The costs of Canberra’s future development lies in a proposed hard rock quarry in Royalla, New South Wales.
The Monaro Rock quarry project has identified a high quality rhyodacite resource on the border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Monaro Rock is a joint venture between Monaro Mix and Pacific Formwork who have a combined history of 75 years and 250 employees.
Nick Warren, the principal environmental consultant for RW Corkery & Co, which is undertaking the environmental impact statement (EIS), said the proposal has a focus on supporting the local region first.
“As a local company we will be employing local people and seeking supply to the operation from local businesses,” Warren said. “We are expecting to hire between 20 to 30 full-time personnel for the project and additional contractors and suppliers.”
In order to supply predominantly local markets, the project’s EIS is being prepared and has generated a lot of community interest.
Warren added the community has had the expected response to a new quarry in their area.
“We have heard from the people that attended the community information sessions that they are concerned about noise and dust (including silica exposure), blasting effects, potential impacts to aquifers and water using private bores, as well as concerns about local biodiversity,” Warren said.
“The community expressed their preference for transport to access the Monaro Highway directly. People also spoke of their close connection to the community and the reasons they moved to the area including for the rural setting and space available to them.”
These concerns and matters raised in the planning secretary’s environmental assessment requirements will be considered through the technical assessment presented in the EIS.
“We are confident that the physical separation of the quarry from residents [the closest is 1.5km away] and careful planning will ensure that impacts from the project are acceptable,” Warren said.
The proposed resource has the potential to be quarried for an initial 30-year period, with plenty of promise for expansion in the future.
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