment, road safety, pollution and the health and welfare of residents surrounding the area that is earmarked for the quarry.

In March 2023 I purchased land in Royalla Reserve. I did my due dilligence and was told that it was unlikely that the proposed quarry would proceed. I was re-entering the property market after losing everything due to a failed marriage and had worked hard to be able to afford to build our dream home on peaceful and tranquil land in Royalla. We have now built a home that is off grid, reliable on our own power, sewerage and water. I have since found out that the Monaro Rock Quarry Project is not only still pushing ahead but they have extended their scope to include more than just being a quarry. The have snuck in all these extra operations.

The impact on my family will be immense as we are one of the closest properties to the proposed quarry. We rely on rain water from our roof and I know our roof will be polluted. I have a hobby farm and the animals will feel the blasts and the vibrations and their drinking water will be contaminated. Our new home will feel the impact also from vibrations and blasts.
The area will be impacted on a biodiversity level with 22.44 hectares of critically endangered box-gum grassy woodland and 77.83 hectares of vegetation overall being cleared. Enchanted Hill will be destroyed along with Indigenous artifacts such as the culturally modified trees and a range of indigenous objects.

I am deeply concerned about the amount of trucks that will go past the back of my property onto the Monaro Highway. It is very hard for us to enter the Monaro Highway from Old Cooma road currently due to the traffic, I cannot imagine how hard it would be to push up to 500 trucks onto the highway each day at the rate that the EIS is suggesting. There will be many accidents and unfortunately fatalities. The highway is not capable of coping with the current traffic so adding in additional trucks would be absolute stupidty. Taking the trucks down Mates Road would also cause immense damage and impact more on the Royalla community. These trucks cannot be dispersed into the area or onto the Monaro Highway, this cannot happen.

The dust will be carried by the wind and this will collect on homes, cars and property. The health risks will be far reaching and while silica is being banned in construction, they are happy to spread the silica from their quarry into our community. This is unacceptable.

The mix of hot mix ashpalt will generate a strong odour that I will have inflicted on us 6 days a week. The quarry is indicating they will operate 6 days a week and this amount of activity, damage, odours, dust etc will impact on myself and my family and animals.

They will be tapping into the ground water and have indicated that they will take 42.4 million litres a year for dust suppresion and production. This will impact not only Royalla but Tuggeranong also. That is a lot of water that could benefit the community.

What will happen during bushfire season? Will we be at more risk due to the potential shortage of water? What will happen to the telecommunications tower that is very close to the site? Will it be another Optus where people are unable to call emergency and potentially pass without help?

They have indicated that they will wash their trucks and equipment onsite and this will cause a pollution risk.

There are four quarries within 30 km of the proposed quarry that have capacity to last over 100 years. Royalla is already impacted by the Williamsdale quarry, why are they building this quarry so close to Royalla, Tuggeranong suburbs and Tralee. It is absolutely ridiculous that they are able to potentially do this considering the risks to health both mentally and physically of so many people that are living in the area that is being flagged for this project. Why on earth would any agree to a Quarry being approved so close to other residences. Why can't this Quarry be built away from residences in an isolated area?

49,000 people live within 10 km of the proposed site which could raise to 69,000 in the next 10 years. Will the State Government or the project insure residents against health risks such as cancer or property damage to the homes in the area. In my estate there will be 14 brand new homes within 2 km of the site. Who will pay for any damage that could occur? Who will pay for mental health from the ongoing trucks and blasts? Who will pay when people get sick due to the quarry operations?

I believe this project is just to benefit a handful of people that don't want to pay the prices the other quarries are proposing. There is no economic benefit to our area. The Williamsdale quarry has already been taken over by a mutli -national company, this project will be in the same position. It has been noted that only around 14 jobs will be provided through the project and this is not a reason to make the quarry a reality.
I have made my dream home in Royalla that has now become evident that it is super close to the proposed quarry. I have 40 animals on my land that will be impacted along with my children. Please do not ruin Enchanted Hill and our lovely peaceful position in the world. It is so unnecessary and so harmful on the residents, wildlife, fauna and Flora. Please do the right thing and not go ahead with this project.

My family and I live in Lever Place, Royalla, and I strongly oppose the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal.

While I am not against quarries or development to improve our standard of living, the project’s sheer scale, location next to existing residential area, and planned activities with a projected 30-year life poses significant risks to health, safety, and the environment.

When I also consider the opposite side of the argument, I find myself asking the question "What is the benefit of the quarry in its proposed location"? The only answer I can think of is that there is only one party that benefits from the proposal; Monaro Rock. While they will be making more money, it comes at a significant detriment to existing residents, the community, and the environment.

Approving a new quarry will not create more demand for the product or reduce prices as the existing quarries already provide adequate supply and indeed well into the future. It will not restrict or deter development or economic activity. A new quarry placed in the middle of existing residential houses simply does not benefit residents or the community.

My key concerns are:
- Quarry is extremely close to residential homes, including my property, exposing residents to dust, noise, vibration, and safety risks.
- Two existing quarries already provide sufficient supply, making this project unnecessary.
- Dust, including PM10/PM2.5, will affect homes, gardens, and rainwater tanks, posing serious health risks.
- Dust suppression measures proposed in the EIS are unlikely to be fully effective, as nearby quarries demonstrate visible dust escaping boundaries.
- Up to 150 heavy truck movements per day on the Monaro Highway will increase road safety risks, noise, and traffic congestion, impacting daily life.
- Destruction and fragmentation of habitat and wildlife corridors will occur, threatening biodiversity.
- Aboriginal cultural heritage, including significant trees and landscape features, is at risk of permanent damage.
- Property values will fall, and the rural lifestyle residents sought will be permanently degraded.
- Cumulative impacts with existing quarries amplify dust, noise, traffic, and environmental effects, which have not been fully accounted for.
- The single lane Monaro Highway is already an accident hot spot and will only get worse with additional hundreds of heavy trucks accessing it daily.

On reflection at a more personal level, I would like to think that people come into decision making positions to effect positive change for the community and its people as a whole. The Monaro Rock Quarry project benefits few at the detriment of many. I sincerely hope that this proposal does not get approval as it will impact thousands of people living in the vicinity.

Given these factors, I strongly urge the Department to refuse this proposal as the location makes the quarry fundamentally unsuitable.

My husband and I object to the quarry proposal for the following reasons.
We invested heavily in creating a beautiful home in a peaceful and pleasant environment to enjoy our retirement in Royalla. The proposed quarry will destroy a lot of the benefits that enticed us out here, and will also impact many other people in near-by Canberra and N.S.W suburbs.

The adverse impacts will include:
1) Noise and vibration from blasting, mining and heavy vehicle movement. This will not only impact the serenity for Royalla residents and surrounds, but constant blasting reduces home values due to the noise and possible structural damage from the regular vibrations.
2) Dust from the mining processes, the manufacture and recycling of concrete. The prevailing winds in the Royalla area are predominantly NW meaning that on many days, dust from these processes will blow over the Royalla community. On the other days it will blow into the Southern suburbs of Tuggeranong, Burra, Mount Campbell, Fernleigh estate and Googong. Not only is this unpleasant and messy to deal with it could have health implications as it settles on roofs which form an essential part of our water supply to rural residents on tank water. Silica dust is a known carcinogen - it is not something that should be happening in close proximity to people's homes. There are currently 49,000 people living within 10km of the proposed site and this is expected to increase to 69,000 within 10 years. This proposal is a health hazard for all of those residents.
3) The movement of large trucks, up to 500 per day from the site is problematic. We have witnessed a quick decline of the Old Cooma Road between Royalla and Googong as the Googong township evolved. Adding more heavy vehicles onto this road will add to the rapid deterioration of this road and increase potential for accidents. Old Cooma Road has become a major thoroughfare for Googong residents to head into Tuggeranong. This road is not going to cope with a significant increase in heavy traffic without an essential upgrade.
Coming out on to Monaro Highway also poses issues. This is a very busy road most of the time with particular peaks during ski season and Summer holidays. Stopping traffic on a major highway to allow trucks in is going to add to the congestion on this road and driver frustration. To me, it sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
4) Impact to the water table. Water is a precious resource for rural residents. Many blocks in Royalla were sold with a bore (or potential for one) if they didn't have a dam. Mining, concrete production and recycling are water intensive activities impacting the available water for local rural communities.
5) Pollution and impact to the biodiversity of the area. The washing of equipment and trucks will create contamination from concrete, impacting the biodiversity of the area. I understand that this is an area of critically endangered Box-gum grassy woodland and other vegetation that is home to over 300 species of fauna and flora. Polluting our environment is problematic not just for our generation but for those that come behind us. It doesn't just pollute the land but gets into the water table impacting the quality of water for those nearby.
6) Odour - the quarry project includes the production of hot mix asphalt that generates a strong and persistent odour. The impact of this is unacceptable to the many people who are located adjacent in rural communities and the nearby Tuggeranong suburbs.

In summary, we believe that this proposal will have significant negative impact on our quality of life and ruin our peaceful ambience. We have invested our life savings to create this peaceful life in Royalla and feel quite cheated by this quarry proposal in close proximity to our home. We urge the decision makers to take note of our concerns and value the health and wellbeing of the local community over business profits.

I have concerns about the silica dust that will occur and affect the local Tuggeranong schools and the children health playing in the playground and also all the children attending sports activities at Calwell ovals . Also the health of the seniors living in the Tuggeranong area.
My grandchildren both have Asthma and I am concerned about their health and the possibility they may get cancer from the dust that will be created by the quary development .
Has The traffic congestion on Monaro highway been taken into account with the snow traffic and people travelling to Canberra for work each day. I am concerned about the amount of trucks each day and accidents that may occur and the congestion that’s is already occurring in Hume due to the overpass

The project will involve a large quarry and industrial site for the processing of rock, manufacturing concrete, producing asphalt and concrete recycling over the next 30-35 years.
It is located very close to many rural residential properties and to large and growing population centres. It will have a substantial and growing impact on land of high environmental and indigenous archeological value.
Key areas of concern with the project include:
Noise: Besides blasting and associated vibration shocks the project will operate 6 days a week from early morning and involve ongoing rock crushing and concrete and asphalt manufacturing involving the movement of up to 500 heavy vehicles per day to and from the site using local roads. This will be highly disruptive to the local community who currently live in a quiet rural environment. Decisions to live in the area have been heavily influenced by the peaceful location.
Dust and health impacts: There are health risks from silica dust which will be carried by the wind collecting on homes, solar panels and gardens with contamination of rain water tanks. We live less than 3 kilometres from the proposed quarry in an area that often experiences strong wind. Wind from the south West would directly impact us.
Road safety: the movement of heavy vehicles on to the Monaro Highway and use of local roads, notably Old Cooma Road, will pose serious collision risks. Old Cooma Road is not designed for this purpose and the volume and speed of traffic on the Monaro Highway, especially during peak hours and the Ski Season, makes the entering of large, laden heavy vehicles extremely hazardous. These roads have already experienced a number of fatal accidents.
Proximity to Residents: 49 000 people already live within 10 kilometres of the proposed site and this is expected to grow to 69000 in the next 10 years.
Water: Up to 42.4 million litres per year of extracted groundwater is proposed to be used for dust suppression and concrete and asphalt production. There will also be a reduction of water flow in to surrounding water courses that flow to Tuggeranong. During dry years, of which there are many, this large water usage will impact aquifers relied on by local farms for ground water.
Economics: the need for this quarry is highly questionable. There is existing capacity within the four quarries within 30 kilometres of the proposed quarry with capacity to last over 100 years.
Impact of house: Given the reasons people buy in the area, including a peaceful rural environment, a depreciation of house values could be expected. This is a major and concerning development for local residences who have bought in the area in good faith noting the current zoning category.
The project proponent has proposed measures to alleviate some of these concerns. We have little to no confidence that these measures will be effective. There is no question that local residents will be impacted, some to a large extent.
In conclusion, the quarry is in the wrong location given the existing and planned residential developments and the economic case for it is highly questionable.