Multiquip Quarries ABN: 44 101 930 714 Environmental Assessment for the Modified “Ardmore Park” Quarry Project Via Bungonia, NSW July 2008 Multiquip Quarries ABN: 44 101 930 714 Environmental Assessment for the Modified “Ardmore Park” Quarry Project Via Bungonia, NSW Prepared for: CEAL Limited T/as Multiquip Quarries Telephone: (02) 9606 9011 ABN: 44 101 930 714 Facsimile: (02) 9606 0557 PO Box 4 Email: [email protected] AUSTRAL NSW 2171 Prepared by: R.W. Corkery & Co Pty. Limited Geological & Environmental Consultants ABN: 31 002 033 712 Brooklyn Office: Orange Office: 1st Floor, 12 Dangar Road Suite 15, 256 Anson Street PO Box 239 ORANGE NSW 2800 BROOKLYN NSW 2083 Telephone: (02) 9985 8511 Telephone: (02) 6362 5411 Facsimile: (02) 9985 8208 Facsimile: (02) 6361 3622 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] July 2008 Ref No. 625/04 R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED MULTIQUIP QUARRIES - ii - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Modified “Ardmore Park” Quarry Project Copyright Report No. 625/04 This Copyright is included for the protection of this document COPYRIGHT © R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited 2008 and © Multiquip Quarries 2008 All intellectual property and copyright reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1968, no part of this report may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system or adapted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty. Limited. R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - ii¡. MULTIQUIP QUARRIES Declaration Form Modified "Ardmore Park" Quany Project Report No. 625/04 Declaration Form for the submission of an Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared in accordance with the Environmental Planning andAssessment Act 1979 (Part 3A - Section 75). (a) EA prepared by: name: Robert William Corkery qualifications: M.Appl.Sc, B,Appl.Sc(Hons) address: Level 1, 12 Dangar Road BROOKLYN NSW 2083 (b) Project Approval application by: applicant name: Multiquip Quarries applicant address: PO Box 4 AUSTRAL NSW 2171 (c) Address/land details Project Síte: 5152 Oallen Ford Road - Lot 24, DP 1001312 Public Roads; Oallen Ford Road, Mountain Ash Road, Jerrara Road Bungonia By-pass: Lot 2, DP 735523, Lot 82, DP 750022, Lots 7005 & 7006, DP I 002591 (d) Project Outline The modified "Ardmore Park" Quarry would incorporate an extraction area of approximately 46.8ha, with additional disturbance associated with the construction of processing areas, water management structures and an internal road network increasing the overall area of disturbance to 61.Oha. The basalt is sufficiently friable such that no blasting would be required to break / fracture the rock for removal, with the sand and basalt extracted by ripping, excavating and loading. The ripped and removed raw materials would then be transferred to either a crushing and screening plant (basalt), mobile dry screening plant (sand) or washing plant (sand) for processing. Multiquip is seeking project approval to produce up to 400 000tpa of sand and hard rock products, the exact proportion of each to be determined based on the extraction sequence and market demand. All quarry products would be despatched by road and Multiquip would upgrade those public roads to be used to meet the desired standard of Council (3.5m pavement width with a 0.5m sealed shoulder) and construct a private by-pass road of Bungonia Village to the same standard. Multiquíp also proposes to import through the backloading of trucks delivering quarry products, Virgin Excavated Natural Material (VENM), typically comprising clay and shale excavated at construction sites, to assist in the rehabilitation of the final landform. lt is anticipated that for the initial 4 to 5 years of the project, VENM importation would be limited to 20 000tpa, increasing to up to 130 000tpa during the final years of the project life. Environmental Assessment: The assessment of environmental impacts of this Project includes the matters referred to in Director-General's Requirements provided to the Proponent on 23 January 2008 under Section 75F of lhe Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. (e) Declaration: l, Robert William Corkery, hereby declare that I have overseen the preparation of the contents of this assessment and to the best of my knowledge: o it has addressed the Director-General's requirements as provided by the Department of Planning on 23 January 2008; o the assessment contains all available information that is relevant to the environmental assessment of the Project; and o the information contained in the document is neither false nor misleading. Signature: Name: o^rc, 22 dr,-L-xT 2noÔ R. w. ..RKERY & co. PrY. LrMrrED @ MULTIQUIP QUARRIES - iv - ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Modified “Ardmore Park” Quarry Project Report No. 625/04 This page has intentionally been left blank R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - v - MULTIQUIP QUARRIES Contents Modified “Ardmore Park” Quarry Project Report No. 625/04 CONTENTS Page Page DECLARATION FORM...............................................iii 2.2 RESOURCES ...............................................2-3 2.2.1 Introduction .....................................2-3 SUMMARY...............................................................xvii 2.2.2 Sand................................................2-3 2.2.2.1 Exploration Drilling SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION Results ...........................2-3 1.1 SCOPE .........................................................1-3 2.2.2.2 Laboratory Testing and Petrological 1.2 DOCUMENT FORMAT .................................1-3 Studies ...........................2-6 2.2.2.3 Sand Resources.............2-9 1.3 THE PROPONENT .......................................1-6 2.2.3 Basalt ............................................2-10 1.4 BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT.............1-7 2.2.3.1 Exploration Drilling Results .........................2-10 1.5 OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT.......................1-8 2.2.3.2 Laboratory Testing 1.5.1 Objectives .......................................1-8 and Petrological 1.5.2 Need for the Project ........................1-8 Studies .........................2-10 1.5.3 The Application Areas.....................1-9 2.2.3.3 Basalt Resources .........2-11 1.5.3.1 Project Site.....................1-9 1.5.3.2 Transport Route ...........1-11 2.3 DESIGN OF THE PROPOSED 1.5.4 Overview of the Project.................1-11 EXTRACTION AREAS ................................2-12 1.5.5 Approvals Required ......................1-13 2.3.1 Introduction ...................................2-12 2.3.2 Geological Factors ........................2-12 1.6 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2.3.3 Environmental Factors ..................2-13 PRINCIPLES...............................................1-13 2.3.4 Design Features within the 1.6.1 Introduction ...................................1-13 Extraction Areas............................2-13 1.6.2 Background...................................1-13 2.3.4.1 Sand Extraction Area ...2-13 1.6.3 Approach to Sustainable 2.3.4.2 Basalt Extraction Area..2-15 Development Principles ................1-14 1.6.3.1 Introduction ..................1-14 2.4 SITE ESTABLISHMENT .............................2-15 1.6.3.2 The Precautionary 2.4.1 Introduction ...................................2-15 Principle .......................1-14 2.4.2 Preparatory Activities ....................2-15 1.6.3.3 Social Equity: Intra- 2.4.3 Project Site Entrance and and Inter- Internal Roads...............................2-16 Generational Equity......1-15 2.4.4 Hardstand Areas ...........................2-18 1.6.3.4 Conservation of 2.4.5 Acoustic Bund Walls .....................2-18 Biological Diversity 2.4.6 Water Storage and Settling and Ecological Dams.............................................2-19 Integrity ........................1-15 2.5 EXTRACTION OPERATIONS.....................2-19 1.6.3.5 Promotion of 2.5.1 Introduction ...................................2-19 Improved Valuation, 2.5.2 Extraction Area Design .................2-20 Pricing and Incentive 2.5.3 Vegetation Clearing.......................2-20 Mechanisms.................1-15 2.5.4 Topsoil Stripping and 1.6.4 Ecologically Sustainable Use Stockpiling.....................................2-21 of Natural Resources ....................1-16 2.5.5 Overburden Removal ....................2-22 1.6.5 Multiquip’s Approach to 2.5.6 Sand Extraction.............................2-22 Sustainable Development 2.5.6.1 Extraction Methods.......2-22 Principles ......................................1-16 2.5.6.2 Extraction Sequence ....2-23 1.7 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2.5.6.3 Extraction Rate.............2-27 AND DOCUMENTATION............................1-16 2.5.7 Basalt Extraction ...........................2-29 1.7.1 Environmental Management 2.5.7.1 Extraction Methods.......2-29 and Documentation.......................1-16 2.5.7.2 Extraction Plan .............2-30 1.7.2 Environmental Documentation......1-17 2.5.7.3 Extraction Rate.............2-30 2.5.8 Mobile Equipment .........................2-30 1.8 MANAGEMENT OF INVESTIGATIONS ......................................1-18 2.6 PROCESSING OPERATIONS, PRODUCTS AND STOCKPILES ................2-30 2.6.1 Introduction ...................................2-30 2.6.2 Sand Products...............................2-31 SECTION 2 – PROJECT SITE 2.6.2.1 Introduction ..................2-31 OPERATIONS