Unfortunately as the old saying goes, tigers don’t change their stripes.
After the Supreme Court of NSW confirmed last year that Daracon’s Martins Creek Quarry operations (from which Daracon had derived circa $100 million dollars of income) was completely unlawful. Daracon went silent metaphorically and literally.
Since September last year residents surrounding the site and those who live adjacent to the haulage route within the villages of Martins Creek and Paterson have had the pleasure of rural amenity without blasting, crusher noise, dust nor hundreds of daily unlawful quarry truck movements.
The experience for many impacted residents once quarry operations were brought into compliance with the law has been life changing.
So 12 months on since residents last heard from Daracon many residents (not all though) have been greeted with a glossy brochure “Martins Creek Quarry Update Information Sheet No.2” in the mail. The brochure has been crafted by Daracon and Umwelt spin doctors announcing new project refinements that they are now seeking approval for from the NSW Department of Planning.
The revised parameters that Umwelt (Environmental Consultant) and Daracon seek approval for in that glossy brochure are stated as:
1,100,000 tonne per annum (tpa) extraction
25 year operational life
500,000tpa transported by road from the site
600,000tpa transported by rail from the site
280 truck movements per day
50 truck movements per hour (7am to 7pm)
Monday to Friday sales
Although the above parameters are a reduction from the previously proposed parameters exhibited in 2016. When one looks at the details carefully and compares it with the current baseline which is “currently no quarry traffic through Paterson” it is apparent that the above expansion proposal will result in significant unmitigated impacts to the residents, businesses and visitors of Paterson and to those residents who reside in Vacy and Martins Creek around the quarry pit itself.
If approved, the impacts of the above scale of operation through Paterson will be similar to the madness experienced in 2014 when residents and businesses endured 60 truck movements per hour from Daracon’s then unlawful operation.
In July 2019 Daracon and Umwelt held a Collaborative Assessment Forum (CAF) on the subject of traffic impacts from the proposed quarry. The CAF was attended by numerous Paterson, Vacy and Martins Creek residents. Attendees to that CAF learnt from Daracon and Umwelt that the proposed hourly truck movements and associated road upgrades would result in:
a loss of customer “on street” parking in Paterson
reduced on street access and parking of delivery vehicles used to service our local businesses
a requirement for customers to park in an “off street” parking area that would require customers to walk some distance to shop fronts
a loss of one right turn access into and out of the Paterson Service Station,
a loss of parking spaces immediately adjacent to the Post Office currently utilized by residents for parcel and mail drop off and pick up
a loss of footpath area in certain sections
an intensification of trucking movements effecting the safe movement of pedestrians within the activity centre and
an increase in impacts to both the rural village amenity and activity centre function of Paterson that residents and visitors are currently afforded and enjoy.
In an example of the contempt that Daracon and Umwelt holds for the Paterson community the “refined” project parameters and the glossy brochure developed by Daracon spin doctors and distributed to the local community in August 2020 has opted to completely ignore the issues and impacts listed above.
What can you do:
Remain steadfast and oppose the Martins Creek Quarry expansion. Even if you are not directly affected, we guarantee that you will know someone who is.
Communicate your views (and the impacts you have already experienced from the proposed scale) to Umwelt (email: social-team@umwelt.com.au) and Daracon (email: louise.neville@daracon.com.au)
Donate. MCQAG is preparing a war chest to oppose this incompatible development proposal to the bitter end. MCQAG will be engaging expert witnesses in noise, planning and traffic. MCQAG appreciates any donation large or small. Follow the links to donate and support our fight