The more locally operating and sourcing companies, the better.

In a growing region like the Canberra–Queanbeyan surrounds, expansion is constant and with that comes a consistent need for natural rock and aggregates. Having a local quarry is essential to meet this demand with reliability and consistency.

What’s even more important is ensuring that such operations remain locally owned and run, rather than being taken over by national or multinational conglomerates with broader, and often conflicting, interests. Locally run businesses keep the focus where it belongs: on the needs of the community.

As a local Structural Engineer, I see first-hand the benefits of using locally sourced materials. Not only does this reduce unnecessary transportation. Helping us work toward a greener, more sustainable future, but it also ensures consistent quality across a wide range of construction projects and suppliers in our area.

As a resident of Tuggeranong, I wish to formally object to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry Project . The location of this project, in close proximity to a densely populated residential area, presents several risks to community health and well-being.

Quarry operations are known to generate significant amounts of silica dust, which poses documented health risks to humans. This dust can easily be dispersed into nearby homes, gardens, schools, sporting fields, and playgrounds, threatening both the safety and quality of life for residents. Furthermore, quarries often produce substantial noise pollution, disrupting daily life, learning spaces, and work environments.

The anticipated increase in truck traffic—approximately 200 fully loaded trucks per day—will inevitably lead to greater congestion and heightened safety risks for current road users. The influx of heavy vehicles will also place pressure on local infrastructure, resulting in accelerated wear and a greater need for maintenance.

Quarries are associated with well-documented environmental impacts, particularly downstream effects. Locating a quarry upstream from an established community carries substantial risks for both residents and the surrounding natural environment.

Establishing a quarry so close to residential areas is unsafe. Approving this project would negatively impact the health, well-being, and livelihoods of thousands of residents in both the ACT and NSW regions. For these reasons, I strongly oppose the Monaro Rock Quarry Project and urge that its proximity and potential risks be given thorough consideration.

Concerns if quarry goes ahead

We are very very concerned as we live in direct line from the proposed quarry and only 1.4 kms. We have no hills to protect our home and property from the fine dust that will be generated from blasting and traffic. We are an elderly couple and worried what these dust clouds will do to our breathing and lung functions. The fallout of dust/silica will firstly affect our drinking water quality as we rely on rain which is collected from our roof to our water tank. But also our livestock will be affected, our orchards, vegetable garden and vineyard. Our solar panels is another concern as they will be covered in dust therefore will not working efficiently. The dust will come into our home interior, pool and outdoor living areas. Enjoying outdoors will become a thing of the past. The blasting has been known to vibrate the house foundations and outdoor building footings and damage structures. Plus high electricity consumption at the quarry will affect the use and long time warranties on household appliances.

No Environmental assessment can assuage the significant impact of the proposed quarry both on the environment and the quiet enjoyment of tens of thousands of residents in the Googong/Royalla/Burra local region and within 10 kms of the proposed site: the hundreds of gravel trucks thundering along the Old Cooma Road, and the Monaro Hwy; the clearance of the native flora and concomitant fauna for the quarry in such a diverse habitat; the frequent westerly winds in this region blowing dust for kilometers; noise and vibrations from blasting and heavy vehicle movement (also impacting bird life); high potential of increases in electrical brownouts due to higher demand on grid (esp when dependent of water and sewage pumps as we are). I am particularly concerned about the impact on any reduction of the water table, and flow of the water courses, which is a further impacting surrounding flora and fauna. All of this is exacerbated by the more recent proposed expansion of the quarry's activities to onsite concrete production. I live within three kilometers east of the proposed quarry site, and I ask that you not approve the proposal, thereby giving priority to local flora and fauna, and to your community residents. We should not be subject to the placement of an industrial activity in our semirural environment and community.

Comments in attached document.

Impact on Monaro Highway will be huge with the reported 500 extra truck movements per day. This highway already gets congested in the snow season and this will make it far worse or even unusable at times. Additionally silica dust travelling on strong winds could severely impact the surrounding areas.

Hi

I have lived in this area over 20 years raising my children and am now helping raise my grandchildren. We are a multi-generational home and love our life in Royalla. We live 3.5km from Williamsdale Quarry and will be 7.5km from the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry. When the project was first brought to our attention it was for quarrying and processing of hard rock to meet the growing needs of the local construction industry in the Greater Capital region. I was dismayed to find that the project has been expanded to include importing of virgin material, recycling concrete waste material, a concrete batching plant and operation of an asphalt plant. This is a far bigger development than first proposed.
Our predominate winds are north westerlies which will direct the dust from the new quarry our way. I am very worried for the health implication from particulate matter and silica dust. Everything indicates that there is no safe level of silica dust exposure. While procedures can be put in place to mitigate the localised dust generated, it is what happens over an extended period at a short distance from the site, that I consider is impossible to manage. With all the best intentions and practices in place, I believe the developers and operators of this project will not be able to stop the dust from reaching us, leaving us exposed to future chronic and potentially life-threatening health conditions.
Electricity and water are another concern for me. Our domestic and drinking water is from our tanks. Everything used within our home is collected from our roof and stored in tanks. The potential increase in dust on our roof will cause the problems of sediment build up in the water tanks even with the use of first flush diverters (due to the small particle size). We use a bore to water our pet alpacas and for any water usage outside. In our time here we have seen the static bore level drop considerably. The high use of bore water in the operation of the proposed activities will further reduce the water level possible leading to bores drying up especially in summer. We have a grid connected solar system and the dust will reduce the amount of power we currently capture. The stability of our power supply is another concern. The high demand on the power supply from the operation of the proposed quarry will result in instabilities in the power supply causing damage to electrical equipment and pumps used in our homes.
The traffic arrangements is also a concern. I do a school run into Queanbeyan twice a day and have experienced a truck and dog cutting across in front of me at the intersect of Old Cooma Rd and Quarry Rd. This intersection and traffic arrangement is like that proposed for the access off Monaro Highway. The increase in the number of trucks travelling that section of the highway will potentially put other road users at an increased risk of being in an accident. I dread travelling into Canberra or Queanbeyan. Old Cooma Rd is not suited to large number of heavy vehicle movements and Monaro Highway will be an accident waiting to happen if this proposal is approved.
The clearing of the critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland at the site and the need to move Indigenous artifacts as part of the development are also concerning. I was surprised to realise that much needed alignment road works of parts of Old Cooma Rd could not be done due to the presence of endangered trees, but the proposed development of the quarry could clear 22.44 hectares of the endangered Box-Gum Woodland after the proposed purchase of offset credits. We all need to do our part in preserving our flora and fauna and historical artifacts for our future generations.
Lastly, I implore you to stop this project for the protection of the large number communities that live next and near this proposed industrial development in both NSW and ACT. There are too many people whose physical and mental wellbeing will be negatively affected and quality of lifestyle considerably reduced.
Thank you for your consideration.