Please review the attached document which details our (my neighbourhoods) vehement objection to this proposal.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing as a concerned resident of Tralee to express my profound opposition to the proposed Royalla quarry, asphalt, and concrete plant. This project poses a clear and present danger to the health, safety, and environment of our community, and the process for public feedback has been woefully inadequate.
My Core Objections
Health and Air Quality: The plan to introduce a massive new source of fine particulate matter, including silica dust, into our air is deeply concerning. Given that our region already suffers from poor air quality due to bushfires and winter wood smoke, this quarry will only exacerbate existing health issues, particularly for our most vulnerable residents—our children and the elderly. The long-term health consequences of breathing these pollutants are simply not worth the risk.
Water and Environment: This project threatens our most precious resource: clean water. The proposed operations risk contaminating our groundwater and local waterways, which are part of Canberra's drinking water catchment. Furthermore, clearing land for the quarry will destroy critical wildlife habitats and significantly increase the risk of bushfires in an already fire-prone area.
Traffic and Safety: Our roads, especially the Monaro Highway, are already congested and unsafe. Adding a constant flow of heavy quarry trucks will inevitably lead to more accidents, increase road damage, and disrupt daily travel for thousands of commuters.
Lack of Public Benefit: The promised economic benefits, such as a small number of jobs, are minimal when weighed against the severe and irreversible costs to our health, safety, and environment. The primary beneficiaries of this project are the operators, not the local community.
Property Values and Quality of Life: The presence of this quarry will negatively impact the value of our homes and the overall quality of life in our neighborhood. No one wants to live next to a source of noise, pollution, and increased traffic, and this project will make Tralee and the surrounding suburbs less desirable for future families.
My Call to Action
I urge you to consider the immense and irreversible damage this project will cause. This is not just a commercial development; it is a decision that will affect the well-being of our community for generations. Please act now to:
* Formally oppose this project and reject the application.
* Insist on an extended public submission period to allow for genuine community consultation.
* Commission an independent review to fully assess the health and environmental risks.
The people of Tralee, and all affected communities, deserve a safe and healthy environment. Please do not fail us.
Sincerely,

Resident of Tralee

The submission mentions criteria that would make the project unacceptable and the proposed Monaro Highway access is not identified as a project cancelling criteria. I strongly believe that this project should not proceed if the Monaro Highway access is not granted as the fall back access using the Old Cooma Road would cause unacceptable disruption to the community. I believe there is no case for “ light vehicle “ access via Old Cooma Road and in their first public meeting the project believed that this access would be an alternative truck access. The issues surrounding Silicosis and near proximity of two existing quarries means the potential for silica exposure is high . I would like to see a truly independent assessment of the need for this project to be undertaken by appropriate researchers who are not contracted by the project developers. With 2 hard rock quarries so close to the proposed project all potential expansion of existing sources should be explored by someone other than the project developers.

I would like to object to the Monaro quarry project on a number of grounds.
Firstly I am deeply concerned about the dust carried from the quarry many miles around the local area. This dust will contaminate local water supplies and as a family living with severe respiratory illnesses we do not want additional pollutants in our air. The quarry will cause additional pollution from machinery clean downs and concrete being recycled on site.
Secondly, the locality of the quarry to residential areas. Nearly 50,000 people, including children and babies, live within 10km of the site, all who will deeply affected by the noise, extra traffic and polluted air.
Lastly, on the grounds of biodiversity, the area proposed to be cleared covers nearly 78 square hectares of wood and grasslands which are homes to many species of flora and fauna.
The development of this site would have a massive negative impact on local lives and health.

I am very concerned about the prospect of the Monaro Rock Quarry. We live in Banks, and are worried about silica dust and other pollution, and the potential ill side effects of the dust such as asthma and silicosis. The Lanyon and Tuggeranong Valleys are known for smoke etc sitting in the valleys unable to escape easily and this will likely be the case with quarry dust etc.
We are also deeply concerned about the noise generated by the quarry, as well as the traffic congestion with so much heavy traffic entering and leaving the quarry.
Housing prices will also drop, another factor we are concerned about.
The 30 year duration of the quarry is a very long time to suffer the effects.
Please do not allow the quarry to go ahead.

Hi,

I do not support the project due to the following reasons:
Impact on wildlife in the area
Noise pollution during to mining and trucks transporting materials
Noise pollution due to construction
Environmental damage from construcrion and ongoing mining to flora and the ground/earth
Degradation of the soil in the vicinity of the quarry
Deteriation of the stability of the ground in the vicinity of the quarry, possibility of sink holes forming
Pollution from construction and operation of the quarry
Hazards onsite which will ne a danger to people and invitation for youths to vandalise and use quarry for other purposes.
Pollution from trucks and vehicles transporting materials

I live in Banks ACT which is not far from where this proposal is planned to be built in NSW (on the border). I am gravely concerned about the health implications regarding this potential site. Silica kills people and with the wind conditions associated with this proposed site, there are significant risks to all of us. I reserve the right in the event of this proposal being granted approval to sue the NSW Government in the event that either myself, or any of my family experience any detrimental impact, or any associated health implications.

Please accept this as my formal objection to the proposed development. I have been a landowner in close proximity to the Williamsdale Quarry for over 25 years, and my experience gives me a direct perspective on the potential impacts of this project.

My objection is founded on two critical issues:

Public Safety and Traffic Management: I have serious concerns regarding the safety of the proposed exit and entry point over the old train line. Its proximity to the existing merge and overtaking lanes creates a highly dangerous situation. The introduction of slow-moving, heavy-laden trucks into this section of the road during times of high vehicle flow will create a considerable safety hazard for the public. I believe this design presents an unacceptable risk for increased vehicle accidents.
The local road infrastructure off the secondary access point, Mates Drive Royalla and Old Cooma Road will not cope with increased heavy traffic and will require major upgrade which local government and the project would not have budgeted for. It has been under strain since the creation all the rural residential estates over the past 25 years.

Reliability of Utilities: The existing Williamsdale Quarry has been a direct contributor to the instability of our local power supply for many years. We have experienced recurring blackouts and brownouts that frequently align with the quarry's operational periods. I am concerned that the addition of a new, power-intensive quarry will place an unbearable strain on the already fragile local power infrastructure, leading to more frequent and prolonged disruptions to our power supply.

My environmental concerns include:
Water Supply: The quarry will require water for dust control, and strong believe to the project will have a negative impact on local bores and an already-strained water supply.

Ecological Impact: The site is located in a sensitive environmental area, a box gum grassy woodland, which is home to endangered or critically endangered species near "Enchanted Hill," which will make up part of the proposed quarry site.

The project's fact sheet and other documents mention the presence of several threatened species and ecological communities.

Critically Endangered Ecological Community
Box Gum Grassy Woodland: This is a critically endangered ecological community under both NSW and Commonwealth legislation. It is the primary habitat type in the area and a major point of concern for environmental groups.

Endangered and Vulnerable Species
Pink-tailed Legless Lizard (Aprasia parapulchella): This is a vulnerable reptile species known to inhabit the rocky areas of the region. While the EIS claims no individuals were detected within the immediate disturbance area of the quarry, it is known to be in the wider area, and its habitat is at risk.

Small Purple Pea (Swainsona recta): This is an endangered plant species, and a population was specifically recorded in the rail corridor adjacent to the proposed access road for the quarry.

Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum): This bird is listed as an endangered species. Surveys for the project identified suitable breeding habitat for the Gang-gang Cockatoo within the proposed disturbance area.

Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor): This species is critically endangered and is mentioned as a species that will likely be put under stress by the quarry.

Pale Pomaderris (Pomaderris pallida): This is a vulnerable plant species that was also identified during surveys within the project area.

Other vulnerable species and ecological communities mentioned in the reports for the broader region include the Scarlet Robin, Varied Sittella, and the Dusky Woodswallow. These species are also a concern given the potential habitat loss and fragmentation caused by the quarry development.

The quarry's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) identifies respirable crystalline silica (RCS) as a potential air pollutant from the extraction of rhyodacite ignimbrite, the material used for concrete production. While the application states that silica dust would be "controllable" and impacts "negligible," the developer does not know the long-term health effects of this dust, which they say can travel up to 16 km and has been compared to asbestos.