DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION NOTIFICATION DOCUMENTS

Development Application # 2018 / 3

Address: Pineleigh/1065 Pineleigh Road

MULYANDRY

Proposed Development: Expansion of Quarry

Notification Period Ends: 29/05/2019

Should you require a meeting to discuss this development application with Council’s

Assessment Team, please see reception to arrange an appointment within the notification

period.

Written submissions will be accepted until 5:00pm on the final date of notification, as indicated

above.

Created on 14/05/2019 4:53 PM

2 Court StreetPO Box 333Forbes NSW 2871Phone: (02) 6850 2399www.forbes.nsw.gov.au

Important Notice!This map is not a precise survey document. Accurate locations can only be determined by a survey on the ground.This information has been prepared for Council's internal purposes and for no other purpose. No statement is made about the accuracy or suitability of the information for use for any purpose (whether the purpose has been notified to Council or not). While every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of this data, neither the Forbes Council nor the LPI makes any representations or warranties about its accuracy, reliability, completeness or suitability for any particular purpose and disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages (including indirect or consequential damage) and costs which you might incur as a result of the data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way and for any reason.© The State of New South Wales (Land and Property Information),© Forbes Council.

Drawn By: Lara Kronenberg

Map Scale: 1:31338 at A4

Projection: GDA94 / MGA zone 55

Date: 14/05/2019 4:53 PM

Tastex Pty limited ACN 002 092 159

Statement of Environmental Effects For the

Expansion of the Pineleigh Quarry Mulyandry NSW

March 2019

Prepared by: Greg Cozens

For: Tastex Pty Limited (ACN: 002 092 159) 29 Elizabeth Street Forbes NSW 2871

Contents

1. Project Summary........................................................................................................................... 4

2. Project Description ....................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Development Description ..................................................................................................... 5

2.1.1 Current Quarrying Operation ........................................................................................ 8

2.1.2 Proposed Expansion .................................................................................................... 12

2.2 Ancillary Developments ...................................................................................................... 16

2.3 Development Schedule ....................................................................................................... 16

2.4 Management Commitments ............................................................................................... 16

3. Strategic Context......................................................................................................................... 17

3.1 Target Resource .................................................................................................................. 17

3.2 Regional Context ................................................................................................................. 18

3.2.1 Site Description ........................................................................................................... 18

3.3 Permissibility and Strategic Planning .................................................................................. 21

4. Project Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 22

5. Environmental Impact Assessment ............................................................................................. 23

6. Consultation ................................................................................................................................ 32

7. References .................................................................................................................................. 33

Figures

Figure 1. Regional Location Plan. .......................................................................................................... 7

Figure 2. Local Location Plan. ................................................................................................................ 8

Figure 3. Site plan of current quarry operation as approved by Forbes Council. ................................. 9

Figure 4. Dimension stone block. ....................................................................................................... 10

Figure 5. Aerial Photo showing ML1773 and current quarry operation, access road and location of

Pineleigh homestead. ......................................................................................................................... 11

Figure 6. Aerial Photo showing existing quarry operation and proposed area of expansion. ............. 14

Figure 7. Proposed site plan and final layout. ..................................................................................... 15

Figure 8. Site of current quarry, land use and rocky outcrop areas in foreground which will be

incorporated into expansion. .............................................................................................................. 19

Figure 9. Current photograph of land to be incorporated into expanded quarry, looking east ......... 19

Figure 10. Current photograph of land to be incorporated into expanded quarry, looking south ..... 20

Figure 11. Aerial photo showing land use and infrastructure within 1.5km of quarry site. ................ 21

Figure 12. Looking NE from access road towards the quarry. ............................................................. 23

Figure 13. View from quarry towards Pineleigh homestead. ............................................................. 24

Figure 14. Oblique aerial photo showing scattered remnant mature trees. ...................................... 29

Figure 15. Proposed quarry expansion. .............................................................................................. 30

Figure 16. Soil and Land capability map. ............................................................................................. 31

Appendices

Appendix 1. Development Application Determination documents

Appendix 2. Mining Lease 1733 Documents

Appendix 3. Mining Operations Plan

Appendix 4. Consultation

1. Project Summary

Project Component Summary

Mining Method Open cut dimension stone quarry. Depth of quarry to

approximately 20m.

Resource The dimension stone is high quality ”black granite”

Disturbance Area Disturbance of up to 9.3 Ha over life of mine (inclusive of

current DA).

Annual Production Up to 4000 cubic metres

Mine Life 10 years.

Total Resource

Recovered

Up to 40,000 cubic metres.

Beneficiation Cutting and extraction of blocks of “black granite” (dimension

stone blocks) using non blasting techniques and transport of

blocks from site to customers.

Management of

Mining Waste

Emplacement of overburden and waste rock in separate out of

pit waste rock emplacements. Overburden and waste rock will

be progressively utilized to create a work platform. Remaining

material will be returned to the excavation to create a level

floor and batters.

General

Infrastructure

Office and toilet facilities. Consumable storage (as per current

DA).

Product Transport Up to 8 heavy rigid vehicles per week as per current DA

approval.

Water Management Water will be brought to site as required. No mine water will

be produced.

Operational

Workforce

Workforce of 2 to 3 people (as per current DA).

Hours of Operation 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday (as per current DA)

Key Environmental

Impacts and

Mitigation Measures

Air Quality: Disturb only the minimum area necessary for

proposed activities and use dust suppression measures as

required. Monitor equipment movements on high wind days to

reduce dust generation and potential impact on near neighbor.

Noise: Adhere to operational working hours. Mining activities

will be conducted in the quarry ampitheatre, confining the

noise mostly to that area.

Traffic and Transportation: Maintain access roads. Control

vehicle movements as per DA.

Blasting: No Blasting will be carried out.

Capital Investment

value

$10,000

2. Project Description

2.1 Development Description

This document has been prepared for Tastex Pty Limited (Tastex) to support their application for an

extension of the area of the current dimension stone quarry operation at “Pineleigh”, Mulyandry, 34

km SE of Forbes in Central NSW. (Figure 1 and 2)

The current quarry is operated by Tastex Pty Limited of Forbes and is mined for dimension stone for

sale to stone masons and manufactures of products such as kitchen bench tops, headstones,

building facades and decorations and landscaping features. The resource comprises a deposit of the

rock known as monzodiorite, which is colloquially known as 'black granite'. The resource is of

superior quality. It is in demand from stone masons both in Australia and off shore. The resource is

similar in type and quality to that found in other dimension stone quarries which have operated in

the Mulyandry district over the last 30 years.

The current quarry was approved under local development legislation and operates under a

Development Application (2018/3), Assessment Number 2000995, granted by Forbes Shire Council

on 7 March 2018. The DA is current to 7 March 2023. The DA allows for up to 4000 cubic metres of

extraction per annum. The DA determination and Approval documents are included in Appendix 1.

The quarry operates under Mining Lease 1773 granted on 20th July 2018 for a period of twenty one

(21) years, expiring on 20 July 2039. The Mining Lease covers an area of 1.98 hectares. The Mining

Lease documents are included in Appendix 2.

The quarry is on the property “Pineleigh” owned by Stephen John Welsh, address 1065 Pineleigh Rd

Mulyandry. The property is owned under Freehold Title Lot 4 DP 752938.

Tastex propose to expand the area of the dimension stone quarrying operation to 9.35 Ha, in total.

The annual production will remain the same as currently approved at 4000 cubic metres per annum.

Pending a successful development application, an additional Mining Lease will be applied for to

cover the expanded area.

The expansion will enable Tastex to;

enter into long term marketing arrangements with a number of prospective clients

provide long term employment for residents of Forbes Shire

significantly improve mine planning to enable consistent production of up to 4000 cubic

metres of dimension stone per annun.

The Planning classification for the expanded quarry operation would be;

Designated Development under Clause 19 of Schedule 3 of the Environmental Planning and

Assessment Regulation 2000. Specifically the area of disturbance is more than 2 hectares.

Regionally Significant Development under Schedule 7, Section 7 of the State Environmental

Planning Policy (State and Regional Development) 2011

However, clause 35 of Schedule 3 of the Environment Protection and Assessment Regulation 2000,

regarding alterations or additions to existing development that is not Designated Development.

states that; Development involving alterations or additions to development is not designated

development if, in the opinion of the consent authority, the alterations or additions do not

significantly increase the environmental impacts of the total development compared with the

existing development.

Tastex believes that the expansion of the quarry will not significantly increase the environmental

impacts of the total development as;

The scale of the quarry operation will not increase as the annual production will remain the

same as currently approved.

The level of dust and noise generated on the site will not increase as the same equipment

will be used as in the currently approved operation. The noise and dust will potentially

decrease as the expansion will allow for the excavation of a larger and deeper quarry,

restricting the operational noise and dust to the limits of the quarry.

The work force and truck movements will remain the same as currently approved, thereby

not generating any additional road dust, damage to roads or vehicle movements.

The expansion will allow for a higher level of mine planning and stockpile management,

which would reduce the risk of adverse environmental impacts.

The expansion of the quarry will take place incrementally, keeping the area of disturbance to

a minimum, with mined out areas progressively backfilled and rehabilitated.

Progressive rehabilitation will ensure waste rock and topsoil stockpiles are kept to a

minimum.

Tastex contends that the expansion of the quarry will not significantly increase the environmental

impact of the total development and that the development should not be classed as Designated

Development.

Environment Protection Licence.

The proposed quarry operation is not a Scheduled Activity as defined in Schedule 1 Section 19 of the

Protection Of The Environment Operations Act 1997 and therefore an Environment Protection

Licence is not required.

Figure 1. Regional Location Plan.

Figure 2. Local Location Plan.

2.1.1 Current Quarrying Operation

The current dimension stone quarry has been operating since October 2018.

The operator of the quarry is Jim Carpenter who is an accredited Dimension Stone Quarry Master

and Dimension Stone quarry operator since 1986.The site plan approved by the Forbes Council is

shown in Figure 3.

The current quarrying process involves the removal of topsoil and overburden to expose the blocks

and boulders of hard monzodiorite within weathered material. Whilst these blocks and boulders can

be cut and sold for dimension stone, the aim is to locate and expose the monzodiorite bedrock so

that a large area of rock can be exposed and progressively quarried.

Figure 3. Site plan of current quarry operation as approved by Forbes Council.

Blocks of dimension stone are cut either by non-explosive fracturing or with a wire saw. The blocks

of stone are loaded onto trucks and transported to the client.

The key features of the current mining activity are:

Use of conventional earthmoving machinery to remove overburden (earth, weathered fines,

small rock pieces and larger boulders) to expose the main body of the deposit ;

Use of rock drilling equipment, comprising an air compressor, rock drills and/or a wire saw.

That equipment will be used to cut the black granite into blocks of a convenient size for sale

(the 'dimension stone blocks');

The drilling of holes into the rock by means of the compressor driven rock drill, for the

purpose of separating dimension stone blocks of various sizes from the main body of the

deposit;

The excision of large dimension stone blocks (the first cut blocks), either by drilling lines of

drill holes along the deposit and then cracking the rock along those lines to separate it from

the deposit, or by cutting the deposit into blocks by the use of the device known as a 'wire

saw'. The process of cracking the rock involves mixing the powdered cracking agent with

water to form a slurry and pouring into the predrilled holes. As the cracking agent dries it

expands causing the rock to break between the drill holes creating a straight line split in the

rock and creating a dimension stone block as shown in Figure 4.

The prising of the first cut blocks from the main deposit and pushing those blocks to a

convenient place on the floor of the quarry;

Cutting the first cut blocks into smaller 'dimension stone blocks', as required by the market;

Selling and despatching the 'dimension stone blocks' to customers by road transport

Figure 4. Dimension stone block.

Road access to the quarry site is gained from Pineleigh Road, Mulyandry. Pineleigh Road is a public

road which is used generally by the local farming community for farm related activities, by school

bus operators at the beginning and end of the school day and by road transport operators who cart

grain, livestock and produce from local farms.

Trucks and other vehicles enter and exit the quarry via the existing farm access road, which leads

from the Welsh homestead (Pineleigh) to their farm front gate at Pineleigh Road, (Figure 5)

The current operation has approval for up to 8 truck movements to and from the quarry per week.

Other road traffic will be 2-3 workers vehicles and occasional maintenance or other supply vehicles.

The current operation is not connected to electricity mains, telephone lines, reticulated water

supplies, gas or sewerage disposal facilities.

Electricity requirements are met by an on-site diesel powered generator.

Water requirements are met by carting water onto the site in PVC water tanks, as required.

On site toilet facilities are 'port a loo'

Telecommunication requirements are met by means of mobile phones and WIFI facilities, for which

there is adequate coverage in the Mulyandry district.

Under the conditions of the Mining Lease (Appendix 2) the operator is required to prepare and lodge

a Mining Operations Plan (MOP) with the Department of Planning Resources and Geoscience. The

MOP is included in Appendix 3

Figure 5. Aerial Photo showing ML1773 and current quarry operation, access road and location of Pineleigh homestead.

2.1.2 Proposed Expansion

The proposed expanded operation will use the same quarrying methodology as the current

operation. Tastex propose to maintain annual production at 4000 cubic metres, as per the current

approved DA.

The expanded project will require the granting of a new Mining Lease covering the additional 7.37

Ha. Figure 6 shows the area of the proposed expansion.

The proposed final quarry pit will cover an area of approximately 5 ha with a planned maximum

depth of approximately 20m.

The expansion will allow Tastex to expose a larger area of the “black granite” resource and allow

them to locate the competent bedrock which will allow excavation of large high quality blocks of

dimension stone.

The existing office and amenities, car park and finished block storage and loading areas will remain

the same (Figure 7). Figure 7 shows the extent of the proposed final quarry excavation. The area of

the quarry will be progressively cleared to expose the dimension stone.

The depth of topsoil and overburden will vary across the site. The topsoil and subsoil is estimated to

have a maximum thickness of 0.5m, but averaging 0.25m, giving a potential volume of 10-15,000

cubic metres of topsoil that may be disturbed over the course of the quarry life. The topsoil will be

progressively disturbed and stockpiled as required to expose the rock. The topsoil would be stored

in bunds on the eastern side of the quarry. The topsoil bunds will be constructed in accordance with

Landcom Blue Book.

The thickness of overburden, comprising clay, weathered rock and small boulders, will vary

considerably across the site depending on the abundance and depth of dimension stone blocks. It is

estimated that approximately 50,000 cubic metres of overburden will be excavated over the life of

the quarry. The overburden will be progressively removed to expose the rock. The other waste

material to be stockpiled is rock offcuts.

As much of the overburden as practicable will remain in the quarry and be used to construct the

working platform and floor of the quarry and to backfill mined out areas. The potential volume of

material to be stored in the waste rock stockpile is up to 10-20,000 cubic metres, over the life of the

operation.

The waste rock and top soil will be stored separately, if practicable, as shown in Figure 7, for later

use in rehabilitation.

The waste rock is considered to be “Virgin Excavated Natural Material’ under the definition in the

Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

Mine Closure and Rehabilitation.

The quarry site will be progressively rehabilitated during the life of the mine and upon its expiry.

The overburden removed initially to expose the gabbro deposit will be stockpiled near the lip of the

quarry and will be repositioned into the quarry excavation as rock is removed, thereby creating the

work platform that is necessary for the further operation of the quarry. Where possible, overburden

from new areas will be used immediately to backfill mined out areas.

The top soil will be retained in separate stockpiles for use in the final landscaping.

The quarry pit will be converted into a farm dam for the storage of a stock and domestic water

supply for the landowners. The floor of the residual farm dam will be lined with a suitable clay type

soil, which will be procured from elsewhere on the farm.

It is anticipated that the ultimate depth of the farm dam will be 5 – 6 metres and that the angle of

batters will be in the order of 25 – 30 degrees.

On completion of the rehabilitation earthworks, the remaining topsoil will be spread and the area be

seeded with pasture grasses that grow in the Mulyandry area such as rye grasses, phalaris and

dryland Lucerne and the suite will revert to its former use as part of the owners agricultural and

grazing business.

The rehabilitation outcomes have been agreed to by the land owner and are detailed in the Mining

Operation Plan (Tastex 2018 and Appendix 3).

Figure 6. Aerial Photo showing existing quarry operation and proposed area of expansion.

Figure 7. Proposed site plan and final layout.

2.2 Ancillary Developments

Tastex do not propose to make application for consent for ancillary development.

2.3 Development Schedule

The quarry will continue to operate under its current DA and Mining Lease while approval for the

expansion is being sought.

Development Stage Indicative Timing

Prepare SEE March 2019

Submission of Request to Council re consideration as

alteration/addition to current DA and approval as local

development

March2019

Decision from Council April 2019

Submit SEE to Council with Development Application April 2019

Application for additional Mining Lease April 2019

Approval by Forbes Shire Council June 2019

Granting of additional Mining Lease September 2019

Quarrying Operations 2019-2029

Progressive rehabilitation 2019 and beyond

Decommissioning and final rehabilitation 2029-2030

2.4 Management Commitments

The potential adverse impacts of the expansion to the quarry operation are an increase in dust,

noise, traffic movements and area disturbed.

These potential impacts many only impact the closest sensitive receptor, namely the Welsh’s who

live approximately 350m from the quarry.

Management will manage the potential impacts by adhering to the conditions of the DA, Mining

Lease and relevant legislation.

Management will maintain open communication with the Welsh’s and be proactive to mitigate any

adverse impacts on them from the operation.

Management would implement best practice erosion and sediment controls to manage surface

water run-off from the disturbed area.

3. Strategic Context

3.1 Target Resource

The current quarry operates on Mining Lease 1773, Mining Act 1992, granted to Tastex Pty Ltd ACN

002 092 159, on 20 July 2018 for the purpose of extraction of Dimension Stone by open cut mining

method. ML1773 covers an area of 1.98 hectares and has a term of 21 years.

Regional geological setting

The deposit is hosted within the Devonian Eugowra Suite granites which have intruded Ordovician

sediments of the Lachlan Fold Belt in Central NSW.

The Pineleigh and other dimension stone deposits in the Mulyandry district are hosted within the

Clear Hills Monzodiorite, an augite-hypersthene-biotite-quartz monzodiorite. The dimension stone

quarries are located near the contact of the monzodiorite with surrounding sediments.

Deposit Scale Geological Setting

In the Mulyandry area the Clear Hills Monzodiorite of the Eugowra Granitic comprises several

isolated outcrops on which the known Dimension stone localities occur. The outcrops of

monzodiorite are surrounded by Quaternary aged colluvial plains and rises. At Pineleigh geological

investigations have identified a large body of dark coloured monzodiorite, referred to locally as

“black granite”, similar to the well-known Grandee Quarry which previously produced high quality

dark coloured dimension stone. Geological mapping of the quarry site has indicated that the

monzodiorite occurs as hard resilient boulders within weathered rock, typical of granitic weathering.

In 2016 a Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) (Allen 2016) survey was completed over the quarry site to

map the presence of resilient boulders of monzodiorite that could be extracted for dimension stone.

The TEM survey identified probable locations of large hard boulders to the northeast of the current

quarry and competent rock extending to the south and southeast.

Mineral Resource

The overall size of the resource has not been identified due to it going under cover. The part of the

resource being targeted is exposed at surface of the ground or is under shallow soil cover and is

amenable to small scale quarrying. Tastex plan to mine a total of 40,000 cubic metres of the

resource.

Relationship to Existing Mines

In the Mulyandry area there several dormant dimension stone quarries, which have not operated for

several years. The nearest quarry site, Grandee which has been intermittently operating since 1976,

is about 4km from the Pineleigh quarry. The Grandee Quarry site is currently under application for a

mining lease totaling 109.5 hectares.

The proposed expansion will not have any impact on existing quarries.

3.2 Regional Context

3.2.1 Site Description

The district known as 'Mulyandry' is located about 35 kilometres southeast of the town of Forbes

(population about 8,500 residents) and the south of the town of Eugowra (population about 600

residents). Additionally, the district is located about 40 km northwest from the town of Grenfell (via

the New Grenfell Road).

The lands in the Mulyandry district are traditionally used for mixed farming and grazing purposes,

such as grain growing and for sheep and cattle grazing. There are also a small number of dimension

stone quarries dotted throughout the district, where the underlying gabbro deposit penetrates the

surface of the land. The nearest active dimension stone quarry is about 4 kilometres from the

Pineleigh quarry site.

There are other dimension stone quarries in the Mulyandry district which have been dormant for

several years.

The site is located on a grain and livestock farm which is owned and farmed by local farmers and

graziers Stephen and Catherine Welsh. They have consented to the current quarrying activity.

The quarry site comprises a low set rocky outcrop, located in the midst of open farm land on the

Welsh's property. The surrounding paddocks are currently used for growing cereal crops and for

grazing sheep and cattle. Figure 8 shows the site of the current quarry operation and the rocky

outcrops which are of low agricultural utility. The expansion of the quarry will incorporate the rocky

outcrop areas in the fore ground of Figure 8. Figures 9 and 10, looking east and south respectively

show the landscape of the area to be covered by the expanded quarry.

Figure 8. Site of current quarry, land use and rocky outcrop areas in foreground which will be incorporated into

expansion.

Figure 9. Current photograph of land to be incorporated into expanded quarry, looking east

Appendix 1

Figure 10. Current photograph of land to be incorporated into expanded quarry, looking south

The rocky surface of the site makes that part of the land unsuitable for cultivation. The soil structure

on that part of the land is 'rocky' and porous. It does not hold moisture and, therefore, grows little

vegetation. The proposed quarry site is also of little use for primary production. The surrounding

farm lands are not flood prone. The quarry site serves no purpose as a flood refuge for livestock.

Figure 11 is an air photo which depicts the land use in the immediate vicinity of the currently

operating quarry, and the juxtaposition of the quarry site with surrounding farm houses and farm

out buildings within a distance of 1.5 kilometres of the site.

The land on which the proposed expanded quarry will operate is not suitable for agriculture due to

the poor soil conditions and as such will not impact on the surrounding farming activity.

The area is sparsely populated and the quarry operation will not have any impact on the local

community

The proponent does not consider there to be any land use constraints within the area of the quarry

operation.

Figure 11. Aerial photo showing land use and infrastructure within 1.5km of quarry site.

The region surrounding the quarry has been highly modified by farming practices for 100+ years and

the proponent does not consider there to be any biophysical, hydrological, environmental or

heritage constraints on the small quarry operation.

The high quality dimension stone is a high value product with demand from stone masons within

Australia and overseas. The operation of the quarry will have a positive economic impact on the

local community due to employment, purchase of consumables and use of transport.

3.3 Permissibility and Strategic Planning

The quarry site is located within the Forbes LGA and all land within the quarry site is zoned RU1-

Primary production

Extractive Industries and open cut mining is permissible with Consent within this zone under the

Forbes LGA LEP.

The following State planning legislation applies to the quarry expansion.

State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP) (State and Regional Development) 2011

State Environment Planning Policy (Mining, Petroleum Production and Extractive Industries)

2007 (Mining SEPP)

Appendix 2

The development of the extension to the quarry is permissible with consent under Part 2 of the

Mining SEPP.

Under Clause 12 of Part 3 of the Mining SEPP regarding compatibility of the proposed mine with

other land uses, Tastex considers the proposed expansion of the quarry to be compatible with

existing land use. The location of the currently operating quarry and proposed extension are on land

that is largely un-useable for agriculture and would not have any impact on the operation of the

agricultural business currently being carried out on the land.

As several other small dimension stone quarries are located in the Mulyandry district, many active at

some time in the last 30 years, the proposed development will not be out of character with the

district.

4. Project Rationale

As can be seen in Figure 6, the current quarry operation has severe space limitations within the

current Mining Lease.

The rationale for the expansion of the dimension stone quarry is to increase the operational area of

the quarry in order to efficiently and economically extract the resource and provide a continuity of

supply of a high value product into an expanding market. Apart from selling stone into the

monumental market, Tastex are developing additional markets for second grade, offcut and

landscape boulders, thereby maximizing the use and value of the resource.

The expanded operation will provide long term employment opportunities for local Forbes shire

residents.

Having a long term operating quarry in the area may revitalize the dimension stone industry and

provide new opportunities to develop additional quarries.

The quarry is in close proximity to the landholder residence (sensitive receiver), but given the

minimal impact the quarry is expected to have on them, there should not be any requirement to

plan for additional control measures.

There are no practical alternative mining methods to efficiently and economically extract the

resource.

5. Environmental Impact Assessment

Visual Amenity

The proposed mine site will not be visually prominent in the local landscape. Figure 12, looking

northeast from the access road towards the current quarry, shows that quarry is screened by trees

and is not visually prominent.

Figure 12. Looking NE from access road towards the quarry.

The quarry site is located about 1.2 km distant from the nearest public road, which is Pineleigh Road.

The quarry site will occupy the crown of a low hill, which can be seen with the naked eye from

Pineleigh Road, albeit only with difficulty due to the scattered trees. The quarry itself will comprise a

circular excavation into the rocky hilltop landscape, with the quarrying activities mainly being

conducted within the excavation, and below the level of the surrounding landscape. In

consequence, the mining activities in the quarry will not be visible from Pineleigh Road, albeit

machinery parked around the lip of the quarry will generally be visible.

The quarry is not readily visible from the Pineleigh homestead due to the trees, plants and

infrastructure around the homestead (Figure 13).

Figure 13. View from quarry towards Pineleigh homestead.

The mining activities within the quarry excavation itself will only be visible from a distance of about

50 metres from the quarry edge.

The mining activities will thus have negligible visual impact on the surrounding landscape. Tastex

would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the potential for

any impact on the visual amenity of the nearest residents;

Construct a topsoil bund along the eastern side of the project area to act as an amenity

bund.

Park equipment within the quarry excavation.

In consultation with the landowner and nearest resident, plant rows of trees along eastern

boundary to act as visual barrier.

Dust

The proposed quarrying activities will cause some minor dust to flow from the quarry site. Dust is a

by-product of the activities of earth moving, rock drilling and the cutting of rock by means of a wire

saw. However, the volumes of dust are small, as described above, and are not likely to spread

beyond the quarry area. The closest resident (Welsh) is 350m from the quarry and the next closest

is 3.3km to the southeast.

Traffic movements on the farm roads will give rise to some dust. To minimise road dust, the farm

roads have already been surfaced with crushed and weathered granite, which provides an all-

weather trafficable road surface and which is not prone to fine 'powdering' or creating excessive

dust in dry times.

Machinery movements on the quarry land will give rise to some localised dust, as earth moving

machinery moves across the surface and as it disturbs the material surrounding the gabbro deposit.

Dust created by this activity will be minimal, as the surface area of the quarry site itself is comprised

of weathered/crushed granite which does not break down into fines and does not give rise to

excessive dust. The overburden that is to be moved to expose the gabbro deposit is comprised of

crushed/weathered granite material, and will not create excessive dust during movement.

Any dust generated from the rock drilling comprises rock fragments and due the larger particle size

settles and dissipates quickly.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable dust related impacts;

Monitor dust generation on windy days to ensure does not impact on nearest resident and

modify work accordingly.

Use dust suppression to minimise dust generated from the site.

Maintain roads and traffic areas in good condition and sheet with weathered granite.

Cover loads of transport vehicles.

In consultation with the landowner, plant trees along the eastern boundary of the quarry to

assist in mitigating dust leaving the site.

Water, Erosion and Sediment Control

The proposed development is located in the midst of a low rainfall dry land farming area. There are

no rivers, creeks or watercourses in the immediate vicinity of the site. The soils in the landscape

have moderate to high erodibility and the erosion hazard is high. The thin soils surrounding the

rocky outcrops and within the disturbed area are at risk of sheet erosion (King 1998) during storms

and heavy rainfall.

The land comprising the mine site is virtually flat. There is little likelihood of sediment flowing off site.

The mine will not create an erosion hazard. Some particles are likely to flow into the quarry

excavation over time, but this will assist in a minor way with the final rehabilitation work. The soils on

the site are porous. They do not hold water.

There is no prospect the excavation could fill with water during rain events. Experience shows that

water retained from natural rain events soaks away into the land only 1 – 2 days after even the most

substantial rainfall.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable water related impacts;

Ensure stockpiles are constructed according to best practice to reduce potential for erosion

and dust generation.

Monitor water flows on site and install erosion and sediment controls as appropriate.

Noise

The proposed mining activity involves the use of earth moving machinery such as a loader, an

excavator and a crane on the site from time to time. Those machines are equipped with

conventional exhaust and sound baffle systems. They will make some noise, which will be

equivalent to the noise created by farm machinery and by road users in the district.

Rock drilling and rock cutting by means of a wire saw will also create some noise. However, those

activities will take place within the excavated amphitheatre of the quarry, and that will reduce the

noise from those activities from impacting the surrounding environment. Rock drilling will only be

completed once a new “block” of rock has been exposed and ready for splitting. The timing of this

will be variable from 1-2 days per week up to 5 days per week.

The Pineleigh homestead is 350m NE of the quarry. The quarry has been operating at designed

capacity for 6 months and there has not been any disruption or impact on the amenity of the

residents.

The production of the expanded operation will the same as currently permitted and there should not

be any change to the impact on the residents.

The quarry only operates during day light hours and Monday to Friday, during the time when

farming activities are being carried out.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable noise related impacts;

Maintain open dialogue with the Pineleigh residents and modify operations if there are

adverse noise impacts on them.

Topsoil and overburden could be used to form bunds along the NE side of the quarry to

reduce noise impact on the residents.

Maintain exhaust systems and ensure noise reduction shielding of machinery is kept in good

condition and operational to ensure maximum noise reduction.

Traffic

The current DA approval is for up to 8 truck movement each way per week. This will remain the

same following the expansion. The trucks will either be rigid body or articulated depending on the

load.

Road access to the quarry site will be gained from Pineleigh Road, Mulyandry and existing farm

access road. Pineleigh Road is a public road which is used generally by the local farming community

for farm related activities, by school bus operators at the beginning and end of the school day and by

road transport operators who cart grain, livestock and produce from local farms.

The other quarry related traffic will be 2-3 workers cars travelling each way per day.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable traffic and transport related impacts;

Monitor transport operators to ensure adherence to road rules.

Avoid transporting stone during school bus times.

Avoid transporting stone during wet weather to avoid damage to unsealed roads.

Hydrocarbon and Reagent management

Fuels and oils will be brought on site in sufficient quantity to service the daily requirements of the

machinery and on a needs basis only. No fuels will be stored on site, save of course for the contents

of the fuel tanks on the machines used in the quarry. Engine oils will also come onto the site in small

quantities from time to time, as required by the quarry machinery. There will be no permanent

storage of oils on site.

'Cracking agent' will be used in the quarrying processes as indicated above. It is a powder, cement

like substance, comprising 95% Portland cement and an organic material that is mixed with water

and poured into the predrilled holes. As the agent dries it expands and cracks the rock. . It will come

onto the site in plastic bags akin to cement bags. The cracking agent is non-hazardous.

Like cement, once the 'cracking agent' has been mixed with water, it will set into a hard rock like

substance which will adhere to the dimension stone blocks. It cannot escape or contaminate the

surrounding soils. When the dimension stone blocks are taken off site, the hardened cracking agent

will go with them.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable hydrocarbon and reagent related impacts;

Ensure all hydrocarbon and reagent packaging is in good condition and stored correctly, in

accordance with SDS.

Have spill kits available and bunded areas for storing fuels and oils.

Ensure Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are available for all chemicals on site.

Develop procedures for refuelling equipment.

Ensure appropriate PPE is available and used.

Heritage, Native Title

A search of the Aboriginal Heritage Information management System (AHIMS) was conducted over

the site of the proposed quarry extension, including a 1km buffer and no Aboriginal Sites or Places

are recorded in or near the location.

The area has been extensively disturbed by farming practices over the past 100+ years.

The site has been searched for aboriginal artefacts, and none have been found. There is no river,

creek or permanent watercourse in the vicinity of the site of a type that would have brought wildlife

or resources used by the traditional owners to the Land.

The quarry is within the Cowra Local Aboriginal Land Council area.

There are no Native Title applications or determinations over or in the vicinity of the quarry site.

If Aboriginal heritage items are found or suspected, Tastex would follow the appropriate procedure

prescribed in the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Flora and fauna

The quarry site and farming land surrounding it have been largely cleared of native vegetation, with

remnant patches of mature trees on crests and rocky areas that are unsuitable for agriculture. The

proposed quarry expansion is devoid of native vegetation, save for scattered grey box trees. No

native animal species have been found in the vicinity. There are no natural sources of water in the

vicinity to attract native species.

King 1998 in Soil Landscapes of the Forbes 1:250000 sheet report for Dept. of Land and water

Conservation states the vegetation type as extensively cleared open woodland. Trees include White

cypress pine, western grey box, bulloak, kurrajong and yellow box. Tumbledown red gum and mugga

ironbark occur on crests. There are a variety of understory shrubs recorded within the Soil

Landscape but these do not occur in the vicinity of the quarry site.

Figure 14 shows an oblique aerial photo of the quarry site, showing the scattered remnant mature

trees. These old trees will be nesting sites for native and introduced birds.

Figure 14. Oblique aerial photo showing scattered remnant mature trees.

The area covered by the quarry expansion contains a number of trees, Figure 15, some of which may

need to be removed to facilitate excavation of the dimension stone. It is a priority of Tastex to

preserve and protect the trees that are not required to be removed.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable impact on the flora and fauna;

Preserve and protect the remnant trees.

Avoid disturbance around the trees to reduce impact on root systems.

Prior to removal of any tree check for nesting birds and modify plans, if possible, until

nesting season is finished.

Plant a line of trees along eastern boundary to provide future habitat.

Figure 15. Proposed quarry expansion.

Soil and Land Capability

The soil and land capability at the quarry site is classified as having severe limitations and is classified

as LSC Class 5 according to The land and Soil Capability Assessment Scheme, NSW OEH 2012.

Figure 16 shows the location of the quarry site and surrounding soil and land capabilities, from the

NSW SEED portal.

Class 5 land has severe limitations for high impact land management and is generally only suitable

for grazing and some pasture cultivation. Other limitations include shallow soils and stoniness.

The quarry is located within the Piney Range Soil Landscape as mapped by King 1998, The Piney

Range soil landscape occupies the same area as the Class 5 land in Figure 16.

The landform is gently to occasionally undulating rises and gently undulating side slopes of less than

2% increasing to 7% for small rises. Soils on the crests are shallow, well drained Lithosol, shallow

moderately drained red earths on the upper slopes, moderately deep and well drained, non-calcic

brown soils occur on the lower slopes.

Figure 16. Soil and Land capability map.

In the vicinity of the quarry the gabbro bedrock outcrops or is covered with thin, well drained

Lithosol. The fertility of the soil is low to very low. The soils have high erodibility and the erosion

hazard is high.

As the landscape is highly modified and degraded by long term farming activity, the extension to the

current quarry operation would not pose any additional risk to the landscape.

Tastex would implement the following management and mitigation measures to minimise the

potential for unacceptable impact on the land and soil capability;

Where practicable separate top soil and overburden and store separately for later use

during rehabilitation. Construct stockpiles according to accepted guidelines.

Minimise disturbance of soils by only clearing the minimum area required for production.

Minimise vehicle and equipment movements during wet weather.

Natural hazards

The land is not prone to landslip or flooding. The surrounding landform itself is comprised of red

loam soils on top of a layer of overburden and then the underlying gabbro deposit. The quarry site

itself consists of a low rocky outcrop, where the gabbro deposit meets the surface of the land.

The land would naturally be prone to grass fires, in the same way as all surrounding farmlands are.

The quarry site itself grows little vegetation. In consequence, it does not present a greater bushfire

hazard than surrounding lands.

Waste Management

Toilet facilities on site will be ‘port a loo'. These will be serviced regularly by the supplier or pumps

by a licensed liquid waste remover and disposed of in a licenced premise.

There will be no liquid wastes flowing from the proposed quarry use.

Garbage and other waste will be removed from the site and taken to the Forbes Shire Council's

rubbish tip each week. Pending disposal, waste will be stored in plastic garbage bins on site.

The waste material excavated from the quarry is considered to be “Virgin Excavated Natural

Material’ under the definition in the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

6. Consultation

Tastex have consulted with the landowners and obtained their approval for the current quarry

operation on ML1773.

Tastex consulted with the landowner regarding the final (mine closure) and rehabilitation outcomes,

as outlined in the MOP and agreements reached with them.

Tastex have consulted with the landowner, who is also the nearest resident regarding the proposed

expansion and obtained their approval. The landowner has supplied a letter granting their approval

for the expansion (Appendix 4)

7. References

Allen D. 2016. Pineleigh Proposed Quarry AgTEM survey Investigating Buried Boulder Locations.

Groundwater Imaging.

King D.P 1998. Soil Landscapes of the Forbes 1:250,000 Sheet Report. Department of Land and

Water Conservation.

Office of Environment and Heritage, 2012. The Land and Soil Capability Assessment Scheme. Second

Approximation.

Tastex 2018. Mining Operations Plan ML1773. (included as Appendix 3)