There's a petition and now a group of concerned residents are ramping up their opposition to put a stop to the planned expansion of the Sancrox Quarry.
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This includes calling on the state minister to order a public inquiry by the independent planning commission.
About 150 residents attended an information session conducted by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPL&E) on February 10.
Residents said they were angry and dismayed at a perceived lack of information surrounding the proposed project.
They said their only avenue of information was via a letterbox drop conducted by members of the Stop Sancrox Quarry Expansion group.
But the quarry owners, Hanson, says it has consulted with the community, during the early stages of the preparing the EIS.
It says this includes affected landowners, local businesses, local Aboriginal Land Councils, industry and environmental groups and community associations.
Hanson says the proposal to expand the quarry is of state significance, as it would provide much-needed construction materials for the region and other parts of NSW.
"Under the proposal, no more than 750,000 tonnes of material would be extracted in any one year, over 30 years, which will be used for roads, construction and infrastructure and local projects such as the proposed orbital road, which will enhance the Port Macquarie transport network," Hanson said in a statement.
"Additionally, with the department approval, Hanson formed the Sancrox Quarry Extension Project Community Consultative Committee (SQEPCCC) and appointed an independent chairperson.
"This committee has been working and communicating with local community representatives and recently met on November 7 2019 to discuss the proposal."
This committee has been working and communicating with local community representatives and recently met on November 7 2019 to discuss the proposal.
- Hanson
Residents say the quarry expansion will impact on their, quality of life, sense of place, surrounding natural environment and excellence in planning.
Over 250 submissions have been lodged opposing the expansion.
Residents say they were taken by surprise by the proposal to expand quarry, which will have a footprint across 43 acres of bushland.
The Stop Sancrox Quarry Expansion group says community consultation was inadequate, and the poorly advertised exhibition period fell just before Christmas when bushfires were devastating the region and disrupting people`s lives.
"The recent catastrophic bushfires in NSW have resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of hectares of bushland habitat," the group says. "They killed koalas and other wildlife.
"It is imperative that we preserve identified wildlife corridors in the Port Macquarie Hastings LGA.
"The 43 hectares proposed to be cleared for this project is in an identified koala corridor, supporting a further 27 rare and endangered species."
Hanson's expansion plan includes concrete batching, concrete recycling and asphalt plant.
Following various consultations, Hanson has identified a range of mitigation measures associated with the project proposal.
These are detailed in the environmental impact statement (EIS) and address environmental matters including; air, noise and vibration, traffic, water, biodiversity, heritage (both Aboriginal and European), visual, socio-economic, and waste.
It is imperative that we preserve identified wildlife corridors in the Port Macquarie Hastings LGA.
- Stop Sancrox Quarry Expansion
Following this assessment, despite comprehensive searches for koalas, no direct evidence (via sightings or aural recognition of male calls) of this species was recorded on the site.
"While indirect evidence of koala activity was recorded in the form of some old, unconfirmed tree-trunk scratches and scats collected at one of the plots, the results of the assessment indicate that koala activity on the site is low," Hanson says.
"The expansion of the Sancrox Quarry will create new jobs at the quarry and in the broader community and increase business expenditures.
"It will also result in environmental benefits for the region through the diversion of used concrete from landfill."
If approved, the quarry will operate 24 hours with plans to remove some 770,000 tonnes of material each year over a planned 30 year period.
The Stop Sancrox Quarry Expansion group are calling on the NSW minister for planning and public spaces, Robert Stokes, to halt consideration of the application, pending a public hearing by the independent planning commission.
Further public meetings have been called by the Stop Sancrox Quarry group to further galvanize public action against this destructive development.
The petition calling for a halt to the quarry expansion plan is now active.
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