THE approval of a hard rock quarry at Eagleton/Balickera has left a local environment group “shocked and dismayed”.

Last Monday the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved a state significant proposal by Eagleton Rock Syndicate Pty Ltd for the development of a new hard rock quarry to extract, process and transport up to 600,000 tonnes a year of hard rock material over a 30-year period.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

The project was first proposed in 2017.

The decision was referred to the Commision after the development received 67 objecting submissions.

The Commission found the proposed site on Barleigh Ranch Way, Eagleton, twelve kilometres north of Raymond Terrace, to be “suitable for a hard rock quarry given its hard rock resources, topography, avoidance of major environmental constraints and access to the regional road network”.

The existing Seaham Quarry is a few hundred metres north of the site, with facilities including a landscaping centre, car racing circuit, motocross track and paintball centre located to the east.

Several rural residential dwellings and a respite centre are located just over a kilometre to the south.

There are also several rural residential dwellings to the north and north-east of the site along Italia Road and adjacent to the Wallaroo State Forest.

According to a report by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), the quarry will “primarily supply hard rock products to the Hunter, Central Coast and Sydney construction markets”.

“Owing to the project’s potential for amenity impacts on nearby residents, noise and air quality were key assessment issues for the Department,” the DPHI report stated.

“Due to the proposed road haulage of quarry products and concerns over the use of the Italia Road intersection with the Pacific Highway, impacts on the safety and efficiency of the road network was another focus of the Department’s assessment.

“Lastly, given that the project proposes the clearing of remnant vegetation within the Grahamstown Dam drinking water catchment, impacts to biodiversity and water resources were also key assessment issues for the Department.”

In early June, several community groups and individuals made presentations to the IPC, including Port Stephens Councillor Giacomo Arnott, who fronted the Commission as a member of the public.

Mr Arnott told the Commission he had been contacted by local residents “in their droves” over the proposal.

“I recognise the economic imperative for rock-related products,” he said.

“The State and Federal Governments are going bonkers with their housing targets and infrastructure projects, all of which need rock-related material.

“What isn’t clear, though, is that local residents and road users should bear the brunt of Sydney’s population crisis through completely unreasonable impacts on local roads.

“Locals deserve to feel safe when they drive through our suburbs, on residential roads, and onto the M1 Motorway.

“This proposal will have a grave impact on road safety, both on Italia Road and on the M1 Motorway.”

The Commission said it “acknowledged the concerns raised by members of the community” but found the impacts of the development could be “mitigated through strict conditions of consent”.

“These include conditions setting strict noise, blasting and air quality criteria which the applicant must comply with for the life of the project,” the Commision said.

“The applicant must also offset biodiversity impacts, including by establishing a Biodiversity Stewardship Site covering an area of 60.83 hectares of land within its land holding adjoining the southern and eastern portions of the site.”

In planning documents, DPHI admitted the project would result in a “range of impacts on biodiversity through the disturbance of 32.03 hectares of native vegetation”, including habitat for the threatened koala and Southern Myotis. However, the department stated the project had been designed to “avoid, mitigate and manage biodiversity impacts where practicable”.

The decision to approve the quarry has drawn the ire of environment and conservation group EcoNetwork Port Stephens.

“The approval was made in the absence of transparent consideration of the project’s strategic, social and conservation implications in the context of the other nine hard rock quarries operational or proposed within a 25 km radius in our rural hinterland area,” EcoNetwork spokesperson Nigel Waters said.

“The consequence of this decision will result in the natural and social amenity of Balickera further compromised.

“The Eagleton Quarry Project will contribute to the loss of habitat essential for the survival of a number of threatened species, including our iconic koala.

“Time will tell about the impacts of another quarry in our Grahamstown water catchment.”

In April, EcoNetwork released a paper calling on the NSW Government to create a strategy which considered the cumulative impacts of new and expanding quarries in the Port Stephens, MidCoast and Dungog local government areas.

For example, Mr Waters said the combined traffic impacts of multiple hard rock quarry developments could compromise the community’s ability to “safely use and access” the Pacific Highway.

“Simply stated, the road infrastructure to accommodate the massive increase in haulage vehicles is not in place, yet quarry approvals are taking place.

“We recognise the requirement for construction materials and call on government to properly plan for such supply.

“Without consideration of the cumulative impacts that extensive hard rock quarry development in our region will cause, we face an inevitable destruction of the environmental attributes we so greatly value and need.

“We will continue to call on our political representatives to urgently address the big picture of hard rock quarry expansion in our region, and work with rural communities to protect our natural and social assets.”

By Doug CONNOR