ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING … Exec Summar… · environmental impact...
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
Executive Summary Middle Creek Quarries
Report No.930/01
ES-1
R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
has been prepared by RW Corkery & Co.
Pty Limited on behalf of Oberon
Earthmoving Pty Limited (“the Applicant”)
to support a development application for the
continued operation and extension of
Middle Creek Quarries (“the Quarry”).
The existing Quarry has been operated
since 2014 under development consent
DA 10.2010.66.1, which limits disturbance
to less than 2ha and production to less than
30 000m3. Figure A identifies the regional
setting of the Quarry, approximately 3.5km
west of Oberon on Lot 2 DP 1112479
(50 Sewells Creek Road), referred to herein
as the Project Site.
The proposed extension of the Quarry
would include progressively increasing the
extraction area to approximately 15ha (see
Figure B) and providing for transport of up
to 250 000tpa of product.
By virtue of total disturbance exceeding 2ha
and production exceeding 30 000m3, the
proposed development is considered
‘designated’ under the provisions of
Schedule 3(1) of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000
(EP&A Reg). As Designated Development
for the purpose of extractive industry, the
Proposal is also classified as Regional
Development under Part 4 of the State
Environmental Planning Policy - State and
Regional Development 2011 by effect of
Schedule 4A(8) of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A
Act). As Regional Development, the
development application will be determined
by the Joint Regional Planning Panel –
Western Region.
Figure A Locality Plan and Local
Setting
A4/colour
Dated 02/05/16 Inserted 17/05/16
This EIS describes the proposed
modifications to the currently approved
operations (“the Proposal”), describes the
environment within and surrounding the
Quarry, presents the environmental
safeguards the Applicant would incorporate
into the design and operation of the Quarry
and assesses the impacts (if any) that the
safeguarded activities would have on the
local environment.
The EIS also evaluates the Proposal in
terms of Ecologically Sustainable
Development, justifies the Proposal in
terms of biophysical, economic and social
considerations and examines the
consequences of not proceeding with the
Proposal.
OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
Figure B Project Site Layout
A4/colour
Dated 04/05/16 / Inserted 17/05/16
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
Executive Summary Middle Creek Quarries
Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
THE PROPOSAL
The Proposal incorporates the following
key components, identified as relevant on
Figure B.
An increase in the extraction area to
approximately 15ha, further segregated
into three separate cells.
Cell 1: an area of approximately
5.9ha (including the current
extraction area) extending from the
existing quarry.
Cell 2: an area of approximately
4.4ha incorporating the most
elevated and northerly section of the
ridge.
Cell 3: linking Cells 1 and 2 and
incorporating an area of
approximately 4.7ha along the top of
the ridge.
An increase in the rate of extraction and
production up to a maximum of
150 000tpa with an expected average of
80 000tpa.
Campaign crushing and screening of the
extracted rock (to suit customer
requirements).
Importation of:
– raw mulch (up to 25 000tpa);
– ENM (up to 50 000tpa); and
– treated drilling mud generated by
hydro-excavation methods (up to
60 000tpa).
for stockpiling and sale, composting
blending with extracted gravel, or
application to the completed extraction
area as part of rehabilitation of the
Quarry.
The combined production of gravel, fill,
soil, mulch and other specialty products
would not exceed 250 000tpa.
Installation of various erosion and
sediment control features to prevent
uncontrolled and contaminated discharge
from the Project Site.
Progressive rehabilitation of the
extraction area and other disturbance to
create a final landform amenable to
future agricultural, or other agreed, land
use.
The extraction operations would be
undertaken in a similar manner to existing
operations with erosion and sediment
controls first established followed by
vegetation clearing and soil removal (where
practical) to expose the underlying rock.
Any non-gravel overburden would be
removed and stockpiled either for sale as
select fill or replacement within the final
landform followed by extraction of the
gravel. Initially, the rock would be won by
ripping (using a bulldozer), however, where
the rock becomes too hard to win by
ripping, the Applicant would use
conventional drill and blast methods to
fracture the rock before ripping and
extraction.
As the rock becomes harder at depth, and
dependent on customer size requirements,
crushing and screening of the gravel would
be required. This rock would be loaded to a
mobile crushing unit, initially located
within the Crushing, Screening and
Resource Recovery Area, to reduce the size
and either separate into specific sizes or
produce a graded products. Rock which is
not loaded directly to the crushing unit
would be placed in stockpiles for future
crushing. Depending on the specifications
required by customers, additional screening
and/or blending with stockpiled overburden,
imported soils or other products could be
undertaken.
OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
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Waste materials to be accepted on to the
Project Site would be classified as follows.
Organic (Woody) Waste (Raw Mulch).
Excavated Natural Material (ENM).
Treated Drilling Mud.
Each would only be accepted in accordance
with the relevant Resource Recovery Order
issued under Part 9 of Protection of the
Environment Operations (Waste)
Regulation 2014 (POEO (Waste) Reg) and
either:
stockpiled for future sale (without
modification) within 12 months of
acceptance;
applied to land in accordance with the
relevant Resource Recovery Exemption
issued under Part 9 of the POEO
(Waste) Reg;
screened and blended to produce a
specialty gravel, fill or soil products; or
composted.
Screening / Blending
From stockpiles, selected ENM and treated
drilling muds would be screened to either
remove large rocks and organic material, or
produce a specific size fraction. The
screened material would be stockpiled for
sale or further blending with the Quarry
gravel to generate a specific gravel/fill
product.
Composting
From stockpiles, raw mulch would be
chipped, shredded, mulched and screened to
generate the specific size and consistency
required for each product. Material
designated for the production of compost
would be placed in wind rows for
pasteurisation (reduction in pathogens and
plant propagules) and maturation (to
biological stability) of the compost.
The proposed composting process would be
aerobic, to reduce the potential for odours,
and segregated from other Project Site
runoff, to prevent pollution of land or water
off the Project Site.
Quarry products would be despatched from
the Project Site via Sewells Creek and
Abercrombie Roads, towards Oberon and
beyond. The transportation of quarry
products would be undertaken
predominantly using truck and dog trailers
(50m3/32t), although larger vehicles (up to
B-double arrangement) or smaller vehicles,
such as rigid trucks, could be used.
The Applicant would generally restrict
extraction and processing operations to
between 6:30am and 6:30pm, Monday –
Friday and 8:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday.
Haulage operations are proposed to be
undertaken 24 hours per day (to
accommodate deliveries of waste materials
from facilities which operate 24 hours per
day).
The Applicant would adopt a progressive
approach to the rehabilitation of disturbed
areas to ensure that, where practicable, as
extraction is completed, a stable landform is
finalised and vegetated. The final landform,
whilst not a replication of the pre-quarry
landform, would remain sympathetic to the
local visual aesthetic of cleared grazing
land with occasional crops. A final land use
of low intensity agriculture and passive
biodiversity conservation is proposed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
Land Ownership and Use
The Project Site lies within Lot 2
DP 1112479 which is owned by a company
associated with the Applicant. Figure C
presents the land ownership and residences
within and surrounding the Project Site. The
residences shown are included based on
their likelihood of being impacted by the
Proposal.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
Executive Summary Middle Creek Quarries
Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
Figure C Land Ownership and Residences
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Dated 27/04/16 / Inserted 17/05/16
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Land uses on and surrounding the Project
Site have been categorised as:
agriculture and rural-residential;
forestry; and
infrastructure and services.
Topography
Elevations of the local topography range
from approximately 1 138m AHD at
Humphries Bald Hill approximately 2km to
the north of the Project Site to 1 000m AHD
at Captain Kings Creek approximately 2km
west of the Project Site (see Figure D). The
landform is undulating with the Project Site
principally located on a north-south ridge
with elevations ranging up to 1 160m AHD
across the top of the ridge and down to
1 100m AHD at the base of the ridge.
Drainage and Water Resources
The Project Site is located towards the
headwaters of the Campbells River water
source within the Macquarie River
catchment.
The majority of the Project Site drains to
the south and west into Captain Kings
Creek which flows in a westerly then
northerly direction before discharging into
Sewells Creek (approximately 19km
downstream). Sewells Creek discharges to
the Campbells River upstream of Ben
Chifley Dam. The northern and eastern
portions of the Project Site drain to the
north into Middle Creek which flows to the
northwest into Wisemans Creek which then
discharges into the Campbells River
upstream of Ben Chifley Dam.
A review of the Department of Primary
Industries - Water online Continuous Water
Monitoring Network database identifies
11 registered groundwater bores within
2.5km of the Project Site. An analysis of the
data confirms that water is generally
contained within shale and/or basalt,
i.e. different geology to that of the
extraction area, at elevations (AHD) below
that targeted for extraction.
Soils and Land Capability
The Project Site is located over the Oberon
Soil Landscape, the soils of which derive
from the andesite, tuff, slate and greywacke
rocks of volcanic origin. The soils of the
Project Site vary from shallow red
Krasnozems over the ridge associated with
the current extraction area to deeper brown
red earth aligned soils at the northern end of
the ridge line to be extracted. These soils
are generally slightly acidic, non-sodic, low
salinity and are assigned a low to moderate
erosion hazard.
The soil and land capability class of the
Project Site has been previously mapped as
Class 6, i.e. land with severe limitations and
generally restricted to grazing.
Biodiversity
Following field survey of the Project Site,
no Endangered Ecological Communities or
threatened flora were identified within those
areas to be disturbed.
Two threatened fauna species were
identified as occurring with potential
foraging habitat identified for a further ten
threatened fauna species.
Cultural Heritage
The Project Site is located within the tribal
boundaries of the Wiradjuri people
(‘Wiradjuri country’). Wiradjuri country is
bound by three rivers: Macquarie, Lachlan,
and Murrumbidgee and extends from
Dubbo and Bylong in the north to
Tallangatta in the south, Lithgow in the east
to the Hay Plain and Ivanhoe in the west.
No artefacts or site of Aboriginal heritage
were identified within those areas of the
Project Site to be disturbed, although two
sites were identified to the west of the
Quarry Access Road (see Figure D).
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
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Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
Figure D Environmental Setting
A4/colour
Dated 17/05/16 / Inserted 17/5/16
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
A desktop search of the area covered by the
Oberon Shire Local Government Area
(LGA) identified a single historic (non-
Aboriginal) heritage site, Oberon General
Cemetery, approximately 2km east of the
Project Site.
Air Quality
The air quality of the environs surrounding
the Project Site is typical of a semi-rural
setting with airborne contaminants
generated by existing land uses.
Given the presence of active forestry,
milling and wood manufacturing operations
within the Oberon Shire, odours associated
with logging and milling activities are a
feature of the local setting.
Noise
The Project Site is situated within a rural
setting immediately surrounded by
12 residential receivers within 2km.
The existing noise levels in the vicinity the
Project Site are influenced by sources
associated by agricultural activities, traffic
on local roads, wind and the urban centre of
Oberon to the east.
Noise monitoring established a background
(L90) noise level of 34dB(A) and 30dB(A)
for the day time and evening/night periods
respectively.
Traffic
The route of vehicles travelling to and from
the Project Site would utilise two roads
between the Project Site and Oberon
(Sewells Creek and Abercrombie Roads)
resulting in a small increase in the volume
of traffic using these.
Sewells Creek Road is a 7m sealed two
lane road with 0.5m to 1m sealed
shoulders, reflector posts, double centre
line and shoulder markings maintained
by Council.
Abercrombie Road (MR 256) is a 7m
sealed two land road with sealed
shoulders varying from approximately
0.3m to >1m, reflector posts, centre
line and shoulder markings.
Both roads are well-maintained with the
pavement in relatively good condition with
no potholes, corrugation or other significant
deformation.
The Quarry Access Road intersects Sewells
Creek Road in a T-intersection
configuration. The intersection is a basic
rural intersection without turning or
auxiliary lanes. The Sewells Creek Road –
Abercrombie Road intersection is also a
basic rural T-intersection configuration with
Abercrombie Road having right of way.
Safe Intersection Sight Distance exceeding
that recommended by Austroads is present
at both intersections.
Visibility
The local setting is dominated by the urban
centre of Oberon to the east of the Project
Site, in particular the Oberon MDF Facility,
and the dense vegetation of Essington State
Forest to the west and north of the Project
Site.
The remaining landscape is characterised by
undulating hills and valleys with vegetation
occurring on hill tops and along drainage
lines or as constructed wind breaks (see
Figure D).
The Quarry is not currently visible from
residences surrounding the Project Site.
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS AND IMPACTS
Soil and Water Resources
The use of appropriate soil stripping,
handling and stockpiling procedures,
together with appropriate surface water
controls would minimise the impact to the
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
Executive Summary Middle Creek Quarries
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
soils and land capability of the Project Site.
Proposed safeguards and management
practices include the following key features.
The diversion of clean water around the
areas of disturbance and discharge at
non-erosive velocities.
The collection and retention of all runoff
from disturbed areas, with discharge
only occurring under high rainfall
conditions (exceeding the approved
design specifications of each sediment
basins) or following confirmation of
compliance with water quality criteria.
The collection of runoff from the
composting activities with all ‘contact’
water stored within an impermeable
dam.
It has been assessed that with the
implementation of this approach to water
management there would be no significant
impacts upon surface water quality or
quantity downstream of the Project Site.
An assessment of available water resources
against predicted maximum water
requirements has been completed and
indicates that sufficient water would be
available from rainfall and runoff to supply
the Proposal.
Local groundwater occurs below the
maximum depth of extraction and as such,
there would be no direct impact on
groundwater.
Noise and Blasting
Given the Project Site’s relative isolation,
the low noise impact of current operations,
and the minimal changes to noise
generating activities on the Project Site, it
has been assessed that there would be
minimal change to the existing noise
environment.
Noise modelling has confirmed that the
proposed Quarry operations, including
extended extraction, campaign crushing,
resource recovery and increased transport,
could be undertaken without exceedance of
the noise or blasting criteria established in
accordance with the NSW Industrial Noise
Policy, NSW Road Noise Policy and the
ANZECC Technical Basis for Guidelines to
Minimise Annoyance Due to Blasting.
Air Quality
While the Proposal would result in some
dust generating activities occurring closer to
several residences, it has been assessed as
unlikely that these changes would result in
dust or other airborne particulate matter
concentrations exceeding assessment
criteria of the EPA.
The potential for odour generation from the
proposed composting process would be
managed by restricting raw feed to low
odour risk, non-putrescible woody
materials, and maintenance of an aerobic
process. These measures notwithstanding,
and in accordance with EPA Victoria’s
guidelines for management of open air
aerobic composting facilities, the proposed
composting activities would be located at
least 1.1km from those residences, based on
the prevailing winds of the Oberon area,
most likely to be exposed to any odour.
This notwithstanding, the Applicant has
committed to implementing an Odour
Management Plan as part of ongoing
operations which would include details on
monitoring and contingency management.
Biodiversity
Based on the relatively small areas of
habitat to be disturbed and occurrence of
this habitat in the surrounding areas, the
Proposal has been assessed as unlikely to:
significantly affect any of the identified
threatened species;
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Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
augment or significantly contribute to
any of the identified Key Threatening
Processes;
significantly impact any Ramsar
wetland or any CAMBA or JAMBA
listed species; and
significantly adversely affect the local
biodiversity.
Aboriginal Heritage
The Proposal would not impact directly on
Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal cultural
heritage, with the sites identified to the west
of the Quarry Access Road to be protected
(by fencing) from disturbance.
On the basis of adherence to the obligations
of the National Parks & Wildlife Act 1974,
and implementation of an Unanticipated
Finds Protocol as required, the Proposal
would continue to have no impact on
Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Historic Heritage
The Proposal would have no direct impact
on the identified historic heritage site
(Oberon General Cemetery).
Indirect impacts on this site, as a result of
vibration through blasting or traffic, are also
extremely unlikely.
Traffic
The Proposal would result in a small
increase in the volume of traffic using
Sewells Creek and Abercrombie Roads.
The current volume of traffic using these
roads is well within capacity in their current
form, with the small increase in traffic
movements unlikely to affect the level of
service currently provided by the Sewells
Creek Road – Abercrombie Road
intersection. An upgrade to the intersection
of the Quarry Access Road with Sewells
Creek Road is proposed to ensure safe entry
and exit of vehicles from the Quarry.
Given heavy vehicle traffic, primarily in the
form of log or woodchip trucks, is already
an established feature of local roads in the
Oberon Shire LGA, and on the basis of the
proposed driver management, road
improvements and contributions proposed
by the Applicant, it is assessed as unlikely
that the Proposal would have an
unacceptable impact on the local road
network or road users.
Visual
The Proposal would require an increase to
the limit of extraction and as such, an
increase in the area of the Project Site
exposed to ground disturbing activities.
However, this increase in disturbance on the
Project Site would have practically no
effect on the visibility of the Quarry
operations from residential receivers and
local roads, with the features of the local
setting which currently screen the existing
Quarry, continuing to be effective.
Socio-economic
In order to assess the overall impact of the
proposed quarry extension on the socio-
economic environment, the various adverse
and beneficial impacts were considered.
Adverse impacts include the previously
considered impacts on noise, air
quality, traffic and visibility, and
possible minor impacts on the aesthetic
appeal of the Project Site.
Beneficial impacts would include the
continued provision of local
employment and the continued supply
of the products required locally for
road building, landscaping and
construction projects.
Considering the potential socio-economic
benefits against those deemed to be adverse,
it is assessed that there would be a net
socio-economic benefit arising from the
approval of the Proposal.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED
Executive Summary Middle Creek Quarries
Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
CONCLUSION
Since commencement of extraction from
the Quarry in 2014, demand for the gravel
products, which are well suited to
construction and maintenance of local and
State Forest roads has increased with
approved production limits now a limiting
factor on activities. It is expected that the
demand for road construction materials will
continue with the Quarry representing one
of only a small number of local quarries
able to supply demand.
Development of residential, infrastructure
and industrial projects invariably generate
excess or requires additional stabilised fill
materials as part of these developments.
The completed extraction area, being well
screened and relatively isolated from
sensitive receivers, offers an ideal location
for storage of materials from other
developments prior to supply as fill.
The local forestry, milling and wood
product manufacturing industries of the
Oberon Shire LGA generate significant
volumes of organic (woody) waste. The
Quarry presents a nearby, already disturbed,
well screened and relatively isolated
location where these ‘waste’ materials may
be stockpiled (for processing and/or
composting) to create a variety of mulches
and composts.
As is described in this EIS, the potential
impacts of the Proposal can be predicted
and could proceed within the limits of
accepted criteria or goals and with minimal
adverse impact on the surrounding
environment. It has also been assessed that
the Proposal is consistent with the features
which distinguish an ecologically
sustainable approach to development, in
that, the proposed extension to the Quarry
would provide important materials required
for the continued development of the region
and provide employment with the Oberon
Shire LGA, while only resulting in minor
yet acceptable environmental impacts.
The consequences of not proceeding with
the Proposal also weigh heavily in favour of
proceeding with the Proposal.
i) Operations at the Quarry would be
limited by the existing development
consent and would cease in the
foreseeable future as the resource
extractable from the approved area is
exhausted.
ii) The opportunity to maintain
employment for on-site personnel and
truck drivers for in excess of 20 years
would be foregone.
iii) The opportunity to develop resource
recovery operations, for transformation
of waste generated in the local area and
region into products with beneficial
uses, would be foregone and potentially
realised within another LGA.
iv) The flow-on benefits through
expenditure of wages and goods and
services purchases would be foregone.
v) The minor impacts on the local
biophysical environment would not
eventuate.
On balance, therefore, the approval of the
Proposal can be justified on the basis that:
it is a permissible activity which
complies with NSW and local planning
instruments and legislation;
the perceived adverse impacts on the
local environment would be minor and
offset by the identified socio-economic
benefits; and
it would be undertaken in accordance
with the four principles of ESD.
OBERON EARTHMOVING PTY LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
Middle Creek Quarries Executive Summary
Report No.930/01
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R. W. CORKERY & CO. PTY. LIMITED
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