Mod 2 - Production Increase

I am in favour of the increased capacity and expansion of the East Guyong
Quarry. With the increasing high demand of quarry products in the
industry, it is essential that this quarry increases its production
capacity to achieve future demand. Expanding the existing extraction
area will also improve the current design and improve the safety of
the Hanson staff.

As a member of the team at the East Guyong Quarry, I believe it is
necessary to make these modifications to the quarry extraction area in
order to keep its workers safe.

The increase in tonnage per year would not only help to boost the jobs
within construction and infrastructure, but the local economy as a
whole.

The plans outlined in this submission are a critical part of our futures
as employees and also critically important to making our quarry safer
with the pit modifications. This is something we are all passionate
about. Improving the efficiency and production output. A prosperous
quarry has a positive domino effect for the community In my opinion.
From the benefits to employees to the building of our local community.

This sounds like an excellent proposal. With all governments (National,
State and Local) continuing to support new / expanded infrastructure
projects, extensions and access to raw materials is critical in
keeping the ongoing costs of projects as low as possible and not be an
additional burden on the taxpayers.

The proposal has two completely separate parts. Firstly is the extended
extraction area and related bunding and vegetating. From the
application documentation, this appears to be primarily a safety issue
and is something with which I have no issue.
However, the second issue relates to a 50 percent increase in annual
production and the consequential increase in traffic movements. The
Mitchell Highway between Bathurst and Orange is , at certain times of
the working day, an extremely busy road for a regional highway. There
is no reason that the traffic volume will decrease. Since the
establishment of the East Guyong Quarry there have been many serious
traffic incidents on the highway, sometimes resulting in a fatality. I
should point out that, to my knowledge, none of these accidents have
involved any vehicles related to Hanson. The serious incidents and the
almost daily minor episodes are almost exclusively related to poor
driver behaviour. It appears that the highway is treated by most as
simply a thoroughfare between the two cities of Orange and Bathurst
and they object to anything that causes them to need to pause or to
slow down. They have no respect or courtesy for people who are living
along the road, conducting businesses, catching school buses or
turning onto or entering from a connecting road or driveway. They
certainly do not care for the Hanson trucks as they leave and return
to the quarry.
It is my belief that a significant increase in truck movements on this
road will also cause a significant increase in risk to motorists. I
would suggest that to mitigate this, if it were to be allowed, would
require substantial changes to the entering and exiting lanes that
currently serve the quarry and also an accompanying public education
program to remind drivers on this road that homeowners and businesses
such as Hanson do exist and need to be able to carry out their daily
activities without fear of abuse or being involved in a traffic
incident. I envisage that this campaign would initially involve the
use of the media but would also involve permanent signage to guarantee
long lasting value.
Please be assured that this submission is neither trivial nor
motivated by anything other than a desire to keep the road as safe as
possible.
Thank you.

See Attached.