Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has added its voice to those opposing a proposed quarry in south-east NSW. Photo: Gunlake Quarry.
Community advocates cheered and clapped as Queanbeyan councillors voted to lobby the State Government against a planned quarry.
They were at the meeting to hear Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council unanimously vote to oppose a proposal from Monaro Rock.
The company wants to open a quarry at a site near Royalla in south-east NSW to mine hard rock.
Documents prepared during an environmental assessment process state that the quarry would use contemporary drill-and-blast open-cut development methods, while trucks would access the quarry through an intersection with the Monaro Highway.
Several advocates spoke in the meeting’s public forum, calling on the council to oppose the proposal in its submission to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
One Royalla resident teared up when describing her fears to councillors, saying it was unsuitable for the area and it would be “ripped apart”.
“We need help,” she said.
Another resident said he and his family would move from the area if the quarry were given the green light despite health concerns, such as the effects of silica dust.
“I live to the south-east of this [proposal] … I am not going to risk my family and their lives.”
During discussion, Councillor Ross Macdonald said that while QPRC needed to consider various factors when deciding whether to support a project, none were satisfied in this case.
“In my assessment, the net negatives far outweigh those of benefit [from the proposal] … the economic benefit is in fact a negative.
“There may be specific and individual economic benefits, but to our region and to a community, I would argue that the economic benefit is not there.”
Concerns around the area’s suitability for the proposal were echoed by Cr Katrina Willis, who put forward an amendment to see QPRC explicitly object to the proposed quarry and request a public hearing be held.
Cr Willis said the proposed quarry was too close to homes and farmland, risked damaging sensitive ecological sites (including Aboriginal artifacts), and its noise and dust would represent a health risk.
“This change in character from rural landscape and environmental conservation to industrial precinct is acknowledged in the EIS [environmental impact statement] documents,” she said.
She said further consideration should be given to the project’s planned use of water, pointing to climate change impacts, the risk of runoff into local creeks, and impacts on local groundwater.
“[This] seemed not to have been considered — this is a serious omission because of the high volume of water the project proposes to use and the current trajectory of climate change.”
Cr Bill Waterhouse said Royalla’s infrastructure would be affected by the quarry’s operations, which risked damaging local roads.
“The change from the original plans of a quarry to what is, in essence, an industrial park is inexcusable,” he said.
“I think it’s just a little bit naughty.”
Cr Mareeta Grundy raised the issue of whether the council needed to strengthen its wording in the amendment.
“We’re talking about the bureaucrats that read these things, and I think it’s important that they get the message loud and clear that we’re not happy as a council,” she said.
In response, a staff member said the council could word its objection as it wished.
“Your submission is a political submission, and it can express whatever level or degree of passion that you wish … If there’s anything else [the council wants to say in its response], we’re happy to make those tweaks,” she said.
“It won’t diminish your submission, I think, in the eyes of the people that are assessing it.”
During the meeting, Mayor Kenrick Winchester said the council’s supplementary report on the proposal was expected to raise land zoning concerns, biodiversity impacts, changes to traffic, the visual impacts and air quality effects.
He also encouraged community members to have their say, thanking those who had already lodged submissions with QPRC.
“If you’re here tonight [at the meeting], if you spent time sending us an email, you obviously care very much about it,” he said.
“Make sure you put in your formal submission.”
As the proposal has been designed as a State Significant Project, it is being assessed by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (rather than QPRC).
Further information about the proposal is available on the NSW Planning Portal’s website.
