BY DI SNEDDON
Singleton Council hopes to join forces with Cessnock Council to consider a hard rock quarry proposed for a site at Elderslie.
The development, if approved by the State Government, is in the Singleton local government area but the development will impact Cessnock and this is why Singleton Councillor Peree Watson suggested the approach at a recent council meeting.
Elderslie residents Robyn and Jamie Pittman want to develop their property, at the end of Springvale Road in Singleton, into a 1million-tonnes-a-year quarry to sell rocks for concrete aggregate and road base. The initial application seeks 30 years approval, with the potential to run for a further 20 years.
The rock is proposed to be transported by road along Springvale, Stanhope and Elderslie Roads, across Elderslie Bridge and then into Branxton and onto the Hunter Expressway. Given the 1million tonne a year proposal, this equates to hundreds of truck movements each day across a road network residents say will not cope in its current form.
They are also concerned about the impact the increased truck traffic will have on road safety.
“Another issue is the quarry is within the footprint of the Hunter Gas Pipeline so there a lot of ramifications with the development,” Cr Watson said.
Cr Watson also requested Council ask for a public meeting with the proponent to answer questions from the community but the proponent denied the request saying they would do so only if required by NSW Department of Planning through their Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) process.
“It is my opinion that when it comes to developments like this you need to take the community with you, there are hundreds of pages about the development on the Planning website but no where to ask questions and if people don’t have the answers they make them up,” Cr Watson said.
“The best option is to be open and transparent, there is concern in the community, many people will be directly impacted by the haul road, having haul trucks on country roads is not palatable for a lot of people,” she said.
Cessnock City Council will consider the request at its next meeting.
