Kariong Sand and Soil Supplies Facility

To:
Planning Services
NSW Dept of Planning and Environment
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001
Attn: Director - Industry Assessments
Relating to:
Application no: SSD 8660
Location: 90 Gindurra Rd, Somersby
(Lot 4 DP 227279)
Applicant: Davis Earthmoving & Quarrying P/L
Council Area: Central Coast
Consent Authority: Minister for Planning or
Independent Planning Authority

Dear Sir,
I am objecting strongly to this Application no. SSD 8660 being
approved for our community for all of the following reasons:

1. It will involve the excessive dumping of urban construction
and demolition waste (like crushed concrete and
disused bitumen, not just sand and soil) within the
nearby Somersby Business Park where the other
legitimate small and medium enterprise (SME) business owners do not
care to have a garbage dump put next to their legitimate businesses.
Why can't the applicant carry out a thorough survey of the attitudes
of Somersby Business Park owners towards an industrial rubbish dump
put in their Park before this application proceeds?

2. It will involve having a 200,000 tonne crushing and
waste management facility which will border rural properties
and lies within 50 meters of family homes there. This would be totally
out of character with the Somersby area's farming nature and the local
natural environment. Why can't the applicant survey the owners of the
local rural holdings as to their attitudes towards an industrial
rubbish dump put close by their properties before this application
proceeds?

3. Gindurra Road and the other local access roads
from the M1 are most unsuitable for more than 200 trucks
per day travelling over them past local front doors of houses and
small businesses. This will cause a) vastly increased traffic
congestion for the residents as well as b) unbearable noise and
vibration for them too. Acoustic barriers will help but will likely
prove insufficient for the local residents. Why can't the applicant
obtain from Central Coast Council an estimate of the immediate and
ongoing cost of upgrading these roads to withstand the burden of so
many trucks as well maintain the amenity of access for local
residents, businesses and visitors?

The traffic survey (1 hour on 1 day) carried out so
far for the applicant is extremely limited in scope
and proves to be completely unreliable for future planning. Why can't
the applicant carry out a much more comprehensive survey of the effect
of much more realistic traffic volumes on these inadequate roads?

4. This development will definitely lead to seriously
reduced air quality for nearby residents and animals
due to the inevitable presence of silica dust (a
carcinogen) from the planned operations there. You
must be aware of the established future risks of
silicosis and lung cancer (like mesothelioma) from
breathing in silica (respirable alpha-quartz) dust
from crushed concrete, not just some arbitrary limit
but any amount of respirable crystalline silica.
There is no cure for silicosis. Where is the applicant's forecast
medical evidence that this amount of silica dust will definitely not
have long-term deleterious effects on local residents and farm
animals?

5. This facility is planned to be sited not just near
family homes but also within 100 meters of Riding
(horses) for the Disabled, 300 meters of the Juvenile
Justice Centre (boys from 16-21yo), 600 meters from
Mt Penang Gardens (visitors), 700 meters from Kariong
Mountains High School (boys and girls from 12-18yo)
and 1200 meters from Kariong township near where I live.
North-westerly winds will carry this air pollution
and noise over all these nearby places, risking long-term
damage and very likely incurable afflictions. South-easterlies will
carry the air pollution over the Somersby fruit-growing area. If
cities like Sydney have bad air pollution days, why won't this rural
community suffer from a constant 24/7 facility spewing such pollution
out over residents, farm animals and natural vegetation?

6. Asbestos has already been found on the applicant's
site. The risk of airborne asbestos generated from
the applicant's earthworks and causing incurable
asbestosis for workers and nearby residents is
totally unacceptable. What measures have been undertaken to totally
remove this asbestos before the applicant does any more work on the
site?

7. There is already a shed on the site twice the GCC-approved
size. The height, size and bulk of the
proposed facility (the hardstand) will be a visual
eyesore and quite out of character with the
surrounding forest and farming landscape with its
rural residential blocks.

8. The stockpiling of industrial waste on the site
will likely produce offensive and disagreeable smells
for local residents and recreational users. What guarantee is there
that the planned industrial waste to be processed or stored there is
completely non-putrescible?

9. This site at 90 Gindurra Rd is close to the top of the local
watershed in a sandstone region with numerous springs. What measures
will be put in place to ensure that there will be no overland or
underground runoff carrying both soluble and insoluble water waste
into the local catchments on either side?

10. The locality of Somersby is currently a tourist
attraction for visitors to Somersby Falls and the
well-known Somersby Reptile Park, and so a nearby
crushing / waste-dumping plant has no attraction for
visitors passing by. Have you checked with the Central Coast Visitor
Centre (see visitcentralcoast.com.au) about the deleterious effect on
local tourism of a large industrial waste management plant put in the
middle of their region?

11. Clearing the northern part of the site will
destroy 1.5 hectares of habitat of the endangered
pygmy possum and a rare prostrate Hibbertia plant species,
which contradicts the Central Coast Council's
professed desire that land use planning and
development be sustainable and environmentally sound in the LGA. Has
the conservation of these two endangered species passed muster with
the Gosford Local Environmental Plan 2014?

12. Hundreds of Aboriginal archeological artefacts,
products of prehistoric aboriginal workmanship, are
found throughout the Somersby area and clearing this
whole site will likely destroy what remains of this
art there. Has the Darkinjung Aboriginal Council (which holds proposed
and surveyed rural residential property nearby) been consulted about
this wilful destruction of aboriginal relics?

13. The Central Coast Council's plan for its region
proposes a Southern Economic Corridor (a Draft Somersby to Erina
Corridor Strategy) stretching from
Somersby to Erina with significant capacity for
economic growth in employment and infrastructure
along it. However the strengths the Council is
looking for in this Somersby area are in warehousing and
logistics in a productive natural environment, not dumping industrial
waste on an unsuitable site. How will an industrial waste dump here
fit in with this Strategy?

14. Siting a Resource Recovery Waste facility on this
site will severely reduce the surrounding house and
land values of Somersby residents causing them great
dissatisfaction with this development and stress with the approval
process in the medium-term should this application be allowed to
proceed.

15. This application promotes a "Resource Recovery"
operation, but it is nothing of the sort. Virtually
the whole of the material will be buried in storage bunkers, not
recovered or on-sold after the crushing. This particular site
is utterly unsuitable for a worthwhile, sustainable
and long-term solution to urban industrial waste
disposal and the applicant needs to look further
afield for a suitable site for its business, not anywhere in
the Somersby area.

I hope you will consider these 15 objections closely and carefully.
After talking to other people about this proposed development, I
cannot find any useful or redeeming feature of the proponent's
application.

Please reject this application.

Yours sincerely


PS. I have read the terms of the privacy statement.
Please delete my personal information herein and
withhold my name from the list of submitters before
any online or print publication. I have not made any
political donation of any kind with respect to this
objection or to any party whatsoever.

Reduced air quality due to silicosis dust, causing cancer risk,
throughout the Somersby, Kariong and Gosford areas. This goes against
councils Future Vision Document (L1 - promote healthy living and
advocating `Getting out and about in the fresh air'
200+ trucks per day causing traffic congestion, noise and vibration to
local residents
Offensive smells caused by stockpiling of industrial waste
The risk of asbestos becoming airborne with earthworks on the property
as asbestos is present on the site
Possible destruction of Aboriginal artefacts
Destruction of 1.5 hectares of the endangered Pygmy-Possums habitat.
Contradicts Local Councils future vision (I3 - ensure land use
planning and development is sustainable and environmentally sound and
considers the importance of local habitat, green corridors, energy
efficiency and stormwater management)
Reduction in land value throughout the Somersby, Kariong and Gosford
areas due to this Resource Recovery Waste Facility in the area
Having a 200,000 tonne per annum waste management and crushing
facility bordering rural properties and within 50m of family homes,
100m from riding for the disabled, 300 metres from the Juvenile
Justice centre, 600-900 metres from Mt Penang parkland and Kariong
High School and 1200 metres from Kariong township, causing air quality
risk and increased truck traffic. Totally out of character for the
rural living nature of the natural environment.
The height scale and visual bulk would be a visual eyesore and out of
character with surrounding forest landscape and rural properties

I believe this is an inappropriate development for the site as it is very
close to residential, educational, and working area and will adversely
affect the well being of local families, workers, and students. The
proposed processing of material will produce dangerous airborne
particles, create excess noise, and generally disrupt the peaceful and
amenable harmony that currently exists and defines the area. Somersby
is a wonderful blend of living and working environment, but this
proposed development is a bridge too far and too great a risk in
severley damaging that special environment.

I have strong concerns regarding the following, particularly for those in
closer proximity to site, including residential areas,
preschools/other schools and farmland in the vicinity:
* Noise
* Odour
* Significant increase in heavy vehicle traffic
* Reduction in property value
* Possible destruction of areas of Aboriginal significance and/or
areas which are environmentally sensitive

Whilst the above points are of great concern, I am EXTREMELY CONCERNED
for the wider area regarding the damaging effects on health caused by
silica dust as a result of concrete crushing and also possible
asbestos contamination which may be contained in older concrete to be
processed at the site. The dangers of asbestos are well known and the
Cancer Council of Australia's website mentions that "there is no
evidence to support a safe level of silica dust exposure". Safe Work
Australia and other government sources also acknowledge health
concerns as a result of exposure to silica dust. Having lived in
Kariong for the past 24 years, I know that the Kariong/Somersby
plateau is a windy area and the spread of silica and asbestos dust as
a result of concrete crushing, both locally and for the wider area, is
therefore of great concern for all those in this area.

In addition, reputational damage for the local and wider Central Coast
area, well known for attracting tourists who come to see the beautiful
scenery and other attractions, seems likely if the area becomes known
as somewhere that processes waste from other areas.

I believe this type recycling facilty is something Central Coast needs.

It will save a lot of unnecessary waste from going to landfill and
will put back into the community as a usable product.

We have a landscape supply business based on the Central Coast which
only uses recycled products and have to import them from Sydney or
Newcastle.

After speaking with them I can see that they are putting in extreme
measures to ensure that it will not effect the local community.

This development proposal is absolutely ludicrous. It is a potential
disaster for the local community and the environment. It is time we
had Government who put the community's interests and well being first
before that of greedy developers and big business.

There is no valid reason why this Development Application should ever
be approved. People's health is at risk for reasons that should be
obvious to anyone with even an ounce of common sense and intelligence.

Put simply this proposed upgraded facility will be in an unsuitable
and inappropriate location.

The Central Coast has promoted tourism heavily for many years, and
this waste facility would be a poor choice for this area.

All development applications MUST take into consideration the safety,
health, well being and quality of life of those living in and around
the local area.

All too often we see developments approved that must have been the
result of people in Government being bribed by developers. We need a
Royal Commission to investigate what has been approved over the last
five years here in NSW.

Take a close look at the website https://www.savesomersby.com.au and
ask yourselves how this Development Proposal has any benefits for
ANYONE other than developers or those with self-interests.

There is enough information here to throw this application out
FOREVER!!!

In recent times I have seen our way of life continue to deteriorate as
a result of developments that should never have been approved.
Obviously backhanded payments were made to gain approval for projects
that do more harm than good for the community.

Greed has no limits, greed is fueled by more greed and to this there
is no end. It is about time you people govern for the people.

To summarise this DA is inappropriate for the local community and
surrounding area. The website that I quoted will provide you with many
valid reasons why this proposal should NEVER go ahead in this area.

There is obviously a strong need for a facility of this nature, but it
should be In a more suitable location that will not be detrimental to
people's health and well being.

I object to the application because the dust from the subject property
will contain silica which is injurious to residents and people working
in the area in which the property is located. The EPA does not do dust
monitoring at all or sufficiently for the protection of the health of
people living and working in the surrounding area.

This project is way to risky for the community and the pollution and
waste will be in the area for many decades. This is not in the
interest of the Central Coast residents and future generations.

Silica dust is harmful when inhaled into your lungs. As it is 100
times smaller than a grain of sand, and no guarantees can be given
that it won't be released into the atmosphere.

This is wrong to establish in an area full of wildlife and native
bushland. Also there are residents in Somersby that are at risk of
breathing the Silica dust.

Reference websites:
https://www.cancer.org.au/preventing-cancer/workplace-cancer/silica-dust.html

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I have attached my submission.

As a young resident of the Central Coast, I am disgraced that this plant
is being put in my local area. I have grown up here and I always
intended to stay but now I'm not so sure. The toxic waste from this
plant could have a detrimental effect on the health of the people of
the Central Coast. The silica dust that could be released has been
linked to lung cancer, do we really need more cancer in the world? NO.
As well as the silica dust there is also the risk of asbestos dust
entering the air and we all know the effect of that. It's going to
affect local schools and residents, including the Riding for the
Disabled Association and Kariong High School. How can we let this
happen to our local area? We can't. I don't want other people my age
being exposed to this kind of toxic material. I don't want to live in
an area where our government is allowing toxic waste from this plant
(or any other for that matter) to enter our waterways and our airways
too. It's just not acceptable. It's disgraceful.

See attached

See attached submission letter

Submission attached.

See attached PDF