COOMA ROAD QUARRY CONTINUED OPERATIONS PROJECT Response to Submissions January 2013 Prepared by Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited on behalf of Holcim Australia Pty Limited Project Director: John Merrell Project Manager: Kirsty Davies Report No. 2992/R08/Final Date: January 2013 Newcastle PO Box 3024 75 York Street Teralba NSW 2284 Ph. 02 4950 5322 www.umwelt.com.au Cooma Road Quarry Response to Submissions Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................ 1.1 1.1 Cooma Road Quarry Continued Operations Project ...................... 1.1 1.2 Summary of Issues Raised in Submissions.................................... 1.3 1.3 Report Structure ................................................................................ 1.4 2.0 Response to Agency Submissions ......................................... 2.1 2.1 Office of Environment and Heritage ................................................ 2.1 2.2 Environmental Protection Agency ................................................... 2.1 2.2.1 Operational Noise ........................................................................................ 2.1 2.2.2 Hours of Operation .................................................................................... 2.12 2.2.3 Construction Noise .................................................................................... 2.13 2.2.4 Blasting Limits ........................................................................................... 2.14 2.2.5 Air Quality Impact Assessment .................................................................. 2.14 2.2.6 Surface and Groundwater Assessment ...................................................... 2.15 2.2.7 Waste Processing...................................................................................... 2.15 2.3 Heritage Council of NSW ................................................................ 2.17 2.4 NSW Resources and Energy (Mineral Resource Branch) ............ 2.17 2.5 Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority ...................... 2.17 2.6 Roads and Maritime Service ........................................................... 2.19 2.7 Department of Primary Industries .................................................. 2.21 2.7.1 Agriculture NSW ........................................................................................ 2.21 2.7.2 Fisheries NSW .......................................................................................... 2.21 2.7.3 NSW Office of Water ................................................................................. 2.21 2.7.4 Catchment and Lands - Crown Lands ........................................................ 2.25 2.8 Queanbeyan City Council ............................................................... 2.25 2.8.1 Quarrying Techniques ............................................................................... 2.25 2.8.2 Hours of Operation .................................................................................... 2.25 2.8.3 Surface Water Resources .......................................................................... 2.27 2.8.4 Air Quality.................................................................................................. 2.28 2.8.5 Biodiversity ................................................................................................ 2.29 2.8.6 Traffic ........................................................................................................ 2.29 2.8.7 Noise and Blasting ..................................................................................... 2.32 2.8.8 Visual ........................................................................................................ 2.34 2.8.9 Waste ........................................................................................................ 2.35 2.8.10 Hazards ..................................................................................................... 2.36 2.8.11 Proposed Rehabilitation Monitoring and Maintenance ................................ 2.36 2.8.12 Statement of Commitments ....................................................................... 2.37 2.8.13 Environmental Management Plan .............................................................. 2.37 2.8.14 Traffic Impact Assessment ......................................................................... 2.38 2.8.15 Recommendations ..................................................................................... 2.39 3.0 Response to Community Submissions .................................. 3.1 Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2992/R08/Final January 2013 i Cooma Road Quarry Response to Submissions Table of Contents FIGURES 1.1 Cooma Road Quarry Existing Operations ............................................... 1.1 1.2 Cooma Road Quarry Continued Operations Project............................... 1.2 1.3 Conceptual Proposed Infrastructure Area ............................................... 1.2 2.1 Day, Evening and Night-time Wind Roses for Summer .......................... 2.4 2.2 Day, Evening and Night-time Wind Roses for Autumn ........................... 2.5 2.3 Day, Evening and Night-time Wind Roses for Winter ............................. 2.6 2.4 Day, Evening and Night-time Wind Roses for Spring ............................. 2.7 2.5 Wind Roses for 6am to 7am period of the Night-time ............................. 2.8 2.6 Potential Visibility of the Proposed Infrastructure Area ....................... 2.34 PLATES 2.1 View of Cooma Road Quarry – Intersection of Kings Highway and Hills Lane .................................................................................................... 2.34 2.2 View of Cooma Road Quarry – Intersection of Kings Highway and Thurralilly Street ........................................................................................ 2.34 APPENDICES 1 Revised Statement of Commitments Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2992/R08/Final January 2013 ii Cooma Road Quarry Response to Submissions Introduction 1.0 Introduction This document has been prepared in response to a request from the Director-General of the Department of Planning and Infrastructure in accordance with section 89G(e) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (EP&A Act) that Holcim (Australia) Pty Limited (Holcim Australia) prepare a response to the submissions raised during the public exhibition period of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cooma Road Quarry Continued Operations Project (the Project). The EIS for the Project was exhibited from 1 November 2012 to 10 December 2012. This report outlines Holcim Australia’s response to the submissions made on the Project. 1.1 Cooma Road Quarry Continued Operations Project The Project will involve extending the life of the Cooma Road Quarry to enable the extraction of the remaining hard rock resources within the currently approved extraction area over a period of 20 years. In addition, the extraction boundary will be extended to the north to provide access to approximately 4.5 million tonnes (Mt) of additional fresh and weathered granite resources (refer to Figure 1.1). Holcim Australia also propose to increase the production capacity of the quarry from 1 Mtpa to 1.5 Mtpa to allow the quarry to meet predicted future peak market demands to support the planned future growth and development of the Canberra and Queanbeyan regions. Approval is also sought for the following: relocation of the existing workshop, truck parking and temporary stockpiles; addition of a mobile pug mill; allowance to receive quarry materials from other sites for crushing and screening (as required) and then sale. Total product (including from both material quarried from the site and from materials imported to the site) will be maintained within the total production limit of 1.5 Mtpa; construction of surface water management system components (including the proposed Eastern Dam); and recycling of concrete on site for re-use as product. The Project represents a continuation of the existing quarry operations, with quarry operations remaining substantially the same as those currently undertaken at Cooma Road Quarry. A summary of the key components of the Project compared to the existing operations is provided in Table 1.1. A detailed description of the proposed changes is provided in the EIS. Umwelt (Australia) Pty Limited 2992/R08/Final January 2013 1.1 Cooma Road Quarry Response to Submissions Introduction Table 1.1 – Comparison of Approved Cooma Road Quarry Components and the Proposed Project Major Project Currently Approved Cooma Proposed Project Components Road Quarry Quarry Life Quarry operations to cease Based on current quarry plans and October 2015. market forecasts, an additional 20 years of quarry life until 2035. Limits on Production 1 Mtpa 1.5 Mtpa. Quarry Footprint As shown on Figure 1.1. Extension of quarry pit to include the existing disturbed quarry infrastructure area as shown on Figure 1.2. Overburden As shown on Figure 1.1. No change. Existing and approved Emplacement Areas overburden emplacement areas contain sufficient capacity for continued operations. Hours of Operation Full operations 6.00 am– 6.00 am–10.00 pm Monday to Friday 6.00 pm Monday to Saturday. and 6.00 am–6.00 pm Saturday. General maintenance Primary crushing restricted to 6.00 am– permitted until 10.00 pm 6.00 pm Monday to Saturday Monday to Saturday. (no change). Return of delivery trucks to site Return of delivery trucks to site