Sancrox Quarry Expansion Project

Submission attached outlining basis of my objection to the proposal

I DO NOT wish to see this project approved based on
1/ This quarry is near its original life expectancy to end and have been anticipating this, also this project is not a extension on the current but a new mine with extra activities put in it being a crushing plant, concrete batching plant and asphalt production plant running 24/7.
2/ This company owns other high quality deposits in this area as well and a new quarry has recently been approved near this deposit, this is another option to pursue.
3/ Hanson states that it will not affect or impact any existing local land uses, this is a huge mistruth and one of many out of there EIS, my home is on the south west boundary side of the proposed pit on Le Clos SANCROX road and other houses are within 300 meters and very easily be subjected to noise, dust, vibration and smells, no mention of the high speed rail proposal that goes through the middle of the pit, no mention of the fact that it will be situated on medium to high use koala habitat, no mention is made of the fact a key Endangered Biological Community Corridor identified in previous investigations of the Greater SANCROX Area runs through the middle of the new quarry.
4/ 43 hectares of native vegetation is to be cleared and that The Greater SANCROX Area Structure Plan ( Port Macquarie Hasting Council, 2014 ) identified the land as medium to high koala habitat. Recently the Draft Coastal Koala Plan Of Management 2018 (CKPOM ) produced by PMHC identifies the area as core Koala habitat.
5/ This multi national company cannot be trusted with there environment record being fined $ 15,000 by the EPA in 2016 for breaches of water management operational obligations. ( Refer EPA 24/03/2016 )
6/ Increased truck movements 24/7 will be detrimental to local road conditions and safety, also my sister has already been hit by a quarry truck.
7/ There is a significant residential development proposed very close to the extension of the mine boundary that will put it close to homes. These residential developments are very important to the Port Macquarie region and is a sought after area for living, they should not be put at risk by this development of a new Quarry, (Mine).
8/ How can the mitigation measures be truly affective and based on what ? I have been previously employed at a hard rock mine as a blast hole driller and am fully aware of the impacts and what they can have with a pit proposal this size.
9/ The future of the Greater SANCROX Area to provide a suitable clean residential living precinct will be highly impacted by this development proposal.

We object to the removal of 43 hectares of habitat for fauna and flora, especially in the light of the recent severe bushfires. These fires have burnt through hundreds of thousands of hectares and have resulted in the deaths of many animals and the loss, permanent in some cases, of habitat for threatened fauna. We ask that this development be rejected. Port Macquarie Hastings Council has rightly voted for a pause on this development. The attachment below outlines our objections.

See attached letter of objection

Due to Koala Habitat being destroyed - which is identified as medium to high activity koala activity, would be devastating.

Pleas find my submission in opposition to the Sancrox Quarry Expansion Project

Attention: Director - Coal and Quarry Assessments
Planning and Assessment
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
GPO Box 39, Sydney NSW 2001
Re: Public Submission for SSD – 7293
Name: Frank Dennis
Address: 319 Plomer Rd, Port Macquarie, 2444
Applicant: Hanson Construction Materials Pty Ltd and Application No: SSD – 7293 Sancrox Quarry Expansion Project
I submit my objections to the above development application.
Appended as PDF document

I wish to submit my objection to the above development application. The following submission has been lodged already and I fully agree with the content and support the statements. The proponent’s application and EIS is inaccurate and flawed. I believe that any and all of my submissions below are just reasons for halting this development and the application should be rejected.

Attached is my submission.
Also attached are pics of our property adjoining the proposed site and pics of our horticultural operation.

Please see attached Submission.

A mining project of this size is not appropriate for the location.
In the many years since the quarry was first commenced, the growth in residential population of Port Macquarie has been significant, to the point where the quarry in its current operations is surrounded by newly-developing residential property and tourism-related businesses.
A small increase in the size of the current quarry should not cause too many problems, but this proposal is to triple the size of the existing quarry and increase its operation to 24hrs per day with all the accompanying adverse impacts on local residential amenity.
There are issues with water supply and the potential impact on groundwater that are not adequately addressed by the EIS.
There are massive environmental problems that the EIS does not adequately address - including the proposed destruction of up to 60Ha of core kola habitat in a significant regional wildlife corridor. Our local koala population and its habitat has been decimated since the recent bushfires, and more loss of habitat will have disastrous long-term impacts on the local koala population.
A large mine with concrete batching plant and bitumen manufacturing facility operating 24hrs per day is not an appropriate development to be located right in the middle of the fastest growing residential area in one of the fastest growing regional LGA's in NSW.

Please refer to my attached PDF file for submission

I object to the proposed Sandcrox Quarry expansion for a number of very important reasons.

At a time when we are seeing the completely unsustainable rate and scale of land clearing, and the local area has been so devastated by fires this year already, we cant afford to lose the trees and habitat at Sandcrox. The proposed clearing of 43.1 Hectares of Koala Habitat is unacceptable and would have such a devastating impact on threatened ecological communities.

The Port Macquarie region is expanding rapidly. This development is in the Sancrox area, approximately 6km west of Port Macquarie, which is undergoing significant residential development that will be directly affected by the increased environmental impact of this quarry expansion.

The Sancrox area has already had a substantial increase in noise (24/7), due to the upgrading of the highway to a motorway. Despite noise mitigation measures, the rural ambience is already reduced and any extra noise generation, especially at night, will only make it worse.

Finally, the process of this development approval is not acceptable and the fact that State Governement, not Local Council, assess this Development Application is very inappropriate and concerning. On 20.11.19 Councillors of PMHC unanimously agreed on their own URGENT Submissions to the State Government highlighting very serious issues including:

lack of transparent consultation with the broader community;

indequacy and lack of integrity of the Environmenal Impact Statement and

community concerns with multiple aspects of the proposed project


Sincerely

Lauren Edwards

Submission attached

Submission attached

Please see attached submission

Submission attached.

Port Macquarie is undergoing a phase of extreme urbanization causing the loss of wildlife habitat at alarming rates. In addition to this, the recent bushfires have put an unprecedented pressure on local wildlife populations. This emergency will not be abating any time soon. Therefore, to be proposing the clearing of 43.1 hectares of native forest vegetation, 0.55 ha of which is identified as the threatened ecological community Subtropical coastal floodplain forest, NR117 (DA, Annex C), just when wildlife are in dire need of refugia from human and natural disasters seems very shortsighted.
The proposed quarry will once again cut into the regions already heavily compromised native vegetation corridor connectivity. A death of a 1000 cuts seems to be Port Macquaries legacy if we don’t stop this unfettered exploitation of the region.
The suggestion that this real and tangible habitat in the Sancrox area can be bulldozed and somehow ‘off-set’ or mitigated by paying into a fund is beyond farcical. Once this habitat is gone, its gone. No amount of offsetting will change that. In addition, it is recorded in the Biodiversity assessment report many hollow baring trees will be destroyed within the Spotted Gum - Grey Ironbark open forest association. This does not fall within the offset area, as such there seems to be no provision to consider the loss of hollow bearing arboreal habitat.
The 24/7 operational schedule seems to be punishing for wildlife and residents alike. The already stressed surviving fauna, post bulldozing, will be subjected to the noise, dust and light pollution of a busy quarry everyday of the year for the next 30 years. An insult to injury that will certainly change the areas fauna for ever.

My husband and I purchased acreage and built our family home in Sancrox in 1987 and have enjoyed a peaceful, rural lifestyle for the last 32 years.

The quarry has not been a concern since its establishment, and with the surrounding forest, we have rarely noticed its impact on the local area. However, due to the topography of the land between the highway (and existing quarry) and our property, 7 kms away, on the rare occasions when Cassegrain Winery hosts a musical function we have definitely been impacted by the noise. Hence my deep concern at the prospect of expanded 24 hour quarry operations, seven days a week in addition to the additional proposed concrete batching and asphalt production plants. Given that there are existing plants in the region, which already supply these materials, I fail to understand why such an expansion should be considered necessary at all.

Of greatest concern to me is the impact on the native vegetation and habitat in this area. Over the past 30 years, I have seen the gradual destruction of much native forest vegetation, with large amounts of land recently denuded for the construction of the Pacific Motorway. While I acknowledge the necessity of some development, the Greater Sancrox Area Structure Plan has identified the land to be cleared as medium to high activity koala habitat.

We observed the impact on the local koala habitat during the construction of the motorway with a significant increase in koalas moving to a small pocket of forest near us. We fear that this area will be insufficient to sustain the increased numbers that may have to migrate due to the proposed quarry development, with the consequent destruction of over 43 hectares of native forest vegetation.

I am sure you have received submissions detailing many studies which describe the impact not only on koalas but other native vegetation and wildlife, however as a long term local, I can testify as to the actual real impact of these developments. In addition, given the severe and prolonged drought in our area, and the subsequent catastrophic fires in large areas of native vegetation on the Mid North Coast, I do not believe we should legitimately sacrifice further habitat, when other options are available.

While I acknowledge that there is an “Ecosystem Credit” system paid by developers to offset the recognised destruction of our local native vegetation and the habitat of our local threatened species should this development be approved, this will not help our local flora and fauna after the permanent destruction of their native environment.

Please see the following attachments
1. Cover letter Sancrox Quarry Objection
2. Beaumont Certificate of title
3. Report of King & Campbell (the following attachments refer to this report) "McMullen Submission"
4. "Attachment 1 - Aerial Proposed Quarry"
5. "Attachment 2 North West proposed Quarry"
6. "A3 Except Biolink Sancrox Eco Assessment 2011"
7 "Attachment 4 Groundwater Investigations"
8. "Photos McMullen Land drainage"