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Gunlake Quarries is considering its options following rejection of an application to almost triple production.
The NSW Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) refused the extension on Friday on four grounds.
It found that the company had not sufficiently considered a road network upgrade to account for a “significant increase” in truck movements from 164 to 440 daily, in accordance with Austroad standards.
Further, it had not failed to provide enough information to convince that the extra trucks wouldn’t create a “potential road safety” issue.
Thirdly, there was “insufficient information to allow an accurate and genuine consideration of road versus rail based haulage.”
In a win for residents who strongly opposed the expansion, the Commission found the expansion from 750,000 tonnes to two million tonnes of product annually would have “unacceptable social impacts, including negative road safety outcomes and was not in the public interest.”
The ruling followed a lengthy process, scores of objections and a PAC hearing at Marulan in January.
The Towrang Valley Progress Association, whose president Geoff Pearson spoke at the PAC hearing, has applauded the refusal.
“This is clearly a victory for common sense,” a spokesman said ins statement.
“Towrang Valley locals have said from the start we are not against development, industry or even quarry activity in the area. All we have been asking from Gunlake is that they work with the community to minimise any impacts their quarry has on the local roads, local communities, the environment and even the wider community between here and Sydney.
“The PAC clearly do not support major quarry expansions without the appropriate infrastructure, and nor do we.
“Gunlake has over 90 years worth of product at its quarry. Surely, it can plan for the future, make all reasonable investments in infrastructure in order to protect the local community, and do the job properly.”
The group agreed the project was not in the public interest and held up nearby quarry operator Holcim as a model for community relations and minimised impact.
“We have been trying to find a way to work with Gunlake, to ensure its expansion plans did not damage the local community, for almost two years now. Unfortunately Gunlake were not prepared to work with local community and unfortunately for them, this is the result,” the group stated.
“...TVPG agrees with PACs view that the State Government needs to develop an effective and coordinated transport strategy for moving bulk materials such as quarry product from source to Sydney markets.“
“The PAC found o’ther quarries in the Marulan region transport quarry product by rail into Sydney and that this provides a cheaper ongoing transport option.’ Gunlake’s claim that somehow the opposite applied to them was rightfully rejected by the PAC.”
“The TVPG calls on the State Govt to “set in stone” a requirement that all quarry product from the Towrang Valley now be shipped to Sydney, or elsewhere, by rail.”
PAC defies Department recommendation
The NSW Department of Planning had recommended conditional approval of the Brayton Road project to the Commission and accepted the company’s conclusion that rail transport “was not feasible.”
Moreover, it felt that road improvements and the company’s ‘statement of commitments’ to construct an acceleration lane on the Hume Highway’s northbound lane, from Red Hills Road, were sufficient.
However the PAC’s report stated the Commission was “unable to agree with this conclusion.”
“In addition, the Commission considers that in view of the presence of school bus stops on the primary transport route and the fact that school buses travel along (it), there is potential for a significant transport conflict during school bus movements,” the document stated.
“...The Commission is of the opinion that the potential negative social impacts generated outweigh any potential economic benefits within the locality. This is evidenced by the absence of any commitment by the applicant to adequately upgrade the road to safely cater for the increased haulage traffic, or provide a more robust consideration of rail haulage in light of the total available resource within the project site.”
The PAC also detailed Roads and Maritime Service concerns about “unacceptable driver behaviour on the Hume Highway, directly after emerging from Red Hills Road. The RMS said on “multiple occasions” drivers had accelerated and them merged with highway traffic without leaving sufficient gap.
Gunlake Quarries director Ed O’Neil said the finding was just “another step in a long drawn out process.”
“There are options available for us to consider...We can either appeal or amend the application,” he said.
Despite the Commission’s criticism about the quality of Gunlake’s rail versus road haulage study, Mr O’Neil stood by their substance.
He said the company had devoted two and a half years’ work and $1.5 million to the application to date but acknowledged large projects took time.