I oppose the Martin's Creek quarry expansion.
It is ridiculous to expect the residents of Paterson to have to put up with the noise and impact on the roads and environment that this expansion and subsequent increase in number of trucks would entail. 80 trucks an hour thundering past residential homes and on the narrow roads in the area is a hazard and will lead to major problems for the families in the area. Safety of children, old people, dog walkers etc is also going to be at risk.

I have been employed by the Daracon Group for almost 24 years during this time I have been employed full time through hard times, through the downturn in the mining industry and GFC
Daracon are a very loyal to their employees and their are many long term employees amongst the Daracon family.

I live in the Maitland council area which rates as one of the highest growth areas in this region, the Martins Creek quarry supplies materials to both Daracons projects and other Developers in this area. If this quarry doesn't expand for future developments it could possibly make it very difficult for developers to fiancé future development as material cost could increase due to there only being 3 hard rock quarries of this kind in this region. The Quarry provides materials to many projects crucial to the growth and prosperity of the region: road construction, housing, railway construction and other public infrastructure.

As mentioned above I have been employed by Daracon for almost 24 years and I intend to stay here to I retire, the success of the quarry will help maintain mine and the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families

yours faithfully

Paul Greathead

I have been employed with Daracon for 6 years and have enjoyed the stable employment it provides,martins Creek Quarry is a big part of the organisation and supports many of the infrastructure jobs we undertake,the Success of the quarry helps maintain the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families i support the expansion

To whom it may concern,

I was recently informed by a number of clients who sub-contract to the Daracon Martins Creek quarry and was upset to hear that there was an objection to scale back on their proposed expansion.

These employees, sub-contractors and local businesses will all suffer due to a loss of income and this will have a detrimental impact on the local economy, not to mention their families.

Our business strongly supports the quarry expansion and trust this serves as additional reasoning to the proposal.

I am opposed to the expansion of Martins Creek Quarry because as a property owner and manager of a guest house the increased truck traffic through Paterson directly affects not only my business and my lifestyle but also my health. I live in the historic building and home which is the post office and I am right on the corner in the center of town. The noise from the truck traffic disturbs not only me but also my guests. I have on occasion had guests leave due to the truck noise, or have said they would not return for that reason. My house also shudders when trucks round the corner and the double brick walls are showing signs of cracking up. My health is affected by the dust from the trucks continually going past 2 sides of my home and garden by way of nose bleeds almost daily. These nose bleeds are a direct result of the dust levels and can sometimes last for up to an hour, sometimes several times in a day. I live and work at my home as I also have a gallery where I hold art classes for children. Sometimes the truck noise is so bad that we have to stop conversations until they pass. The noise also drowns out any household sounds such as television, radio, music etc. Quite often a truck will park outside my home leaving their engine running while they go to the cafe for lunch, often with their radio blaring aswell. This can last sometimes for 20 minutes. I have trouble hearing people on the phone and have to walk around trying to find a quiet place, or shut myself in a cupboard, this is bad because I am usually on a business call where I need to be at my desk. The noise level and frequency of the truck traffic is already unacceptable, let alone increasing it to 80 movements per hour.

Daracon Group is a major employer within in the Hunter region as well as providing ongoing work to over 1000 subcontractors.
The proposed quarry expansion will help to ensure the future prosperity of the company and provide for the livelihoods of local Hunter residents.

I have been employed by Daracon for 10 years 9 months and have enjoyed the ongoing employment. I have always found the company to be open about their dealings with the public.
Daracon is a big employer of local people and Martins Creek plays a big part of the company. Because it is a Hunter Valley company and the infrastructure projects we rely on local sources for materials & supplies for these projects. We need growth in the valley and the expansion projects would go a long way in ensuring local people have jobs and the materials are available to keep the costs of projects down

I have been employed with Daracon for almost three years and have enjoyed the stable employment it provides. Martins Creek Quarry is a big part of the organisation and supports many of the infrastructure jobs we undertake. Moreover, Martins Creek Quarry provides materials to many projects crucial to the growth and prosperity of the region: road construction, housing, railway construction and other public infrastructure. I believe that the Quarry plays a very important part within not just the Daracon group but also in the supply to many projects within the Hunter Valley area and to numerous local business. For the region to grow at the rate we would like, and at a rate reported in the Hunter Regional Plan 2036, not only do we need to support local jobs but we also need to be able to service the demand of a growing population with the necessary construction materials. As a local resident and an employee of Daracon, I support Martins Creek Expansion Project.

Martins Creek Quarry has been critical in securing many people's future through employment not only for Daracon employees but also various contractors. Martins Creek Quarry is also a big factor in many infrastructure jobs progressing through the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region.

The Success of the quarry helps maintain the jobs of over 850 employees and over 1000 contractors and their families