I am writing to oppose the sand mine off Nelson Bay Road at Bobs Farm.
I believe the sand mine will adversely affect the immediate and
surrounding areas due to the impact of 180 truck movements a day on
Nelson Bay Road, the impact dredging 15 metres below sea level and the
loss of sensitive habitat.
My husband and I, and my children travel along Nelson bay road
frequently to get to Newcastle and I am concerned there will be a
greater risk of accidents due to a large number of trucks as well as
the degradation of the road surface as a result of the higher use.
The Port Stephens area is a sensitive koala area and the sand mine
will see the removal of 877 original hollow-bearing trees, which are
homes to other sensitive species as well. 25 ha of native forest will
be destroyed.
My major area of concern is 50 per cent of the sand would be dredged
from a depth of 15 metres below the water table, which is my drinking
water source.

Hunter Water has stated that's inconsistent with best practice - which
is one metre above the water table - a condition followed by all other
sand mines in the area. Hunter Water also states the company's plan to
create a lake from the final void was "implausible", and a "bad land
use planning outcome" that would result in 90 million litres of water
evaporation a year.

Port Stephens Council has also raised concerns that the environmental
plan for the sand mine contains a significant amount of
inconsistencies and inadequacies.

It says the report contains inadequate flora and fauna surveys for
vulnerable species, and an inaccurate representation of the extraction
footprint.

Another concern is with silica, the fine dust associated with the sand
being mined. According to Cancer Council Australia, silica dust is
harmful when inhaled into your lungs. As it is 100 times smaller than
a grain of sand, you can be breathing it in without knowing.

Exposure to silica dust can lead to the development of lung cancer,
silicosis (an irreversible scarring and stiffening of the lungs),
kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is
estimated that 230 people develop lung cancer each year as a result of
past exposure to silica dust at work. Not all exposed workers will
develop cancer; cancer risk increases with long term or repeated high
level exposure.

Another reason to be considered, as stated in Statewide policy no. 1:
Policy and guidelines for construction and silica sand mining in
public drinking water source areas (Water and Rivers Commission 1999),
the major potential risks to public drinking water resources from sand
mining include: hydrocarbon
contamination; contamination from waste disposal
systems or activities; the loss of water through
evaporation; and the inadequate rehabilitation of
disturbed areas.
The threat associated with hydrocarbon contamination
in water supply areas is a key management issue.
Hydrocarbon contamination can result from leakage
from fuel storage tanks, spillage during refuelling and
inappropriate disposal of waste. There are serious
health considerations associated with this
contamination as benzene and polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, which are soluble constituents of fuel,
are recognised carcinogens. Remediation of
hydrocarbon contamination of groundwater is very
expensive, and in some cases impractical.
Waste disposal systems can cause contamination of
groundwater with nitrates, phosphates, organic
chemicals, metals, bacteria or viruses. Contamination
is most severe in areas where the water table is close to
the surface and where soils are sandy. These
conditions occur in the Underground Water Pollution
Control Areas throughout the metropolitan region.
The loss of significant quantities of groundwater can
occur through evaporation and inappropriate
rehabilitation. Direct evaporation of groundwater
increases when the water table is close to the surface.

I urge you to research closely how a sand mine, such as this will
negatively affect the surrounding areas, in particular, our precious
water and stop this sand mine from progressing.

See attached pdf objection

See attached.
I prefer that my home address not be given to others, if possible.

Objection - Signed Hard-copy in post 29 January 2019

President: Soldiers Point Community Group Inc.

The NSW Planning Department
Regarding the sandmine proposed for Marsh Road. BobsFarm NSW.

I oppose the sand mine for the following reasons.

1. The issue of dust and fine particulate pollution has not been
addressed even with pre-existing sand mines in the area, with no
permanent air quality monitoring stations, to my knowledge, in the
area potentially putting the health of local inhabitants at risk with
no quantification of risk to health to those already exposed.
This is especially important as there is a public school in the
immediate vicinity with children exposed to dust particles from mining
and truck movements in front of the school, in addition to particles
from diesel exhausts from excavators, and trucks decelerating and
accelerating in front of the school.

2.The exposure of nearby houses and children at Bobs Farm Public
School to noise pollution from mining and truck movements is of
concern at the minimum, for children attending the school, and those
that live nearby which has not been seen to be addressed adequately so
far, with the potential to negatively impact on the health of
inhabitants in the area.

3. The disturbance to wetlands to the extent of leaving a 15metre deep
hole below sea level in the area is unprecedented with uncertainty
into the resulting potential impact on the water table for the
surrounding ridge and nearby houses.

4. The increase in heavy truck movements, with nearby sand mines also
contributing to the current heavy truck traffic load on Nelson Bay
Road has already led to increased damage to roads in the area which is
more evident in potholes or irregularities of the road surface and
sand deposition at intersections. This increases the risk to all road
users for motor vehicle accidents especially with the single lane road
from Bobs Farm to Williamtown and over other connections to the
highways such as Richardson Rd and Cabbage Tree Road.

5. Marsh Road is a narrow road which is also part of a levee system
for houses, businesses and farmlets along this road.
There are multiple sections of road that currently consist of
essentially accumulated repair patches joined together which suggests
to the untrained eye that the road is not capable of supporting heavy
truck loads especially double B trucks full of sand or being widened
easily.
This creates an additional risk of accidents on a road which is poorly
marked with no lane or edge markings in most of its length.
There are no traffic calming devices or any roadside barriers that
would protect the children in class at Bobs Farm School if the worst
case of a heavy truck losing control and running into the school
structure itself ever occurrs
The narrow width of the road will make it more difficult for parents
to pick up and drop off children safely when having to share space
with trucks on a section of road not capable of taking increased
traffic loads with deep drains to one side and the school grounds on
the other side. See Photos attached.

4 The potential negative impact on tourism which is a major income
earner in the area.
Along Marsh Road there are farms, houses a public school and numerous
businesses on the adjoining ridge that cater for tourists to the
region such as Kookaburra Farm for farmstay, a restaurant, Murray's
winery and micro-brewery, the Shark and Ray centre, Go Kart Centre,
avocado farms.
The change to the environment (landforms, water table, traffic flow)
and "natural" amenity of the land puts these businesses at risk that
employ many locals ( who also vote).
I doubt that tourists are attracted to sharing the road with heavy
trucks, at increasingly frequent intervals. I also doubt that tourists
appreciate the changes to the landscape that are currently masked by
trees and fences as it appears that the majority of tourists come for
the eco-tourism aspect with whale watching, koala spotting, swimming,
recreational boating and fishing being the major attractions.
The financial return to the community from royalties, if there are
any, are unlikely to offset any risk of tourists avoiding the area in
preference for other nearby more pristine holiday spots along the NSW
mid north coast.


The fact that the NSW Planning Minister has control of the planning
department will not be forgotten at the coming election if the
decision made is not based on transparent and careful consideration of
the impact on the health and well being of people affected by the
mine, and no credible measures are taken to minimize any negative
impacts of a mine in the area if approval is granted.
The record of past decisions in the Port Stephens region and Hunter
Valley does not encourage optimism.

Yours
Dr Peter Wong B Med BDS

Photos of Marsh Rd near Bobs Farm school have been attached.