SSD 6395 - Bobs Farm Sand Mine Project

I disagree with the Sandmine due to its adverse affect on the
environment, fauna and flora.

The adverse affect on residents in Bobs Farm.

The adverse affect on traffic and air pollution on Nelson Bay Road.

I do not see any benefits of having a Sandmine. In the area.

I strongly object to this proposal. Two reasons:
1. Trucks causing road hazards and increased congestion. The trucks
from the Anna Bay quarry and the Salt Ash quarry/mine are already a
major hazard on the roads and demonstrate the danger to suburban
traffic that will INCREASE if this proposal goes ahead. This will add
to the heavy vehicle traffic and cause further hazards and congestion.
A truck full of sand and gravel is SCARY and NOISY and the proposed
volume of traffic is outrageous.
2. We need more families to live in and visit Port Stephens. NSW Govt
needs to encourage city people to decentralise to regional centres but
those regional centres need to be appealing in some way to lure people
out of the cities. Our major industry is tourism - people are drawn to
the area because of its natural beauty and the ease of movement on our
roads. This proposal will devalue the natural beauty and put pressure
on roads making them unsafe. The landscape will be damaged beyond
repair, creating impacts across many ecosystems.
Overall and in summary this proposal demonstrates that the voices of
the residents near current quarries and mines have not been heard by
government, which is a concern in itself. Surely the protests from
Salt Ash residents have demonstrated the clear issues at stake and the
flagrant disregard that operators have for their neighbours. Learn
from past mistakes, do not repeat them. Look for job creation in other
industries, that do not devalue our natural resources, endanger lives
on our roads and create an unpleasant environment for visitors and
residents.

This plan is a step in the wrong direction for Port Stephens in a number
of ways. We should be preserving the natural environment in Port
Stephens for our own benefit rather than selling it for a short term
profit. Our environment is valuable and provides sustainable
employment opportunities in the future. Once it has been destroyed
there is no turning back.
NO SAND MINE.

I am opposed to this project due to the destruction of native habitat and
old growth forest. The silica dust is a hazard as is the increase in
large truck traffic on Nelson Bay Road.

As the owner of a local business which will be within six hundred meters
of the proposed sand mine, I feel this mine will have a devastating
impact on our business, my family, our employees and our local
community.
As a Farm Stay accommodation business our "clean green" image is vital
in attracting guests to our farm, guests who are looking for a farm
experience for their children away from the noise, traffic, dust,
pollution and technology of city life.
As one of only a very few hands on farm stay businesses remaining in
NSW, we are very proud to have educated thousands of children over our
18 years in operation, given them an experience of farm life and
teaching them where their food comes from.
With over 4000 local, interstate and international guests staying on
our property each year we are 100% reliant on the pure clean
underground water which is obtained from the ancient sand dunes for
human consumption, washing and animal needs. If this bore water was to
be contaminated or reduced in anyway our business would simply not be
viable and would be forced to close. The flow on effect of our closure
would also impact greatly on many other local businesses that are
frequented by guests staying at our property.
This mine will create havoc on our local roads, especially Marsh Rd
which is the main entry / exit point for a majority of Bobs Farm
residence.
Marsh Rd adjoins Nelson Bay Rd at the base of a sweeping bend within
an 80km zone, it would be impossible for trucks to pull out onto
Nelson Bay Rd safely without major road modification works taking
place which is not proposed. Whilst trucks are waiting for enough
space to pull out on to Nelson Bay Rd the bank up of other sand trucks
and local traffic behind will be considerable.
Finally, and the most disturbing, it is proposed for trucks to exit
the sand mine next to our local country school every three minutes,
where even currently if the odd truck does go past the teachers have
to stop teaching as the children are unable to hear over the truck
noise and shaking of the demountable class rooms.
Our little school of 40 children including our own from kindergarten
to year 6, a school which this year celebrated its 100-year centenary,
a school which is the heart and soul of our local community deserves
to be left as a peaceful, safe sanctuary for children's learning.


Kind Regards
Callum and Mel Mercer
Kookaburra Farm Stay
564 Marsh Rd, Bobs Farm NSW 2316

I am opposed the this proposed sand mine due to the adverse effects on
the local environment and the extreme increase in the number of truck
movements daily on Nelson Bay Road.

I am registering my opposition to the sand mine at Bobs Farm for
ecological reasons snd especially due to the traffic route involved.

I ask the council to put the land, including flora and fauna, and people
before profit.

By looking after the land we are looking after ourselves and our
future.

I oppose sand mining at Bob's Farm.

I am strongly opposed to further sand mining in the Bobs Farm area.

Nelson Bay Road is already at peak capacity during rush hours and
holiday periods and a further 180 truck movements per day are
unacceptable.

At present many sections of Nelson bay road have not been duplicated
and serious accidents on this road could leave residents of Nelson Bay
and surrounding suburbs isolated for extended periods.

Port Stephens is a tourist destination attractive because of its
natural environment. Mining projects would affect the attractiveness
of the area both by further congesting roads and the clearing of
natural bushland.

The Port Stephens area is one of the few remaining koala habitats and
all bushland needs to be protected and preserved for future
generations which rely on us to pass on environmental integrity. The
rate of species loss in Australia is escalating at an unacceptable
rate and it behoves us to protect and preserve what remains at every
opportunity.

I am opposed to the proposed sand mine at Bob's Farm. As a resident of
Port Stephens, I am opposed to the increased heavy traffic impact and
a range of the environmental impacts (threatened species and habitat,
air quality, water quality and land degradation) that will occur if
the proposed sand mine goes ahead.

I am opposed to the proposed sand mine at Bob's Farm. As a resident of
Port Stephens, I am opposed to the increased heavy traffic impact and
a range of the environmental impacts (threatened species and habitat,
air quality, water quality and land degradation) that will occur if
the proposed sand mine goes ahead.

I would like to submit an objection to the proposed sand mine. As a Port
Stephens resident, I understand the increased truck activity would
impact not only the local environment, but the safety and access for
residents and visitors. The proximity to the primary school is
unacceptable, and should be at the forefront of any decisions.

We have enough trucks on Nelson Bay Road as it is. I have been privy to
several incidents involving these trucks coming out of several
driveways up and down Nelson Bay Road. Trucks coming out of Gan Gan
Road, driveway just north of the Anna Bay service station, Janet
Parade, from Oakvale Rd, sandmine exit just north of Paul's Corner,
even Lavis Lane road. Constant all day every day except Sundays and
dangerous, they just turn out/pull out in front of you. How much sand
is already being taken from Stockton Night. Does the Port Stephens
Community know the extent of sand that is leaving this sacred
indegenous area? On a windy day following these trucks sand is blow
everywhere. Isn't mining 15ft below acquiring the fine lung damaging
sand? Do we need another sand mine in between 15 properties and a
primary school which all will be directly affected. I thought there
was a truck weight limit on Marsh Road?. Will Marsh Road be used as an
exit/entry point? My son hears the trucks now at his school and can
feel the rumble of his classroom due the current activity of trucks 8m
away in the driveway next to him. This entry point is already a tight
squeeze and very unsuitable for trucks entering and exiting. This
school is historical and providing amazing education to children that
feel safe and confident at a small school. What about the big salty
lake void that will be left that will manifest insects and mosquitos?
How will the water table and tides of the creek be affected by this
dramatic change to the land. I strongly oppose and hope that
independent investigations do happen along with a visit by the
relevant parties to see for yourself how environmentally unsuitable
this proposal is. Too many families and the general community are
directly affected by this proposal, their lifestyle and physical and
emotional health. PLEASE CONSIDER NOT GRANTING THIS LUDACRIS PROPOSAL
IN THIS AREA PLEASE.

I am absolutely horrified at the extent of sand mining in Port Stephens.
Home of some of the most ancient sand dunes. These should be preserved
forever!!
Ecological consequences can never be reclaimed.
The impact of trucks on Nelson Bay Road is already bad enough - the
only way in to the Tomaree peninsula.
Bobs Farm primary School directly impacted and would need to be closed
down due to it's proximity to the site.

I am writing to voice my opposition to the proposed Bobs Farm sand mine.
Beside my general disappointment with the continued raping of Port
Stephens land by others for short term profit, my opposition is also
based primarily on the following two points:
1) The negative environmental impact of yet another sand mine in the
Port Stephens area. Regardless of the volumes of data published by the
"consultants", there can only be negative impacts on the flora and
fauna as they are currently doing just fine without heavy equipment
and scores of trucks forever changing their surroundings and homes.

2) The impact of an additional 180 very large trucks per day on the
roads, roaring past an elementary school and disrupting the learning
process on their way to Nelson Bay Road. As someone who travels Nelson
Bay Road every day to and from work, I have already witnessed, and
experienced, close calls with cars turning east onto Nelson Bay Road
from Marsh Road and I can only imagine the increase in hazards from an
additional 180 large trucks per day turning at this intersection.
Furthermore, it is only a matter of time before some of the more
unscrupulous drivers decide the extra 9.9 kilometres to the Port
Stephens Drive roundabout turnaround and back (Yes, I've measured it)
is too much effort and start turning west across the east bound lanes.
It's not illegal and will only be company policy as long as it's not
causing too much of an impact on their bottom line earnings.

Furthermore, I encourage you to spend a few hours on Nelson Bay Road
observing the behaviour of some of the current sand truck drivers with
regards to right of way at roundabouts, improperly covering their
loads which allows sand to blow onto other vehicles and a general
disregard for smaller vehicles (This is not to say that the majority
of the drivers aren't courteous, but it only takes a few bad apples
behind the wheel of such large vehicles to cause more mayhem on our
roads).

More sand trucks on Nelson Bay Road is a terrible and dangerous idea. The
current rate of sand trucks on Nelson Bay Road are already a nuisance
due to the their size and the fact that the roadway from Nelson Bay to
Newcastle is still only a single lane for several kilometers. These
trucks lose a constant stream of sand that blows all over the road and
other cars. And not to mention what impact more sand removal has on
the already shifting sands and the environment. It takes thousands of
years for Mother Nature to create the sand dunes that hold our shores
and these mining companies are simply raping the land. It's a
disgrace. Suggestions should be made to encourage recycling of old
concrete to make new sand.

The Bobs Farm Sand Mine EIS
states that the proposed development is ecologically sustainable. I
dispute this as the EIS states the project, over its life will
completely destroy the existing native forest, the majority of the
site, and farm leaving a permanent water filled hole over about three
quarters of the site. This obviously fails the precautionary test of
not doing serious damage to the environment and the inter generational
equity test as it does not conserve the health and diversity of the
environment. Proposed offsets are not detailed so we have no way of
knowing if they are in any way adequate. The EIS plays down the impact
on groundwater, particularly on the nearby National Park. It is
impossible to believe that a hole of around 27ha in size has minimal
impact. Likewise, the effects of noise, dust and heavy truck traffic
will likely have a serious impact on the quality of life of nearby
residents and proposed methods of alleviation will be inadequate.

I am opposing the proposed Sand Mine at Bobs Farm

Being a resident for nearly 40 years, my wife and myself (Brian, a
former councillor on Port Stephens Council, 1991-1995 & 1999-2004) are
aghast at the thought of the proposed sand mine in Bobs Farm for the
following reasons:-

1) The mine does not fit with the rural landscape and current rural
zoning and natural environment of the area.
2) The mine does not comply with the protection of ground waters when
it is expected to mine 15m below natural ground level in an area with
extensive black acid sulfate soils.
3) The mine would be out of character with the remaining natural,
heavily-wooded forests in what we call the well water-draining sand
hills.
4) To witness the proposed entrance point off Nelson Bay Road and the
exit adjacent to Bobs Farm Primary School is not only ludicrous but
extremely dangerous at both locations.
5) The mine would increase enormous, dangerous traffic conditions for
commuters with yet more and more heavy sand trucks on Nelson Bay Road
with more than 750,000 tonnes per year.
6) The current owners of the site illegally cleared the natural
vegetation to plant olive trees, and then had Port Stephens Council
approve this illegal activity with a retrospective DA. (Brian recorded
name against the approval during second term.)
7) The current owners can't be trusted to abide by any Conditions of
Consent and would want to mine more than the prescribed Conditions of
Development Consent.
8) Some members of the public and myself feel that there has already
been illegal mining of sand at this property.

https://issuu.com/emmakateelder/docs/bobsfarmcomingsoon

Please withhold my name (as per privacy options)
Regardless of whether the RMS have supported the application, my main
objection is to the safety of road users on Nelson Bay Road and around
Bobs Farm Public School. I object strongly to having to share the Port
Stephens Drive roundabout with sand trucks doing U turns at this point
as this roundabout is used by thousands each day and to the unwary
coming from Nelson Bay would not expect a sand truck to be turning in
front of them. I also object to the way sand mines have been approved
right along Nelson Bay Road without any account being taken of the
cumulative effect of so many approvals on the road. This road should
be upgraded to a full haulage road at the very least. The safety of
schoolchildren at Bobs Farm and the noise effect on their schooling is
totally unsatisfactory. The amount of area involved in this mine,
regardless of what it may turn into in the years to come, is far too
large to lose for wildlife habitat.