Letter of objection to the proposed Williamtown Sand Syndicate quarry Application No. SSD 6125
My Name is Kate Rochester and I strongly oppose the proposal for a sand mine operation at 398 Cabbage Tree Road. I live directly across the road from the site, my family and I will be extremely adversely affected by all aspects of this proposed operation.
I will list my main objections under the following headings:
* Noise
* Pollution
* Safety
Noise
 Road traffic noise has been increasing in both duration and levels due to commercial developments at each end of our road (including the airport). Assuming a one way entry to the proposed site this would greatly increase the number and noise of traffic movements along the road. Empty trucks are nosier then fully loaded and with the use of air brakes etc to enter and leave the site directly opposite my driveway the noise will greatly impact on us.
 Site operational noise - The proposed plan did not indicate the road pathways through the site just the exit. Trucks moving through the site together with the noise created by the operation itself will move directly towards us. The proposed "sound barrier" of 20 metres will be totally ineffective. The bush is a dry scherophyll ie eucalypts with a base of ferns and small shrubs, grevillea, bottlebrush etc. This affords n protection from sound.
 Airport noise - When the bush burnt in October 2013 the sounds from the airport could be heard much more distinctly than previously so removal of the bush for the mines operation will cause the same effect, airport noise is expected to increase with more usage and the proposed F-35 fighter jet been stationed at RAAF Base Williamtown over time without the bush barrier that is currently there noise from this source will be amplified.
Pollution
 Airborne materials - Dust, sand, vegetation particles made airborne due to mining operation itself together with dust created by trucks moving over gravel road must have an adverse effect on air quality. This was noticed after the fires when for months the slightest breeze picked up ash and other debris and carried it over the properties nearby. We are lucky to normally have breezes daily (many from the north east) but not if the breeze carries the wastes from an industrial site. These will cause respiratory problems among the old, very young and those like my granddaughter who are already experiencing breathing problems (asthma).
 Water contamination -This area is already reeling from the RAAF contamination debacle ( the "RED ZONE") Where does the mining company expect to source the water necessary for its operations, its workers etc? Surely not by the use of water trucks? From one of the many bores that appear to be located throughout the site? No the bores maybe contaminated and unusable even to wet down sand. From the Tomago sand bed one of Newcastle's main drink water sources? Any disturbance to the surface must impact on the ground water. At the moment the water table is only 10cm below the surface of our back paddock. The last rainfall caused widespread flooding throughout the properties along Cabbage Tree Road and nearby areas. Although I realise that mining is not allowed below a certain depth but who will be there to monitor this? The mining would not be viable if it had to stop due to rain, flooding of the site, water table levels, contaminated water on the site etc (unfortunately our local farmers and fisherman have been stopped). There will be more water on this site the measured now due to the removal of vegetation. Each eucalypt removes an enormous amount of water from the soil daily. What will happen to this water if not drawn up by the vegetation but to either sit in the denuded area raising the water table and/or flow slowly due to gravitation over to surrounding properties including mine. The problem of water contamination has not been fully explained or solved. More water flowing through from the vicinity of the airport is certainly not going to alleviate the situation.
Safety
Cabbage tree Road has a 90 km/h speed limit. Most assume this is the minimum not maximum allowable speed. The demographic of traffic varies throughout the day. Greater proportion of trucks (empty) prior to 6.00am, smaller commercial trucks, cars, then busses (mainly tourists) throughout the day with large trucks (laden) and of course another influx in the later afternoon.
To access driveways is always a problem. The traffic following does not slow down particularly in line-ups as they simply overtake either side to pass a "slow" vehicle. With our driveway directly opposite to the proposed quarry entry I expect the situation will worsen with trucks entering and leaving, impatient drivers trying to get past the trucks. There have been many incidents and near misses cars and trucks ending up over the road edges etc add to this what would appear to be a second lane and many more trucks in the area and this will be a disaster. Reducing the road speed limit would realistically be a waste of time as the majority of people using this road want to get from one end to the other in the shortest period of time. My granddaughter is one of the children who catch school busses. There are no bus stops. She at the moment uses the entrance to the number 398 property as her bus can patricianly get off the road. With trucks going in and out, nowhere for the bus to stop safely what will she be able to do?
I have read the proposal for this venture and realise that there are many factors and situations that have not been addressed. It concerns me that the company has not fully analysed the effect of imposing as sand quarry in the middle of a semi-rural area. People live here because of its nature which the bus and its unique habitats are a part. The koalas, goannas, frogs, lizards and the variety of birds (whose character brings relied from traffic and airport noise) form an integral part of our lives. To remove bush removes their habitat forever. Covering the remains after rand is removed with grass does not work (ask any ecologist). The people here are trying to cope and overcome the effects of the water contamination issue. We cannot deal with the profoundly negative impact that the introduction of a sand quarry will bring.



Kate Rochester

I am writing to you about our concerns on the proposed Sand Mine on Cabbage Tree Road in Williamtown. My wife and I live and work within 100 metres of where the mine will go.

It has been brought to my attention that the removal of the sand hills will raise the level of the water table. Our home is in a low part of our two acre property and when we get heavy rain the water table rises quickly to within 50mm of flooding our home before it starts to run into the drains. Any rise in the water table will definitely flood our home. We have lived here for 32 years and have never had the water come inside.

As we are also in the `Red Zone' for the RAAF water contamination. We are concerned that any disturbance of the water table may cause contaminants to enter our spear point. At the moment our water tests negative to all contaminants.

Please consider this when making your decision.

My list Of Objections for the sand mine are as follows:-

1. The entrance to my property is approximately 900 metres from the proposed mine. The noise and movement of sand trucks at the moment on Cabbage Tree Road is just about the limit, anymore would be unbearable.

2. Enough Koala habitat has been destroyed already in the Port Stephens area.

3. With the underground water already polluted by fire fighting foam from RAAF Williamtown the clearance of more vegetation
could see a further spread of the contaminants. This alone should be a good enough reason to not allow the mine to proceed .

Submission of objection to the proposed Williamtown Sand Syndicate Quarry
Application No: SSD 6125
Hello, my name Is Liam Farmer of 397 Cabbage tree Road, Williamtown. The proposed sand mine lies across from where I live, it will affect the health and wellbeing of both residents and the local ecosystem.
As a Year 12 student from Lambton High both my brother and I have used the area of the proposed sand mine for Biology and Earth and Environmental assignments over the past five years and from these experiences I have personally witnessed the biodiversity of the flora and fauna that inhabit the proposed sand mine. I have observed a small group of Koalas, goannas, various types of snakes, frogs and birds over these years. However after the 2013 Bushfires the majority of wildlife either fled the area or perished. Ever since that event the ecosystem has been in a fragile state of regrowth, with the majority of species returning only significantly in late 2015.
The potential threat of increased dust and noise pollution together with the loss of huge amounts of vegetation presents the possible collapse of the surrounding ecosystem as well as damages to the health and wellbeing of local residents, especially those with asthmas such as my sister. Suffering already from noise pollution from the RAAF base that is set to increase with the introduction of two squadrons comprising 24 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets in 2018, which will triple the noise of the F-18's already present at the RAAF base, more noise pollution from the proposed Sand mine will only further the risk of hearing problems for local residents and increase their exposure to dust and other airborne pollutants
The sand mine which will un-doubtedly include deforestation will add to the already high water levels of the local area, this will increase salinity and bring bore water already contaminated with fire retardant foam that has seeped into the water table over the past twelve years from the RAAF base to the surface. This will further devalue the properties along Cabbage Tree Road as well as its surrounds.
Please decline this Sand mine proposal for the benefit and longevity of both the health and wellbeing of the environment and local residents. Its development poses serious threat to all that inhabit the area no more so than my family and I.
Yours Sincerely,
Liam Nicholas Farmer

I wish to have an addition to my submission previously completed.
I have done some research into the indigenous inhabitants use of this area prior to European settlement and I have found evidence of their use of this area for hunting and living here.
I was informed that there are culturally significant sites within the original boundaries of the proposed sand mine and that the area was then excluded from the proposal.
Further to this there is actual evidence that the indigenous people also travelled from that site through the proposed area and onto the land I now own.
The actual evidence can be viewed at any time by appointment with myself, however it must only be viewed with a Worimi elder present and in strict confidence as I am the custodian of this artefact and I will not allow any harm to befall it or public exhibition without Worimi consent.

Submission of objection to the proposed Williamtown Sand Syndicate Sand Quarry.
Application No. SSD 6125
My Name is Sahra Garside and I am 9 years old. I live at 397 Cabbage Tree Road Williamtown which is straight across the road from where some people want to dig up sand and take away. I don't think these people should be allowed to do that. It is a very bad idea. I will tell you why.
My school bus stops to let me off at the driveway as it is a-bit safer there and the bus can get off the road a-bit which is safer. I wait there until the road is clear when my Mum tells me (which takes a while) the big trucks fly past and their wind nearly knocks me over. If there is a road made for the big trucks to go in and out there will be no place for me to stand and be safe from either the road traffic or sand trucks.
Also I have asthma which as you might know makes it hard for me to breathe properly, if there is lots of wind and dust in the air I feel sick. Our big hedge stops a lot of the dust in come into our yard. So I hope the sand people don't want to take down our fence and hedge.
When the bushfire burnt all the trees over the road the wind made it very dusty for months and made me sick. If the bush disappears then all we will have is dusty sand in the air all the time. I don't want to get sick.
The bush is the home of many plans, animals and birds. I know because when the bushfire came it destroyed the trees and lots of the animals. My brother went across to the bush and buried as many of the dead animals and bird as he could find. It was very sad. Now some have come back, the galahs, Kookaburras and black cockatoos. The goannas, lizards, echidnas and even some koalas come over the road to our house. If he trees are cut down to dig out the sand all these animals will lose their homes again and die.
Please don't let this happen.

Submission Williamtown Sand Syndicate
My name is Shaun Farmer I currently reside 397 Cabbage Tree Road Williamtown, I am writing to you today in response to the proposed sand mine at 398 Cabbage Tree Road Williamtown, at current the proposal has several considerations left out that I believe are critical to the residing residents living in direct vicinity of the proposed site including that of bus stop access, water table levels and air pollution.
At current there are no designated bus stops along Cabbage Tree Road as a result of the closure of Williamtown Public School in 2008 meaning that the only off road sign posted bus stop access along Cabbage tree road was removed, with the closure of the school however did not end the movement of children along the road travelling by bus to and from school. My youngest sister Sahra is currently on of those who catch a bus that drops children off along Cabbage Tree Road. Currently the bus pulls half off the road into the small indentation of bush that forms the entrance to the fire trail at 398 Cabbage Tree Road Williamtown; she is then aided across the road by either her mother or Grandmother who both reside at 397 Cabbage Tree Road. Due to her age (9 Years) I hold concerns with the increase of heavy vehicles on the road and how they will impact the safety of both the ability of the bus to be able to stop and that of my sister being able to safely cross the road.
Air Quality, due to the increase flow in traffic and disturbance of silica particles in the air I have a great concern for my youngest sister who suffers asthma, with the increase in the density of silica in the air around where we live I fear that she will experience difficult of breathing and decrease in general health as she did after the October 2013 bushfires that raged through the bushland across from our premises. As a result of the bushfire she found it extremely hard to breath due to an increase in dust, ash and silica in the air that was blown from the proposed site.
Ground Water has always been a contentious issue for those that live along Cabbage Tree Road; it is used in many residents' everyday lives from irrigating gardens, livestock and nurseries to providing water for business in the form of grey water. My first issue is what form of water the applicant intends to use to mitigate the silica and dust emissions from the site as is mentioned that they will undertake in the Environmental Impact Statement. At current the site is within the "Red Zone" determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, due to the contamination issue arising from RAAF Base Williamtown, I believe that it is unethical seeing the current justification determining the contamination issue is yet to be resolved thus if the applicant were to use ground water they could potentially be damaging the environment furthermore as no testing has been conducted on the site.
My second issue is that if the applicant was to source their water from an offsite location what would the applicant do to reduce the fluxuations in the water table that are a result of increased addition to the water table on-top of what is already naturally occurring? Due to the Applicants proposal to remove current land vegetation to access the sand underneath, there will be a loss in the natural removal of water from the water table that takes place in the form of transpiration. What is the applicant going to do to mitigate the increase in the water table that is caused by the removal of vegetation in order for them to conduct their operation?
I strongly oppose any proposed approval of any form of mining at the site due to the concerns raised above. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns related to this submission.
Regards,
Shaun Farmer
397 Cabbage Tree Road
Williamtown 2318
(02) 49651585

The sand mine boundry will be 120mt from our fence line and 20mt from next doors fence line.
Dust and air pollutants from the mine will be a major issue to our health and our livestock. With the contamination in Williamtown, where will the water to hose down the dust from minning come from?
Major increase to trucks entering and exiting onto cabbage tree road between private propertys and across the road from private propertys. Break noise and hazard to all uses of the road.
Our water table sits 1ft below the surface, a single shovel will hit water in 5 minutes, how will the underground water not be contaminated?

The sand mine will clear important habitat for the Port Stephens koala;
The sand mine is located within a groundwater catchment that supplies drinking water to the Hunter;
The sand mine is located within the 'Red Zone' where groundwater is contaminated by toxic chemicals from the Williamtown RAAF base and the impact a sand mine in this area may have on the spread of contamination has not been assessed;
There is no offset package described in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), therefore the application is invalid;
There are serious health impacts from sand mining such as silicosis and other respiratory illnesses; and
The sand mine will create an extra 140 truck movements per day.

I object to this proposal for numerous reasons:
1. It is going to have a devastating impact on local ecosystems, particularly the Port Stephens koala population. Koalas are adorable and anyone who supports the destruction of their habitat is clearly a soulless demon.
2. Ya'll haven't even assessed whether the mine will cock up the Hunter's drinking water supply.
3. The application isn't even legit because there's no offset package described in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
4. Sand mining can have serious health impacts and to force these upon local residents is ludicrous.
5. The mine will create an extra 140 truck movements per day which will negatively impact local resident's quality of life.