I object to this project as I live nearby and I think the added truck traffic on the local roads will be dangetous and noisy. The roads are already terrible and if we are to get up to 500 more trucks a day, it will be a great danger to anyone on the road.
I am also concerned about the health impacts of any silica dust that will drift across the local area. We live in the country because we love the clean fresh air.
I am also concerned about potential increase in noise - again we choose to live in the country for the peace and quiet lifestyle.
I am also concerned for the endangered flora and fauna in the area.

I object to this project due to the proximity of my home.

I am writing to formally object to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry project. My property is located within close proximity to the proposed site, and I have serious concerns about the health and environmental impacts this project will have on my family, my property, and the wider community.

My primary concern is the risk of silica dust being generated and dispersed by quarrying activities. Silica dust is a well-documented health hazard. According to Safe Work Australia, exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can cause silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, and autoimmune disorders. The World Health Organization also recognises silica dust as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in humans.

Of particular concern is the risk to my child, who may face lifelong health consequences from continuous exposure during their critical developmental years. Scientific research has shown that children are more vulnerable to airborne pollutants because their lungs and immune systems are still developing, and they breathe a greater volume of air per kilogram of body weight compared to adults.

Dust particles do not respect property boundaries. Prevailing winds in this area mean that airborne dust from quarry operations is highly likely to travel beyond the quarry limits and settle over neighbouring homes, gardens, and community spaces. Even with dust suppression measures, the scale and duration of this project pose a significant risk of uncontrolled dust emissions.

In addition to personal health risks, silica dust can contaminate soil and water sources, reduce air quality for the community as a whole, and negatively impact local flora and fauna. These environmental consequences cannot be justified in the face of safer alternatives for material sourcing and development.

Given the overwhelming health evidence and the unacceptable risks this project poses to my family and community, I respectfully request that the Monaro Rock Quarry project be rejected. Our health and wellbeing, especially that of our children, must take priority over the commercial interests of this proposal.

Thank you for considering my submission.

I am writing to you out of concern for the quarry development submission from Monaro Rock.

My family and I have lived in Royalla for 18 years and love living in the peaceful rural community. Moving out of Canberra was a choice my husband and I made consciously. We wanted to get away from the noise and pollution, to have some land to grow our own vegetables, and have fruit and nut trees so we could eat our own produce. To eat healthier and breathe fresh air. We wanted chickens to have fresh eggs and have room for our children to learn and grow in this beautiful environment.

We bought the land knowing it was zoned rural residential and were happy knowing it wouldn’t be made into a high urban or industrial area.

I wake up every day loving living in Royalla. I look out my kitchen window and see the stunning views of the mountains and hills. Enjoying the birds and animals and nature I see all around us. The quiet and peaceful way of life we have here. The fresh air we breathe and clean water we collect in our tanks which we drink and water our plants and vegetables with.

To now find out this could all change because a quarry is planned just down the road. I keep coming back to why? Why do we need another quarry? There are already three quarries (Queanbeyan, Williamsdale and Mugga lane) with the same rock being mined in the area. That apparently aren’t even running at full capacity and still have years left of the same rock. I say again why do we need another one?

We had a meeting last week at the Royalla common for families that live near the Williamsdale Quarry. They stood up and informed us how that quarry affects them. The dust, the noise, the brown outs of the electricity, the water usage, the trucks and more.

Our fresh air, water we collect and drink, plants we grow and eat, the animals we farm now will have silica dust contamination. There goes our healthy way of life.

The noise from the blasting and trucks won’t be any better. If we wanted to live somewhere noisy, we would have stayed in town.

I know already from traffic and the trucks on the Monaro highway that any increased traffic will become more of a problem for people using the Monaro highway daily. I say this from experience because during the snow season we have to wait 10 minutes or even more to get out onto the Monaro highway at a time. There have been many Accidents, quite a few fatal, on this stretch of road due to the traffic load and now they want to increase it even more. To add big heavy trucks pulling out across traffic, I can’t believe this has even been considered. The school buses use this highway during the week. We already have high amounts of traffic on this worn-out road which gets repaired constantly.

If Monaro rock doesn’t get ACT approval to use the Monaro highway they will use Old Cooma road. The only other road that will have access to the quarry. This is a two-way country road not a highway. The school bus drops off and picks up kids on this road. If approval is given for the Monaro highway there will be infrastructure to be done first. So, they will be using Old Cooma road anyway as that is the only way through to the quarry site. The intersection from Old Cooma Road onto Monaro Highway is, in my view, already extremely dangerous.

I don’t even know why the Enchanted hill site was even considered ok to put a quarry there. What about the environmental impact it will have on the flora and fauna. The rare plants and trees on this hill, which should be protected.

So, I’m writing to ask you to reject this quarry development. Please think of the community and the hundreds of people and families which will be affected, who live in this area. It’s always the little people who are affected when big rich companies like Monaro Rock do this sort of thing.

They say it will bring money and jobs to the area. Has anyone asked who will work there (truck drivers taken from the other quarries?).

Will they put money into our community here? I don’t think so they are only going to take, cause destruction and impact our lives in such a negative way.

To whom it may concern,
I object to the proposed quarry project in Royalla. Please see document attached.

I object to the project due to the proximity to suburban areas and the potential impact on sensitive environment.

I am writing in opposition to the proposed Monaro Rock Quarry. I do so both as a local Tuggeranong resident and as a teacher at Lanyon High School, which sits within the direct catchment area of the proposal. My concerns are grounded in the potential negative impacts on student health, community safety, and the broader environment of the Tuggeranong Valley.

Health and Air Quality
Dust emissions, including respirable crystalline silica, pose significant health risks. The EIS acknowledges potential dust generation but underestimates the cumulative effect of prevailing winds carrying fine particulate matter towards local schools and residential areas. Lanyon High School has more than 800 students and staff on-site daily, many of whom spend considerable time outdoors for sport and recreation. Increased dust levels would expose children and young people — a vulnerable population — to elevated risks of asthma, respiratory illness, and long-term health complications.

Noise and Vibration
Quarry blasting and machinery noise will carry across the valley, particularly during early morning hours when classes are beginning. Consistent exposure to low-frequency vibration and intermittent high-noise events can disrupt learning and concentration. Students with additional learning needs or sensory sensitivities are especially at risk of adverse impacts.

Traffic and Road Safety
The project forecasts a significant increase in heavy vehicle movements along key arterial routes. Many of these routes service school buses, cycling corridors, and family drop-off points in the Lanyon Valley. The increased volume of quarry trucks raises the risk of road accidents involving young people travelling to and from school, as well as congestion that will affect the daily life of the community.

Environmental and Community Amenity

The quarry site sits close to areas of environmental and cultural significance. Disturbance to local habitats and waterways could have downstream impacts, including sedimentation and contamination of catchments that flow towards the Murrumbidgee River corridor. Visual scarring of the landscape also undermines the amenity of the area, which is valued for its natural beauty and recreational use by families, students, and local residents.

Lanyon High School is not an isolated case: multiple schools, childcare centres, and early learning facilities are located within a few kilometres of the proposed quarry. The combination of air quality, noise, and traffic risks amounts to a significant threat to the safe and effective operation of educational facilities. This proposal places unnecessary additional burdens on young people, educators, and families in our community.

Deficiencies in the EIS

While the EIS outlines mitigation strategies, they remain insufficient and vague in several key areas:
Dust control measures rely on ideal weather and operational compliance without robust independent monitoring.
Noise modelling does not reflect realistic worst-case scenarios of blasting during class hours.
Traffic analysis does not adequately address peak school travel times.
The absence of binding commitments, enforceable penalties, and independent oversight means the community cannot rely on assurances alone.


The Monaro Rock Quarry proposal carries unacceptable risks to health, education, safety, and the environment in the Lanyon Valley. As a teacher at Lanyon High School, I strongly urge the Department to reject this project in its current form. Our community’s wellbeing, and particularly that of our young people, must take precedence over industrial extraction.

I am writing to object the proposed Monaro Rock quarry which if approved, will lie directly behind our property. As indicated by our address, our home is located at 1330 Old Cooma Rd on a battle-axe block. The location of our residence makes us geographically very close to the proposed quarry development, however, our home does not seem to be indicated on any of the maps included in the proposal. I feel this is an important point to bring to your attention.
I have grave concerns for my health, in particular the disturbance of sleep and silica dust. I am the recipient of three heart valve replacements and my ongoing health and current convalescence is one of the main reasons we remain at our property. We also have a large family - six grown children (one of them with high level disabilities) and 16 grandchildren. I fear for their health in relation to the silica dust also.
I would also like to add although access to the proposed quarry are listed as off the Monaro Highway, there will be increased truck traffic along the Old Cooma Rd. I have been advised recently by a roads assessor, that the Old Cooma Rd does not meet the requirements under the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation for use by heavy trucks.

Hello. I would like to express my concerns about the proposal to develop a further quarry (making at least 4) in the vicinity of the Royalla Station Country Estate. I cant believe that it is even being considered given the very close proximity to where people live. I came out here for the lifestyle.

I am very concerned about what impact the quarry will have on my health. The negative health impacts of quarries are well documented and understood. These include the production of fine dust particles which cause silicosis/ lung cancer; respiratory problems; reduced lung functions and airways restrictions; nasal infections; coughs and asthma; and eye allergies, soreness and dryness. Additionally, the dust will cover plants which reduces/prevents photosynthesis.

I am concerned that the quarry will cause the destruction of our pristine environment which is a sanctuary for wildlife; flora and fauna. It is my understanding that we have critically endangered and endangered species here which share their home with us. We already have enough quarries to service the needs of the community. These are not operating at full capacity so any increased demand can be met by increasing production.

I am concerned that the additional traffic movements caused by trucks going to and from the quarry will have a significant impact on noise levels; traffic congestion/delays; wildlife killings and potential motor vehicle accidents.

I am concerned that the operation of the quarry will cause blackouts/brown outs as it draws electricity which residents need to live comfortably.

Operating a quarry requires an immense amount of water. I am concerned that this demand for water will impact the water supply to this area and that contained in the surrounding environment e.g. aquaducts.

Extracting the product will also be very noisy and enveloping.

I am concerned by the lengths to which the quarry owners have gone to in order to have this project approved. Is it really a State Significant Project? The Queanbeyan/Palerang Council did not want it to proceed. Additional activities to that first proposed have been included in the Environmental Impact Statement. For example concrete making and crushing and tar production. I wonder whether these are an attempt to distinguish this quarry from existing quarries! I am concerned that an area zoned to protect endangered species can be altered for financial gain.

I can see no valid reason for the quarry to go ahead, other than to put money in the owners' pockets. If they are sure that the operation of the quarry will be harmless to Royalla and other resdients, I suggest that they set aside monies to cover future contingencies occurring as a result of their activities. An actuary can help calculate what an appropriate amount may be.

Carrolle Colbert