Personally I have health problems and the added amount of dust, potentially silica dust is concerning. Please find another hill to dig up, somewhere where it not going to have such an impact on us all.

I strongly oppose the Monaro Quarry project. This development poses serious health risks, increases noise pollution, and will create significant traffic congestion in our community. Many residents—including children, families, and the elderly—live nearby and will be directly impacted. Our community deserves a safe, healthy, and peaceful environment, not one compromised by industrial activity.

I object in the strongest possible terms to this proposed quarry and associated rock crushing, concrete recycling and hot asphalt manufacture.
In 2003 we purchased our block (zoned rural residential), designed and built our home and landscape. We are south east and in close proximity to the proposed project.
Issues of major concern are: social and economic; health and wellbeing; traffic; and biodiversity impacts.

Social and economic Impacts. The lifestyle we have built will no doubt be significantly affected by noise, dust, and vibrations. Of great concern is the use of water by the project. We share a bore (we are not permitted a dam) with two other neighbours. We have spent around $9,000 in updating and maintaining the bore. We rely on the water for horses, gardens and firefighting. Having no, or significantly reduced, access to the bore water would no doubt lead to unsustainable living conditions. These impacts can only produce a great risk of decreased house and property values. In other words, impacts on our economic future.

Health and wellbeing impacts. I am gravely concerned about the health risks of silica dust, noise, vibrations, and odour which would be produced as part of the project. The proposed site is too close.

Traffic. At present, anecdotally, the Monaro Highway already reaches full carrying capacity especially with the large increase in traffic in the snow season. The addition of a significant number of heavy vehicles daily as proposed, could create a 'black spot" in road usage and potential accidents.

Biodiversity. The potential loss of habitat, of which there are over 300 species of flora and fauna at this site , appears to contradict the NSW Government's commitment to strengthen prescriptions in the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code.

I am concerned that my family, community and environment will be impacted by the proposed quarry. As a resident of Theodore, and a former environmental consultant; my family and I object to the proposed quarry for the following reasons to which I believe are to be true:
1) High risk of silica and other airborne contaminants: Appendix C Human Health Risks Assessment concludes that dust will prevented from leaving the site based on assumptions of adherence to simple dust management strategies dot pointed in the report. I believe this is based on some sort of trust that the operators will adhere to these dust management strategies every day, all day for the life of the project. I contacted Monaro Rock Quarry via email published on their proposal website for any questions. I asked if there will be new processing equipment used with dust suppression built in and not the use of old second hand equipment. To my knowledge I have had no response. I have concerns if this project can be undertaken in an environmentally responsible and compliant manner. What type of compliance enforcement will there be imposed if any? I also have concerns that the NSW EPA may not be able to of enforce adequate compliance to any environmental obligations imposed on the operator as the EPA typically focus on light handed education not robust enforcement.
2) No air quality monitoring program presented for review: In the conclusion of Appendix C Human Health Risks Assessment it states 'It is assumed that an air quality monitoring program would be part of the air quality management' Assumed? A proposed monitoring program should be an obligation and not to have a proposed monitoring plan for review I believe should be a reason to refuse this project.
3) Atmospheric Inversions already having high levels of pollution: The Tuggeranong valley and Canberra region is known to have atmospheric inversions that trap pollutions low to the ground. There is was an ACT enquiry into smoke risk from home fire smoke trapped in these layers with environmental risks raised by the Conservation Council outlined in (https://conservationcouncil.org.au/blog/2025/09/04/wood-heater-phase-out/). I could not find in the EIS if there was any study of the dynamics’s of these inversion layers. However, the conclusion of Appendix C Human Health Risks Assessment in Paragraph 4 acknowledges existing pollution as a factor. However, I believe adding to existing pollution risk is unacceptable and suggesting that existing pollution is higher than what would be introduced by the quarry deliberately downplays the increased accumulative risk added by the quarry.
4) There is no need for a new quarry in the region: There are multiple other quarries in the region with no supply reason or economic case for the new quarry, especially considering the significant environmental and safety risks that the quarry in my belief could potentially expose workers, surrounding residents and environment to. I have searched the internet and can't find if this company runs other quarries elsewhere and what their record is. Therefore I have concerns that the company may not have prior experience operating a quarry and ability to manage associated environmental and safety risks.
5) Quarry location on the border of ACT and NSW: The proposed location on the border is a juristically problematic issue. I have concerns on how the NSW and ACT EPAs and Work Safe organisation's will manage compliance, breaches, complaints, incidents etc. regarding the quarry operations and activities offsite and what will the mechanism for ACT residents to raise concerns, complaints etc.
6) Blasting near residential areas: Having blasting within 3km of long established suburbs of Canberra is unacceptable, not only from a noise prospective but the from dust (including potential silica risk) from blasting. I could not find in the conclusion of the Appendix C Human Health Risks Assessment how dust from the blasts will be managed.
7) Infrastructure not suitable: In my option the roads in Canberra and Queanbeyan council areas are completely unsuitable for increased truck movements. The intersection with Monaro highway and Johnson Drive, Theodore ACT I believe is completely unsuitable for increased truck and dog combos. The ACT Government in my option is incapable of improving this intersection which is already dangerous from over use, lack of maintenance, at capacity by regular traffic and not easy for navigation by any truck types.

Your consideration of my objection would be greatly appreciated.

I formally object to the proposed quarry. I formally request that this proposal be reviewed by the NSW Independent Planning Commissioner. Please see attached objection.

I have attached a Word file - Submission to NSW Planning re MONARO ROCK QUARRY.docx

To the NSW Department of Planning,
I am writing to formally object to the Monaro Rock Quarry Project (SSD-27223807) in Royalla.
The Environmental Impact Statement fails to adequately address the significant risks this quarry poses to our community. The proposed 200 daily truck movements on the Monaro Highway will create unacceptable traffic hazards. Furthermore, the long-term health impacts of airborne silica dust on local residents and children are a major concern. The project's disruption to groundwater resources and sensitive ecosystems, including the habitat of the pink-tailed legless lizard, is simply not worth the cost. This project is a detriment to our environment, our safety, and our community's well-being. I urge you to reject this application.

My home is approximately 3 kilometres from the site of the proposed quarry, as the crow flies. I have lived here for over twenty years. I live here with my wife, one son and two grandchildren. My other children and grandchildren visit frequently. I share the concerns of my neighbours that the proposed quarry and other associated industrial processes will impact our health and quality of life. I have read about cancer clusters around comparable quarries in Australia.

My most pressing concern is the potential effect on our health and that of our community. I have read about the effects of respirable crystalline silica and, in particular, how long particles may remain airborne. I have also read the risk assessment and the proposed mitigation strategies for the Royalla Quarry. In my view, the proposal underestimates the risk and the mitigation strategies, even if closely adhered to (which they almost never are), will not assist homes in Royalla and surrounds. The proposal has modelled meteorological conditions in Isabella Plains in the ACT. In my 20 years experience in Royalla, and a further 20 years in Tuggeranong before that, Royalla is much windier and i would expect RCS to be carried much further than the proposal suggests. The proposal's claims require close scrutiny for that reason alone. Royalla (and similar communities nearby) are peculiarly vulnerable to RCS because we all rely on tank water. There are no measures (and no viable measures are suggested in the proposal) that would protect our water supply from RCS blowing onto our roofs, and into our dams, springs and ground water. Based on my reading, the quarry will put the community's health at significant risk.

I am also concerned about noise and odours and use of groundwater associated with the three distinct heavy industrial processes proposed for the site.

I am also concerned about the effect of additional heavy vehicle traffic on the Monaro Highway and associated roads. I note that the traffic modelling for the proposal appears to have been based on 2021 data, at a time when traffic was especially light due to COVID travel restrictions.

The risks to our community are out of all proportion to the stated economic benefits to NSW, which as described in the proposal are modest, at best.

To allow this process would be an intolerable breach of faith by the NSW government to people who live in this community.