The state government has given the go ahead for a Marulan district quarry's expansion, following a lengthy assessment.
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The NSW Environment and Planning department signed off on Gunlake Quarry's continuation project on March 2, subject to numerous conditions. Road safety improvements to facilitate a significant increase in truck numbers are key provisos.
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The facility's operators welcomed the decision, after almost four years.
"The high quality of our quarry and concrete products has seen increasing demand in both the greater Sydney and local regional markets and this approval will allow Gunlake to meet future demand requirements," the company said in a statement.
"Gunlake would like to thank all those who have been involved in the planning process. We look forward to continuing to provide significant local employment and strong economic and community investment for many years to come, as well as supporting NSW' ongoing economic growth.
The Brayton Road quarry, 7km northwest of Marulan, sought to increase its production from 2.6 million to 4.2 million tonnes of hard rock annually. It also applied to increase truck numbers on its primary transport route from a maximum 295 in each direction daily, to 375 laden inbound and outbound vehicles daily, over 30 years. It's a 27 per cent increase.
The plan sparked community controversy and calls for the company to construct a rail spur for its Sydney bound product. Residents said some sections along the secondary haul route, taking in Brayton and Ambrose Roads and linking up with the Hume Highway, were "death traps" and required vast improvement.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council also called for safety upgrades, including culvert widening and lane delineation in its response to the application.
The bid attracted 57 public submissions, including 33 objections and 21 in support.
With traffic and transport as a key concern, the Department commissioned an independent peer review.
"The department considers that the increased number of heavy vehicles associated with the project is unlikely to result in an unacceptable impact to the local road network capacity or intersection performance along the primary transport route," the assessment stated.
However its conditions dictate that before any production increase, five culverts be widened, delineation measures such as line marking, provision of a three-metre clear zone and safety barriers be undertaken. Further, damage at the Red Hills Road and Hume Highway intersection must be repaired and measures implemented to stop trucks cutting the corner.
Residents had complained about the latter aspect. They also called for a climbing lane on Ambrose Road but the department agreed with Gunlake's report that this was unnecessary given the "low volume of non-quarry related traffic."
The department also agreed with Gunlake that rail transportation wasn't a "viable option."
"The department accepts that significant challenges exist for rail-based options...(and) that the nature of Gunlake's business, which involves transporting product a relatively short distance to dispersed locations mostly in the Sydney metropolitan region, means the project would be unviable if (the company) were required to use rail...," the report stated.
Residents, like Ken Wray, argued that rail was a must, given several expansion approvals for the quarry.
The current approval requires the company to review "all reasonable and feasible options" for product transport within five years and every 10 years thereafter.
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Other conditions include:
- A maximum two blasts per week, as is the current regime, and noise limits;
- Property protections, including acquisition rights and relocation compensation for one identified affected landowner;
- The option of independent review for any landowner who considers noise, blasting or air quality criterion have been breached;
- A traffic management plan
- Road contributions payable to Goulburn Mulwaree Council at a rate of 0.0531 cents per km/tonne.
"The department acknowledges that there are some community concerns regarding the project, including but not limited to impacts on safety and the efficiency of the local road network, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and noise impacts," the report stated.
But it concluded that "substantial" economic benefit would flow to the region and state through product supply for the construction industry. The quarry is supplying material for construction of Sydney's second airport.
Net production benefit was estimated to be $74 million and a total 228 people would be employed, an increase on the current 90 jobs.
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