Matthew Bennett
Object
Matthew Bennett
Object
Royalla
,
New South Wales
Message
I object to the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal (SSD-27223807).
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) leaves critical matters unresolved, pushing risks and costs onto government and local residents. This is inequitable and contrary to the precautionary principle under NSW planning law.
Road Safety: The Monaro Highway corridor where the quarry trucks will merge is already dangerous. Adding up to 200 trucks daily will increase accidents and fatalities. The government must fund an independent safety review and guarantee upgrades are state-funded, not charged to ratepayers.
Air Quality: The EIS admits PM2.5 exceedances and uncertainty in health risk values. Dust exposure will harm children, elderly, and vulnerable people. EPA-led monitoring and a NSW Health review are required before any approval is considered.
Noise & Blasting: The assessments are preliminary and rely on after-the-fact compensation. This breaches the precautionary principle. Independent peer reviews, a government-appointed ombudsman, and a regional cumulative impact study must come first.
Water: Excavation to 100m and a new bore risk groundwater drawdown and surface water disruption. Government-led baseline studies and enforceable suspension thresholds are needed. Approval must be paused until a regional water security plan is complete.
Biodiversity: The project will damage Box-Gum Woodland and Pale Pomaderris. Offsets are speculative and federal EPBC referral unresolved. Offsets must be secured locally and upfront before disturbance.
Economic Need: Two existing quarries already meet demand. Duplication is unjustified and fails the public interest test. Treasury and Infrastructure NSW must verify actual demand.
Climate Obligations: The quarry has not been tested against NSW’s net zero targets. Approving such a project risks undermining statutory climate law.
Requests:
Independent government reviews of road safety, health, water, biodiversity, and market need before determination.
Written guarantees that residents will not bear hidden costs for road upgrades, health impacts, or environmental losses.
Rejection of the project if offsets, safety, and market need cannot be demonstrated upfront.
This proposal creates long-term harm for short-term private benefit. I respectfully request the Department refuse the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal.
A detailed submission is attached.
Kind regards,
Matthew Bennett
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) leaves critical matters unresolved, pushing risks and costs onto government and local residents. This is inequitable and contrary to the precautionary principle under NSW planning law.
Road Safety: The Monaro Highway corridor where the quarry trucks will merge is already dangerous. Adding up to 200 trucks daily will increase accidents and fatalities. The government must fund an independent safety review and guarantee upgrades are state-funded, not charged to ratepayers.
Air Quality: The EIS admits PM2.5 exceedances and uncertainty in health risk values. Dust exposure will harm children, elderly, and vulnerable people. EPA-led monitoring and a NSW Health review are required before any approval is considered.
Noise & Blasting: The assessments are preliminary and rely on after-the-fact compensation. This breaches the precautionary principle. Independent peer reviews, a government-appointed ombudsman, and a regional cumulative impact study must come first.
Water: Excavation to 100m and a new bore risk groundwater drawdown and surface water disruption. Government-led baseline studies and enforceable suspension thresholds are needed. Approval must be paused until a regional water security plan is complete.
Biodiversity: The project will damage Box-Gum Woodland and Pale Pomaderris. Offsets are speculative and federal EPBC referral unresolved. Offsets must be secured locally and upfront before disturbance.
Economic Need: Two existing quarries already meet demand. Duplication is unjustified and fails the public interest test. Treasury and Infrastructure NSW must verify actual demand.
Climate Obligations: The quarry has not been tested against NSW’s net zero targets. Approving such a project risks undermining statutory climate law.
Requests:
Independent government reviews of road safety, health, water, biodiversity, and market need before determination.
Written guarantees that residents will not bear hidden costs for road upgrades, health impacts, or environmental losses.
Rejection of the project if offsets, safety, and market need cannot be demonstrated upfront.
This proposal creates long-term harm for short-term private benefit. I respectfully request the Department refuse the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal.
A detailed submission is attached.
Kind regards,
Matthew Bennett
Attachments
Hayley Bennett
Object
Hayley Bennett
Object
ROYALLA (NSW)
,
New South Wales
Message
I object to the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal (SSD-27223807).
As a resident directly impacted, I believe this project presents unacceptable risks to safety, health, environment, and public finances. The EIS relies on incomplete studies and assumptions, leaving costs and liabilities to be carried by government and local ratepayers. This is inequitable, inconsistent with planning law, and not in the public interest.
Road safety and cost shifting
Up to 200 quarry truck movements per day are proposed to merge onto an already high-risk Monaro Highway corridor. This will endanger commuters, freight and tourists. The EIS assumes upgrades but fails to identify funding sources. It is unacceptable for road costs or accident liabilities to be pushed onto council rates or residents.
Requests:
Government fund and conduct an independent corridor safety review of the Monaro Highway before any determination.
Guarantee all road upgrades and accident liabilities are met from state infrastructure budgets, not council rates.
Pause determination until liability allocation is resolved in writing.
Air quality and health
The EIS shows exceedance of PM2.5 standards and admits uncertainty in toxicity values. Fine dust will directly harm children, elderly, and vulnerable residents. This creates a public health liability if the project proceeds without independent validation.
Requests:
EPA to run independent baseline and real-time monitoring with automatic shutdown triggers.
NSW Health to conduct a cumulative quarry health impact inquiry.
Pause approval until these reviews are complete.
Noise, blasting, and amenity
Noise and blast studies are described as preliminary, with reliance on compensation after the fact. This contradicts the precautionary principle in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Requests:
Commission independent peer review of noise and blast modelling.
Require a government-appointed ombudsman for monitoring and complaints.
Pause approval until a cumulative regional quarry impact study is completed.
Water security
The quarry intends to excavate to 100m and install a new production bore. Drawdown and contamination risks are significant, especially in a drying climate. Surface water assessments are based on “average” conditions, ignoring flood variability.
Requests:
Fund government-led baseline groundwater and surface water studies.
Establish enforceable public thresholds with automatic suspension if exceeded.
Pause until a regional water security plan is finalised.
Biodiversity and federal triggers
The project impacts Box-Gum Woodland and Pale Pomaderris. Offsets are speculative and may never be secured. This likely requires referral under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, which has not been resolved.
Requests:
Secure offsets in perpetuity and locally before disturbance.
Commission a government biodiversity audit to test feasibility.
Pause approval until EPBC referral outcomes are finalised.
Questionable economic need
Two other nearby quarries already supply the region. The economic case here is speculative duplication. Approving a new site without testing true demand risks breaching the “public interest” test.
Requests:
Require Treasury to conduct an independent market need and value-for-money review.
Direct Infrastructure NSW to confirm whether existing quarries can meet demand.
Reject the project if duplication is confirmed.
Conclusion
This proposal creates disproportionate risks for minimal public benefit. The EIS leaves key issues unresolved — safety, health, climate, biodiversity, and market need. It is unfair for ratepayers to subsidise corporate profit through hidden costs.
I respectfully request that the Department refuse the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal.
A detailed submission with references is attached.
Kind regards,
Hayley Bennett
As a resident directly impacted, I believe this project presents unacceptable risks to safety, health, environment, and public finances. The EIS relies on incomplete studies and assumptions, leaving costs and liabilities to be carried by government and local ratepayers. This is inequitable, inconsistent with planning law, and not in the public interest.
Road safety and cost shifting
Up to 200 quarry truck movements per day are proposed to merge onto an already high-risk Monaro Highway corridor. This will endanger commuters, freight and tourists. The EIS assumes upgrades but fails to identify funding sources. It is unacceptable for road costs or accident liabilities to be pushed onto council rates or residents.
Requests:
Government fund and conduct an independent corridor safety review of the Monaro Highway before any determination.
Guarantee all road upgrades and accident liabilities are met from state infrastructure budgets, not council rates.
Pause determination until liability allocation is resolved in writing.
Air quality and health
The EIS shows exceedance of PM2.5 standards and admits uncertainty in toxicity values. Fine dust will directly harm children, elderly, and vulnerable residents. This creates a public health liability if the project proceeds without independent validation.
Requests:
EPA to run independent baseline and real-time monitoring with automatic shutdown triggers.
NSW Health to conduct a cumulative quarry health impact inquiry.
Pause approval until these reviews are complete.
Noise, blasting, and amenity
Noise and blast studies are described as preliminary, with reliance on compensation after the fact. This contradicts the precautionary principle in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Requests:
Commission independent peer review of noise and blast modelling.
Require a government-appointed ombudsman for monitoring and complaints.
Pause approval until a cumulative regional quarry impact study is completed.
Water security
The quarry intends to excavate to 100m and install a new production bore. Drawdown and contamination risks are significant, especially in a drying climate. Surface water assessments are based on “average” conditions, ignoring flood variability.
Requests:
Fund government-led baseline groundwater and surface water studies.
Establish enforceable public thresholds with automatic suspension if exceeded.
Pause until a regional water security plan is finalised.
Biodiversity and federal triggers
The project impacts Box-Gum Woodland and Pale Pomaderris. Offsets are speculative and may never be secured. This likely requires referral under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, which has not been resolved.
Requests:
Secure offsets in perpetuity and locally before disturbance.
Commission a government biodiversity audit to test feasibility.
Pause approval until EPBC referral outcomes are finalised.
Questionable economic need
Two other nearby quarries already supply the region. The economic case here is speculative duplication. Approving a new site without testing true demand risks breaching the “public interest” test.
Requests:
Require Treasury to conduct an independent market need and value-for-money review.
Direct Infrastructure NSW to confirm whether existing quarries can meet demand.
Reject the project if duplication is confirmed.
Conclusion
This proposal creates disproportionate risks for minimal public benefit. The EIS leaves key issues unresolved — safety, health, climate, biodiversity, and market need. It is unfair for ratepayers to subsidise corporate profit through hidden costs.
I respectfully request that the Department refuse the Monaro Rock Quarry proposal.
A detailed submission with references is attached.
Kind regards,
Hayley Bennett
Attachments
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Object
Banks
,
Australian Capital Territory
Message
I am writing to register my formal objection to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry in Royalla. As a resident of Banks with family in Calwell, Theodore and Michelago, and as someone with existing heart and lung health problems, I am gravely concerned about the documented risks this project poses to community health and road safety.
My most significant concern is the health impact of airborne dust, specifically Respirable Crystalline Silica, which will be generated by the quarry.
The project's own Environmental Impact Statement acknowledges that "respirable crystalline silica may be generated during those activities." While it claims the impacts will be "negligible," this provides little comfort. Community groups have highlighted that silica dust can travel up to 16 km and remain in the air for up to 12 days, especially in windy conditions. This places Tuggeranong suburbs, including the school my children attend in Calwell, well within the potential fallout zone.
A factsheet from Monaro Rock itself confirms that exposure to RCS can cause silicosis, a permanent and debilitating lung disease, as well as being linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. For my family, with my pre-existing conditions and my elderly in-laws' vulnerability, this is not a theoretical risk. It is a direct threat to our health and quality of life. The opposition group notes there are 18 schools within 17km of the proposed site, putting thousands of children at risk.
I am also deeply concerned about the traffic impact on the Monaro Highway. This road, particularly the stretch from Johnson Drive, is already inadequate and frequently congested. If the trucks will not be using the highway, this generates more issues, as local roads around Royalla are not designed for such heavy traffic.
The proposal documents state the project will generate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day. This volume of truck traffic on a highway that is already unfit for purpose is unacceptable. The community group "No New Quarry" has rightly pointed out that this will require a major new intersection to be built, but the safety and flow of the highway will be irrevocably compromised.
Adding this level of heavy vehicle traffic will lead to:
- Increased accident risk for commuters, school buses, and local residents.
- Severe congestion, extending travel times and impacting daily life for thousands of Canberrans and their neighbors in NSW.
- Accelerated deterioration of the road surface, leading to higher maintenance costs and more hazardous driving conditions.
The existing infrastructure cannot safely absorb this dramatic increase in heavy vehicle movements. To approve this quarry without a prior, comprehensive upgrade of the Monaro Highway would be a negligent disregard for public safety.
The evidence presented in the project's own documentation and by community advocates clearly shows that the Monaro Rock Quarry poses an unacceptable risk to the health of my family and the safety of our community. The potential for irreversible lung damage from silica dust and the certainty of dangerous traffic conditions on the Monaro Highway far outweigh any purported benefits of this quarry.
I strongly urge you to prioritize the health and safety of your constituents and reject this proposal.
My most significant concern is the health impact of airborne dust, specifically Respirable Crystalline Silica, which will be generated by the quarry.
The project's own Environmental Impact Statement acknowledges that "respirable crystalline silica may be generated during those activities." While it claims the impacts will be "negligible," this provides little comfort. Community groups have highlighted that silica dust can travel up to 16 km and remain in the air for up to 12 days, especially in windy conditions. This places Tuggeranong suburbs, including the school my children attend in Calwell, well within the potential fallout zone.
A factsheet from Monaro Rock itself confirms that exposure to RCS can cause silicosis, a permanent and debilitating lung disease, as well as being linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. For my family, with my pre-existing conditions and my elderly in-laws' vulnerability, this is not a theoretical risk. It is a direct threat to our health and quality of life. The opposition group notes there are 18 schools within 17km of the proposed site, putting thousands of children at risk.
I am also deeply concerned about the traffic impact on the Monaro Highway. This road, particularly the stretch from Johnson Drive, is already inadequate and frequently congested. If the trucks will not be using the highway, this generates more issues, as local roads around Royalla are not designed for such heavy traffic.
The proposal documents state the project will generate up to 500 heavy vehicle movements per day. This volume of truck traffic on a highway that is already unfit for purpose is unacceptable. The community group "No New Quarry" has rightly pointed out that this will require a major new intersection to be built, but the safety and flow of the highway will be irrevocably compromised.
Adding this level of heavy vehicle traffic will lead to:
- Increased accident risk for commuters, school buses, and local residents.
- Severe congestion, extending travel times and impacting daily life for thousands of Canberrans and their neighbors in NSW.
- Accelerated deterioration of the road surface, leading to higher maintenance costs and more hazardous driving conditions.
The existing infrastructure cannot safely absorb this dramatic increase in heavy vehicle movements. To approve this quarry without a prior, comprehensive upgrade of the Monaro Highway would be a negligent disregard for public safety.
The evidence presented in the project's own documentation and by community advocates clearly shows that the Monaro Rock Quarry poses an unacceptable risk to the health of my family and the safety of our community. The potential for irreversible lung damage from silica dust and the certainty of dangerous traffic conditions on the Monaro Highway far outweigh any purported benefits of this quarry.
I strongly urge you to prioritize the health and safety of your constituents and reject this proposal.
Thomise Mudford
Object
Thomise Mudford
Object
ROYALLA
,
New South Wales
Message
As discussed with Carl Dumpleton on 15 Sept 25 I would like this submission to replace submission number SSD-27223807. I mistakenly wrote my address, Gmail and phone number in the original submission. I do not want this information provided to the applicant or public forum. I'm happy to have my name and suburb released. I have attached my submission as a pdf to ensure formatting is maintained.
Additionally some more information is provided in this attachment so please disregard the original submission. Sorry for the additional work this has created.
Additionally some more information is provided in this attachment so please disregard the original submission. Sorry for the additional work this has created.