The NSW Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) held its hearing at Marulan on Tuesday into Gunlake Quarry’s bid to increase production at its Brayton Road facility from 750,000 to two million tonnes annually. It will mean a maximum 590 trucks travelling the road every day, up from the current 164 vehicles. The company also wants to undertake 24-hour crushing.

Speakers challenged Gunlake to follow in nearby Holcim Quarries’ footsteps and use rail transport instead.

“Gunlake’s production levels will be roughly in line with Holcim’s,” Brayton Road resident Michele Costello said.

“Why should Gunlake be given approval to operate at the same production rate without investing in rail infrastructure, which should be the main transport option?”

The company has discounted rail as unviable. Gunlake’s managing director Ed O’Neil said a consultant’s report had “put the issue to bed.” 

“It’s undebatable and proven that it is economically unviable. It is cost prohibitive and not bankable,” he said after the hearing.

He also rejected residents’ claims a study had been “deliberately” skewed to this conclusion and stood by consultant EMM’s independence and that of other report authors.

The company had discussed shared infrastructure with Holcim but Mr O’Neil said these talks were confidential, at Holcim’s insistence.

Gunlake representatives did not speak at the hearing, saying it was a chance for the community to have its say.

Geoff Pearson, speaking on behalf of the Towrang Valley Progress Association, said people were not against quarries or economic development. Instead they wanted an outcome with which everyone could live.

“It is not about finding the lowest cost (highest profit) options for the proponent. It is about protecting the interests of the community and environment,” he said.

He and several of the other nine speakers cited compromises struck with Holcim over their Lynwood quarry. Mr Pearson argued Gunlake should be spending over $100 million on the project rather than $3.2m.

He appealed to the PAC to scrutinise Gunlake’s consultancy reports on road versus rail, noise, dust and other impacts.

“We believe, given the massive impacts this expansion could have, that it is time some truly independent, objective expert advice was sought to give an accurate and complete picture of costs, benefits and operating alternative options.” 

PAC chairwoman, Lynelle Briggs told the hearing that she and panel members Roger Fisher and Brian Gilligan were meeting with Holcim that afternoon.

Residents feared the expanded operation’s impact on road safety along a bus route, noise, dust, health and lifestyle. 

Mrs Costello said the extra trucks were a “disaster waiting to happen.” She and others told the Commission of “dangerous intersections” along the haulage route and described the company’s pledges for better line marking, guide posts and a reduced 80km/h speed limit as “short-term bandaid solutions.”  

Towrang man, Dennis Isbister, who has a maths and science background, also wanted independent noise studies.

He said he’d been measuring noise from the Gunlake Quarry at his home 5.8km away and the figures “disagreed completely with Gunlake’s.” Mr Isbister claimed he found 13 discrepancies in a consultant’s report. 

Another Towrang resident, Alan Burman, said the community was “not a bunch of ratbags.” They had demonstrated they were prepared to work with the quarry industry.

”(But) this is an impossible and wrong community cost,” he said.

The Commission also heard from Ken Wray, Heather Landow, Maureen Cameron and Margaret Quill and Jean Morrison about community impacts.

Ms Briggs said the panel would make a decision “asap” but might also consult with other stakeholders, which could delay a decision. The NSW Department of Planning has recommended conditional approval, including the 590/day truck limit.

After the hearing, Mr O’Neil said he was confident the project would win “approval of some sort.”

“It’s been a long process – two and a half years – and everyone has had their say,” he told The Post.

Mr Pearson said the PAC had a vital role to play.

“They have the ability to engage independent experts to provide an objective view,” he said.