A Must! Mark in your calendar, 4.30pm Wednesday 21st September 2016. We have received a newsletter from the 'No New Quarry' group from Herons Creek. due to the fact this will have a significant impact on the environmental, social, heritage, biodiversity, and economic concerns with our district, a copy of their newsletter is below. But even more importantly, there is a call to all residents to attend the meeting below. This is sadly not a consultaion hearing but a 'determination' meeting. It's a very sad day when a panel of authorities does not meet face to face with the community nor its leaders long beforehand to discuss such an application that if approved will have quite sufficient changes to our district. The Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) are the consent authority for this development DA 2015/953. A determination meeting to approve, reject or defer the proposal is scheduled for: 4.30PM - Wednesday 21 September 2016 Herons Creek Chapel, Blackbutt Road Herons Creek Attention Herons Creek Residents You may be aware of the proposed new “Lookout Road” hard rock quarry site for Herons Creek. The proposed new quarry will be clearly audible and visible from many rural dwellings that surround the site with potential for fine silica dust pollution travelling for kilometres from the elevated site. Rhyolite, the hard rock being sought by the proposal, is found in a 35km radial seam that runs 200 meters deep throughout the Camden Haven district known as the “Lorne Basin”. An alternative quarry site has not been investigated by CTK despite it being a legislative requirement. PRESS RELEASE A meeting was held in December 2014 between Port Macquarie Hastings Council and CTK Natural Resources Pty. Ltd to discuss a new, hard rock quarry proposal in Broken Bago State Forest (DA 2015/953). That meeting was the catalyst to change Port Macquarie Hasting Council Local Environmental Plans (LEP) to allow extractive industries in local State Forests. State Forests are overseen by Forestry Corporation to sustainably manage our important timber resources. Public recreation and critical biodiversity principals are also part of the broader Forestry Corporation mission. The introduction of extractive industries to State Forests is opposed to the core function of Forestry Corporation who are employed as stewards of land belonging to the people of NSW. Forestry Corporation NSW has given the proposal its’ full support. The proposed new “Lookout Road” quarry site is located at Herons Creek in Broken Bago State Forest and is part of the culturally significant Broken Bago Range. Neighbouring Bago Bluff National Park near Bago Vineyard, the proposed new quarry will be clearly audible and visible from the many rural dwellings that surround the site. Three of these “significant agricultural” properties that border the site are “Proclaimed Wildlife Refuges” which support the Greater East Coast Wildlife Corridor through which numerous threatened and endangered species of fauna are known to exist. There is also the potential for fine silica dust pollution to be windblown and travel many kilometres from the proposed, elevated quarry site. The site for the proposed quarry and 8 ML dam straddle the north and south of Milligans Road which is catchment to both the pristine Hastings and Camden Haven River systems and endangered ecological communities. CTK plan to use 39 ML of water per year for processing by damming a second order creek that flows into Herons Creek. CTK has justified the need for the quarry by saying the resource they want to extract is limited. The proposed new quarry will be located within 2km of an existing quarry that was given a 16 fold increased extraction from 30 000 to 490 000 tonnes just 13 months ago. 16 quarries extracting 2.7million tonnes per year, are located within one hour of the proposed new quarry. Rhyolite, the hard rock being sought by the proposal, is found in a 35km radial seam that runs 200 meters deep throughout geologically referred to the “Lorne Basin” within which Broken Bago State Forest is located. An alternative quarry site was not investigated by CTK as is a legislative requirement. Council state it is not known whether new jobs will be created by the proposal nor if the demand exists for a new quarry. DA PMHC 2015/953 has been under consideration since December 2015. Based on submissions received during the exhibition period, Council has prepared an Assessment Report. Council supports the proposal even though the Council considers the proposal very weak in at least 21 important areas of consideration. Council has also highlighted that many of the legislated Planning Environmental Assessment Requirements have not been met. The Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) are the consent authority for DA 2015/953. Meeting details are as follows. JRPP Meeting of Determination 4.30PM Wednesday 21 September 2016 Herons Creek Church Blackbutt Road Herons Creek. The meeting is open to the public who are encouraged to attend. If you wish to address the panel, you must first register your interest by calling 02 9228 2060 or emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. no later than 4.00 PM Monday 19 September 2016 Council Assessment Report and supporting documents for DA 2015/953 are available for the public to view on the JRPP website link below: http://www.jrpp.nsw.gov.au/Meetings/tabid/82/ctl/view/JRPP_ID/2539/mid/460/a/1/language/en-US/Default.aspx Press release compiled by: Maureen Churnside No New Quarry Herons Creek Phone 0412 594 084