EIS 832 ABOI 9543 an Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed

EIS 832 ABOI 9543 An environmental impact statement for proposed quarrying of clay/shale at Bunnygalore near Bowral, New South Wales I L/O/3 I SW DEPT PRIMATY IRDUSTRIES AB019543 H I L. L-.-Y I I I I 'L ©L I I I AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT I FOR I PROPOSED QUARRYING OF CLAY/SHALE AT BUNNYGALORE I NEAR BOWRAL, NEW SOUTH WALES I I Prepared by I I R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty Limited I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ElS 832 BOWRAL BRICKWORKS PTY LIMITED AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED QUARRYING OF CLAY/SHALE AT BUNNYGALORE NEAR BOWRAL, NEW SOUTH WALES Prepared by: On behalf of: R.W. Corkery & Co. Pty Limited Bowral Brickworks Pty Limited Geological & Environmental Consultants Kiama Street P.O. Box 80 BOWRAL N.S.W. 2576 ORANGE N.S.W. 2800 Telephone: (063) 62 5411 Telephone: (048) 61 1333 Facsimile: (063) 61 3622 Facsimile: (048) 61 4156 January 1990 Report No. 141/1 I I 44J:1' ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT, 1979 I SECTION 77 (3) (d) I ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT This Statement has been prepared on behalf of Bowral Brickworks Pty Limited being I the applicant making the development application referred to below. I The Statement accompanies the development application made to Wingecaribee Shire Council in respect of the development described as follows: I Quarrying of clay/shale at Bunnygalore I The development application relates to the land described as follows: Parish Belanglo County Camden Lot 2, D.P. 630269 L The contents of this Statement, as required by Clause 34 of the Environmental I Planning and Assessment Regulation, 1980, are set forth in the accompanying pages. Name, qualifications and address G.J. Summerhayes, B.Sc.,M.Env.Sc. I of person who prepared the P.O. Box 80 I Environmental Impact Statement: ORANGE NSW 2800 Certificate I,Gregory Joseph Suinmerhayes, of P.O. Box 80, Orange, N.S.W., hereby certify that I have prepared the contents of this Statement in accordance with Clauses 34 and 35 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation, 1980. Signature I Date I I RW. CORKERY & CO. FTY LIMITED CONTENTS Page SUMMARY 1 SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 SCOPE 4 1.2 FORMAT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 4 1.3 BACKGROUND OF PROPOSAL 1.4 THE PROPONENT AND THE MARKET 5 1.5 SHALE - ITS PROPERTIES AND USES 6 1.6 MANAGEMENT OF THE INVESTIGATIONS 6 SECTION 2: DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 2.1 OUTLINE OF PROPOSAL 8 2.2 LAND DESCRIPTION 8 2.3 THE SHALE RESOURCE 8 2.3.1 Reserves 8 2.3.2 Quality a 2.4 QUARRYING OPERATIONS 9 2.4.1 Quarring Sequence 9 2.4.2 Quarrying Equipment and Blasting 11 2.4.3 Progressive Rehabilitation and Erosion Sedimentation Controls 11 2.5 QUARRYING RATE AND WORKING HOURS 12 2.6 QUARRY LIFE 12 2.7 SERVICES 12 2.8 TRANSPORTATION 12 2.8.1 Haulage Frequency 12 2.8.2 Haulage Route 13 2.9 EMPLOYMENT 13 R.W. CORKERY & CO. }ry LIMITED II. Page SECTION 3: DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 3.1 TOPOGRAPHY 14 3.2 DRAINAGE 14 3.3 GEOLOGY 15 3.3.1 Regional Setting 15 3.3.2 Project Area Geology 15 3.4 SOILS 17 3.4.1 Soil Description 17 3.4.2 Erosion Potential 17 3.4.3 Value for Rehabilitation 17 3.5 METEOROLOGY 18 3.5.1 Source of Data 18 3.5.2 Temperature 18 3.5.3 Rainfall 18 3.5.4 Temperature Inversions 19 3.5.5 Wind 20 3.6 WATER RESOURCES 20 3.6.1 Surface Water 20 3.6.2 Groundwater 21 3.7 BACKGROUND NOISE LEVELS 21 3.8 FLORA AND FAUNA 23 3.8,1 Introduction 23 3,8.2 Flora 24 3.8.3 Fauna 25 3.9 LAND USE AND LAND OWNERSHIP 29 3.9.1 Land Zoning 29 3.9.2 Land Use 29 3.9.3 Land Ownership 30 R.W. CORKERY & CO. PTY LiMITED In. Page 3.10 EVIDENCE OF ABORIGINAL CULTURE 30 3.11 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS 30 3.11.1 Introduction 30 3.11.2 Population 30 3.11.3 Employment and Services 32 3.11.4 Housing 33 3.12 TRANSPORTATION NEThVORK 33 3.13 VISUAL ASPECTS 34 3.14 SERVICES 34 SECTION 4: OPERATIONAL SAFEGUARDS 4.1 INTRODUCTION 35 4.2 AIR POLLUTION CONTROLS 35 4.3 NOISE LEVEL CONTROLS 36 4.3.1 Equipment Operation 36 4.3.2 Blasting 36 4.4 EROSION/SEDIMENTATION CONTROLS 36 4.4.1 Progressive Rehabilitation 36 4.4.2 Revegetation 37 4.4.3 Drainage/Sedimentation Structures 38 4.4.4 Final Landform 39 4.4.5 Existing Quarry 39 4.5 VISUAL CONTROLS 40 4.6 SAFETY AND BUSH FIRE CONTROL 40 4.7 TRANSPORTATION 40 R.W. CORKERY & CO. FY LIMITED lv. Page SECTION 5: THE PROJECT'S IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT 5.1 TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE 41 5.2 WATER RESOURCES 41 5.3 SOILS 42 5.4 AIR QUALITY 42 5.5 NOISE IMPACTS 43 5.5.1 Introduction 43 5.5.2 Criteria for Noise Assessment 43 5.5.3 Predicted Noise Levels 44 5.5.4 Effects of Meteorology on Noise Levels 45 5.6 IMPACTS OF BLASTING 46 5.6.1 Introduction 46 5.6.2 Assessment Criteria 46 5.6.3 Predicted Blast Levels 47 5.7 ECOLOGICAL STATUS 48 5.8 ARCHAEOLOGY AND PREEUROPEAN HISTORY 48 5.9 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND SERVICES 49 5.10 VISUAL IMPACT 49 5.11 TRANSPORTATION 49 SECTION 6: EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT 6.1 PROJECT JUSTIFICATION 51 6.1.1 Environmental Considerations 51 6.1.2 Economic Considerations 51 6.1.3 Social Considerations 52 6.2 CONSEQUENCES OF NOT PROCEEDING WITH THE PROJECT 52 R.W. CORKERY & CO. FrY LIMiTED I V. I Page I SECTION 7: ENERGY STATEMENT 7.1 BACKGROUND 53 7.2 OPERATIONAL ENERGY REQUIREMENTS 53 7.2.1 Quarrying 53 7.2.2 Transportation 53 7.3 JUSTIFICATION FOR FUEL USAGE 54 I REFERENCES 55 I TABLES I Table 2.1 Quarrying Equipment 11 Table 3.1 Generalised Stratigraphic Column for Sydney Basin 15 Table 3.2 Interpretative Stratigraphic Column for Illawarra Coal Measures 16 I Table 3.3 Mean Daily Temperatures - Moss Vale Post Office 18 Table 3.4 Mean Monthly Rainfall - Moss Vale Post Office 19 I Table 3.5 Fog Frequencies - Moss Vale Post Office 19 Table 3.6 Frost Frequencies - Moss Vale Post Office 20 Table 3.7 Background Sound Level Measurements in the Vicinity of the I Project Area 22 Table 3.8 Mammals Expected to Occur in or near the Sites to be Disturbed During Quarrying 26 I Table 3.9 Ust of Birds Recorded during Fieldwork at the Proposed Quarry Site 27 Table 3.10 Reptiles Recorded during Fieldwork and Additional Species I which may Occur in the Study Area 28 Table 3.11 Frog Species which may Occur in the Study Area 29 Table 3.12 Population and Housing - Bowral and Moss Vale Districts 31 1 Table 3.13 Age by Population - Bowral and Moss Vale Districts 31 Table 3.14 Employment - Bowral and Moss Vale Districts 32 I Table 4.1 Operational Safeguards 35 Table 5.1 Predicted Noise Levels - Quarrying Operations 45 I Table 5.2 Recommended Criteria for Blasting 47 Table 5.3 Predicted Airblast Overpressure and Ground Vibration 48 I fl RW. CORKERY & CO. FlY LIMITED vi. After Page FIGURES Figure 1.1 Locality Plan 5 Figure 1.2 Local Setting 5 Figure 2.1 Site Layout 9 Figure 2.2 Proposed Extraction Sequence 9 Figure 3.1 Topography and Drainage 15 Figure 3.2 Site Geology 15 Figure 3.3 Wind Speed and Direction 21 Figure 3.4 Flora, Fauna and Archaeology 25 Figure 3.5 Land Ownership 31 Figure 4.1 Sedimentation/Erosion Control Plan 38 Figure 4.2 Design Details for Sedimentation/Erosion Control Structures 38 Figure 4.3 Final Rehabilitated Landform 40 PLATES Plate 1 Bowral Brickworks Pty Limited market high quality bricks with a range of colours and textures. 7 Plate 2 Split drill-core from the shale deposit was "firedTM for assessment. The material produces an attractive off-white brick. 7 Plate 3 View from the northern limit of Stage I to the southeast across the extraction area. 15 Plate 4 View northeast along the route of the haul road separating the Stage I and Stage II extraction areas. 15 R.W. CORKERY & CO. FY LIMITED I I I I I I I I H SUMMARY I I I I I - 1 - I I THE PROPONENT Bowral Brickworks Pty Limited has been based at Bowral, New South Wales, since U 1922. The Company is owned by Nevco Nominees, a consortium from West Australia. At its Bowral plant, the Company produces high quality and distinctive dry pressed I and extruded bricks and paYers. The Company is a large employer in the Bowral-Berrima-Moss Vale area currently employing around 75 people in its operations with an additional 8 subcontracted truck I drivers. The Company currently extracts shale from its existing quarry at Bowral and at various other Company owned quarries including its Rockleigh quarry near Belanglo State Forest. The materials from these quarry sources have different ceramic properties and are used to produce bricks of distinctive colours and textures. THE PROPOSAL increasing overburden thickness and topographical constraints have limited the expected life of the Company's existing Rockleigh quarry.

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