supplement to dpemp for highland lakes road quarry quarry... · dust and talcum powder (1 to 1000...

Supplement to DPEMP for Highland Lakes Road Quarry September 22, 2009

Integrated Land management and Planning | 1

Section A Introduction:

A proposal to develop a quarry on Forestry Tasmania land off the Highland Lakes Road was

advertised for public comment. A number of representations were received by the Meander Valley

Council. The Environment Protection Authority reviewed the representations and produced a

document titled “Cresswell’s Highland Lakes Road Quarry – Summary of Public and State Government

Comments”.

The following sections respond to representations made by members of the local community

interested in the Highland Lakes Road Quarry proposal. The summary of the comment in red is

followed by a short statement either elaborating on information found in the DPEMP or introducing

new information to address the comment.

A (i) Public Comment

General The quarry will impact on the health, lifestyle and wellbeing of the local community.

The site of the proposed quarry is accessed by a forestry track from the Lake Highway. At this location the Lake Highway runs NW to SE through timbered country in a valley between two ridges. The alignment of the road and the surrounding ridges approximates that of the prevailing north-westerly winds (Fig 9). The quarry is situated within State Forest on rising and moderate density timbered ground. To the north-east of the upper boundary of the mining lease are situated disused gravel pits and beyond these the land continues to rise to high ground at 380-390m. The forest cover is continuous to and beyond a ridge to the north east of the quarry site. To the south–east is a private Eucalyptus plantation with tracks through this connecting with Maroney’s Road. The nearest dwellings are situated on Maroney’s Road greater than 1 km distant. The nearest community is at Golden Valley 4.5 km to the south-east.

From the southern boundary of the mining lease the Lake Highway is not visible through the trees and on this basis the quarry will be well screened by vegetation in the intervening land between the highway and the quarry. Motorists on the Highland Lakes Road may catch glimpses of the quarry through the trees but the disturbance will be barely discernable from other forestry roads and clearings.

The site for the quarry is within recommended attenuation distances from residences.

The properties close to the quarry are rural – The Meander Valley Planning Scheme will prevent any intensification of residential development in the vicinity.



Dust emissions Eastern residents will be affected by dust due to prevailing westerly winds.

Conditions of the Mining Lease require that the quarry operation complies with the Quarry Code of Practice which states: “Dust should not normally be visible crossing the boundary of the premises.” It should be noted that the mining lease boundary is 500 metres distant from the nearest property boundary in an easterly direction and greater than 1250 metres from the nearest dwelling is.

The quarry site complies with the Standard Recommended Attenuation Distances for dust and noise producing activities, which are:

Blasting – 1000 metres

Crushing – 750 metres

Vibrating screens – 500 metres

None of the above – 300 metres

Dust on access roads and within the quarry will be controlled by water sprays. The surrounding State and private forests will effectively both screen operations and will fulfil the function of a buffer zone such that any remaining fugitive dust particles will be rapidly deposited under the influence of the surrounding forest canopy.

Strong concerns that the quartz dust is genotoxic and carcinogenic; resulting in the increased frequency of chromosomal abberations.

Exposure to very fine quartz dust (< 5 μm) by inhalation has potential health risks including lung damage. Workers involved in activities that produce these very fine particles such as cutting and grinding are at most risk. An effective control used in industry is to apply water to entrap the particles. The controls used on the site to prevent dust from being carried across the mining lease boundary will also suppress any fine dust particles.

The factors that influence the health effects of dust include:

The size of dust particles;

The composition of dust particles;

The concentration of dust particles in air; and

The duration of exposure to dust particles.

Mining and quarrying generate dust particles between 1 μm to 100 μm, the Environmental Defenders Office of NSW Technical fact sheet indicates that a typical size range of particle sizes is:

PM 2.5 2-5% of total emissions;

PM 2.5 to PM 10 15-45% of total emissions; and

Greater than 10 μm 50-70% of total emissions.

Typically the softer materials, such as coal, tend to produce a greater proportion of the finer particles than hard rock mining and quarrying.

The quarry operators are aware of the potential for PM10 and PM2.5 particles to be inhaled or respired without the use of appropriate personal protective equipment



or vehicle screening and air conditioning equipment. For this reason extensive use of water carts and water sprays will be used. As a matter of course, plant operators are protected by filters and air conditioning in their machinery cabs. In extreme cases quarry workers may also be protected through the use of individual respirators.

As the quarrying operations are to be undertaken on a campaign basis, the volume of dust when controlled by water sprays is likely to be low while the duration of dust production events will be limited. At other times, the quarry premises will be secured to prevent access by unauthorized persons who may create dust through illicit vehicle movements. During operational periods, all working surfaces, stockpiles and roads will be stabilized with water spray and during recovery periods, water sprays will also be utilized as required.

Dust will contaminate the local water supply and tanks.

Controls, discussed above, to prevent dust from crossing the mining lease boundary will prevent dust from entering the water supply or distant water tanks. The closest tanks are not within the line of the north-westerly prevailing winds (Fig 9) and the distance to the nearest community in the path of the prevailing winds, Golden Valley, is approximately 4.5 km. The majority of this pathway being through native or plantation forestry areas that would significantly attenuate any remaining fugitive dusts.

The potential for dust to enter streams will be controlled by both diverting and canalizing a Class 4 stream within the lease and also ensuring, through the use of water sprays, that dust cannot exit the site. Quartz dust is heavy when compared to softer materials such as coal and will settle out rapidly. Quartz dust is also biologically inert, once trapped in water it is no longer harmful to humans.

All the water courses that may be exposed to airborne dust flow away from the residences on Maroneys Road (see water-shed diagram below).

All site drainage is directed through sediment retention facilities that will ensure that dust particles settle out as sediment before the runoff is discharged into the receiving waters



Figure 1 Water shed diagram showing flow paths and catchment

Dust will affect local residents with asthma

Very fine quartz dust has similar sized particles to pollen, plant spores, cement dust and talcum powder (1 to 1000 μm), but greater than wood smoke, tobacco smoke and carbon black (0.2 to 3 μm) and car exhaust (0.1 to 1.5 μm). Unlike pollen, wood smoke and vehicle exhaust particulates, quartz particles have a greater mass and are more likely to settle out within the air column. In addition quartz particles are inorganic, and unlike the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in wood smoke or vehicle exhausts, quartz particles though abrasive are not chemically damaging. It is considered that, in contrast to emissions from wood heaters, the risk of inducement of asthma from quartz dust is significantly less on a mass to mass basis. It is accepted however that quartz dust has other impacts as discussed above. The measures to be taken to suppress quartz dust at source will prevent any adverse effects outside the mining lease area. Workers within the mining lease area will be protected by the required dust management strategies to be put in place.

It is unclear who will monitor dust emissions, especially particular matter 10 and 2.5.

In the absence of background measurements of ambient levels of PM10 and PM2.5

by the regulatory authorities in the Golden Valley region it would be impractical and un-warranted to undertake air quality measurements for these parameters The closest monitoring station for PM10 and PM2.5 is at Ti Tree Bend in Launceston. At the present time monitoring for PM2.5 is not covered by an extant National Pollution Measure although the introduction of this parameter as a measure of ambient air quality is now foreshadowed. Monitoring of these parameters in Launceston has been a response to heavy wood smoke pollution and the findings of the earlier Working Party into Air Quality, Environmental Health and Respiratory

Local water-shed boundary

Deposit gauge site

Deposit gauge sites



Disease and the subsequent CSIRO study. PM10 and PM2.5 monitoring requires the use of highly sophisticated and expensive high volume air monitoring equipment, access to a reliable mains power and a safe and secure site set up according to Australian Standard AS 2922:1987. Conditions suitable for a location for air sampling equipment are unlikely to be available within a forested area.

We propose a limited campaign-based monitoring program utilizing deposit gauge samplers in accordance with Australian Standard AS 3580.9. It is proposed to deploy samplers and undertake sampling at three locations and to sample for a series of consecutive two month periods pre and post commissioning of the quarry and to conduct these over at least two different seasonal ranges of conditions.

Deposit gauge deployments are proposed for locations, (see Tasmap Montana 4639 extract Figure 1):

Up-wind of the quarry 712 953 (GDA94 471312E, 5395483N)

Quarry entrance 718 953 (GDA94 471912E, 5395483N)

Down-wind (Maroney’s\Road) 742 950 (GDA94 474312E, 5395183N)

O.H. & S. It is unclear whether processing methods are consistent with methods of best practice to reduce employees being exposed to quartz dust.

Quartz dust is known to be an occupational health and safety problem for workers involved in activities likely to produce very fine quartz dust particles. Workers involved in activities such as cutting, grinding and grit blasting require particular protection.

Normal controls to prevent dust at the quarry such as watering roads and hosing off vehicles also control the injurious quartz dust. Workers are further protected by operating vehicles with enclosed cabs and by maintaining the air conditioning systems in the vehicles.

Workplace Standards will periodically inspect the quarry operation to ensure that the dust management strategies are implemented.

The managers of the quarry will be guided by and will adhere to the “Best Practice Environmental Management in Mining” guidelines set out by Environment Australia (1998).

Noise emissions

Noise from the quarry will be a nuisance to local residents.

The quarry site is outside the recommended attenuation distance from existing sensitive uses. The property surrounding the mining lease is crown land reserved for forestry operations on the north and eastern side and private forests on the western side. None of this land is available for residential uses. The land adjacent to Maroneys Road is zoned rural and the Meander Valley Planning Scheme will limit any increase in density of residential use on this land.

The nearest dwelling is 1250 metres away and the community of Golden Valley is approximately 4.5 km to the south-east. Between the quarry site and Golden Valley is a topographic saddle while the whole area is covered in medium density forest with a well developed understorey. The site of the proposed quarry is at a location situated below ridges to the NNE and SSW with the Lake Highway located to the south and above a low point on the access track to the quarry occupied by a small stream. The higher ground and dense vegetation surrounding the quarry site



will naturally attenuate noise associated with blasting, quarrying, crushing and loading of product. As the quarry develops, increasing depth of benching will also deaden noise.

Extensive operating hours will create a nuisance for residents.

The quarry operators are prepared to control mining activities such that they do not impact upon the rural population and residents of dwellings in Maroney’s Road and Golden Valley.

The operators are prepared to undertake ambient noise monitoring at the site both before and during initial operations. Noise monitoring will be undertaken at a control and operational stations. Noise monitoring will be undertaken by a specialist consultancy and modeling based upon empirical observations may be required.

If the measured noise outside normal operating hours exceeds 5 dB(A) above ambient, crushing hours will be restricted to 0700 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1600 on Saturdays.

There is no commitment that blasting will occur only during normal working hours on weekdays.

Blasting will be restricted to occur only on weekdays between 0900 and 1600.

Noise will impact users of the Tasmanian Trail.

All quarry equipment will comply with noise emission regulations. The Tasmania Trail in this location has just exited from the Lake Highway. The noise from the quarry will not be invasive against a background of traffic noise.

Noise will frighten local horse stock and disrupt breeding patterns.

The proposed quarry is located in a rural area and an area subject to agricultural and forestry operations. Livestock are demonstrably capable of adapting to noise levels such a machinery movements and blasting. Examples being stock living in the vicinity of the Raeburn quarry at Breadalbane where regular blasting and crushing occur.

The site for the quarry is outside the minimum recommended attenuation distance for crushing and blasting from residences. The residences are located on pastoral properties on Maroneys Road. Livestock would be confined to the cleared land on these properties the majority of which is more than 1000 metres distant from the quarry site.

Topography will attenuate equipment and blasting noise effectively (see cross section diagram below).

Noise will interfere with business dealings on local properties, eg. Business interactions with Japanese clients.

The site for the quarry is within recommended attenuation distances from residences for crushing and blasting. Topography will attenuate equipment and blasting noise effectively (see cross section diagram below). Activities such as



agriculture, quarrying and forestry are permitted activities for rural areas and as such are subject to planning regulations and approvals. The quarry operators are prepared to vary operating hours to diminish noise if monitoring indicates that noise levels at the receptor points exceed 5 dB(A) above ambient levels at that point.

The topography between the mining lease and dwellings will not provide adequate attenuation of noise.

The land between the quarry and the closest dwelling starts at elevation 320m rises steeply to 360m then gradually to 369m then falls gradually to 360m and finally falls to 280m over a distance of 1250. (Figures 2 and 3 show the topography between the closest edge of the proposed quarry and dwellings at 164 and 144 Maroneys Road). The horizontal distance between the edge of Stage 1A of the quarry (the closest point of activity) and 164 Maroneys Road is 1250 metres and 144 Maroneys road is 1450 metres

The area between the quarry and these properties is State Forest with medium density forest with a dense understorey on rising ground. This vegetation will significantly attenuate sound waves.



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Figure 3 Cross-section from corner stage 1A to dwelling at 144 Maroney’s Road

Eucalypt plantation

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Eucalypt forest Cleared land

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No sound level measurements (including ambient noise levels and expected equipment noise levels) have been provided. Claims that emission limits will be complied with are unjustified.

An ambient noise monitoring program will be undertaken to characterize noise emissions from the site and their likely impact on the surrounding environment. The Quarry Code of Practice stipulates that the noise from a quarry operation should not exceed 5 dB(A) above ambient when operating outside normal operating hours. If noise monitoring shows that this limit is exceeded, crushing hours will be restricted to 0700 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1600 on Saturdays.

There is no detail about what will happen if noise levels are exceeded.

Noise produced by crushing will be measured at neighbouring residences. If the measured noise when recorded at these dwellings outside normal operating hours exceeds 5 dB(A) above ambient, then crushing hours will be restricted to 0700 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1600 on Saturdays.

Water quality Detail is required about how dust and rocks will be prevented from entering rainwater tanks and water courses.

The site for the quarry is outside recommended attenuation distances from residences for blasting.

The blasting contractor is responsible for producing a hazard analysis and risk assessment and employing strategies to guarantee that blasts will not result in excessive fly rock and dust. Safety of the blasting contractor’s personnel and other forest users will be the overriding factor in blast design.

In normal operation dust will be suppressed by normal controls such as low drop distances and watering roads and equipment.

Threatened flora and fauna

The adequacy of the survey is disputed. The survey is not representative of other conditions/events at other times of the year.

The flora and fauna survey was prepared by Environmental Service and Design Pty Ltd using the “Brief for Consultants” produced by The Nature Conservation Branch of DPIW as their point of reference.

The surveys did not state the qualifications and experience of the consultant.

Mr Philip Milner undertook the field assessment. Philip has a Certificate of Horticulture from TAFE Tasmania and has 35 years experience specialising in Tasmanian and Australian flora. During that period Mr Milner has undertaken field assessments including surveys;

for bridge replacement at Detention and Black Rivers for State Government;

for mineral exploration at Waratah, Lefroy, Hazelwood River, Storey’s Creek and Serpentine Ridge, Stanley River and Mount Foster;

for water storage dams at Swansea and Bicheno;

for subdivision proposals at West Launceston, Heybridge, Sommers Bay; and



for heavy industry at Port Latta and highway duplication at Ulverstone.

Surveys conducted over only two days cannot guarantee that any/all significant flora and fauna values are identified.

Philip uses the “Brief for Consultants” produced by The Nature Conservation Branch of DPIW as his point of reference for flora and fauna surveys. The Nature Conservation Branch has accepted the report but added a requirement for a wedge-tailed eagle nest survey.

The survey was limited to those areas accessible on foot. Many threatened fauna inhabit inaccessible areas.

The survey was conducted in two parts: The first was on the lower slope leading up to the outcropping rock faces. The second (titled supplementary survey) was conducted subsequently on the top of the escarpment and included the communities back to the plantation forest on the north-eastern boundary of the lease.

The site does contain habitat for threatened flora and fauna species, including Tasmanian Wedge-tail eagles, White goshawks, Masked owls, Swift Parrots, Spotted-tailed quolls and Tasmanian devils. These species have been observed in areas close to the proposed quarry site.

The flora and fauna survey included observations of evidence of nests or dens for threatened species. The practitioner used his knowledge and experience of the behaviour of species to target particular sites and look for evidence of current activity including scats, scratchings, regurgitated bone, feathers and fur.

The forest practices officer conducted similar searches quite independently of Environmental Services and Design Pty Ltd. Both professionals found no evidence of nest or dens sites within the areas that will be affected by this project.

The quarry will result in the habitat loss and habitat fragmentation of threatened fauna species, which will impact on their survival.

During the life of the quarry a total of 8 hectares of vegetation will be disturbed. The works will be progressively rehabilitated to limit the un-rehabilitated area to 5 hectares or less as a condition of the mining lease.

As a consequence of the quarry being established the remaining lease area, an area 15 hectares of forest in total is protected from logging by a compensation agreement with Forestry Tasmania.

The clearing will take place in a working forest around 500 hectares in area. The clearing will not cause the isolation of an unsustainable remnant but is on the edge of the forest block close to an area already converted to plantation.

Wedge-tailed eagles have been observed along and above the ridgeline and are known to inhabit the area.

Wedge tailed eagles usually nest in old growth eucalypt or mixed forest. They select the tallest trees in the locality on sheltered positions on leeward slopes, usually between the lower and mid-slopes with the top of the tree lower than the



ground level at the top of the ridge.

The quarry site is located in regrowth forest comprehensively logged in the 1980’s. The site is exposed to westerly winds making it unsuitable for nesting.

Higher densities of eagles are found in a landscape mosaic of forest, farmland, grassland, wetlands and rivers as these provide greater foraging opportunities (Forest Practices Authority, 2002). A small area of clearing will not detract from the foraging habitat for eagles.

No attempts have been made to determine if the Wedge-tail nest located at 1150m from the quarry still exists.

The development of the second stage of the quarry will bring activities closest to the recorded wedge-tailed eagle nests. Before this stage is undertaken a WTE nest survey will be undertaken to establish the status of the nests. Stage 2 of the quarry development will occur between seven and ten years into the life cycle of the operation.

A survey conducted now would be out of date by the time this stage 2 of the operation is underway.

A threatened species, such as the Wedge-tailed eagle, requires the protection of not only its nesting site, but also its habitat and hunting ground. The Recovery Plan for Tasmanian Wedge-tailed eagles states that protecting nesting habitat from destruction and minimising the modification of foraging habitat is required to increase breeding success.



Road upgrades and the construction of the access road will negatively impact on forest communities, including the threatened Eucalyptus ovata forest and woodland community.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.6. Biodiversity and nature conservation values:

Modifications to the existing access road height and alignment will not encroach on the native vegetation community Eucalyptus ovata forest and woodland (DOV).

The quarry will impact on threatened forest communities by reducing water quality in the natural water course.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.2. Liquid waste disposal and water quality:

Water in the natural drainage path bisecting the site will remain separate to site run-off water.



Site run-off water will travel through retention facilities to allow time for particulate matter to settle out.

The quarry will impact on the habitat of the Swift parrot.

Swift parrots breed in Tasmania prior to summer usually in dry forests near the coast. They use nest hollows in very old dead trees and mainly feed on the nectar of blue gum flowers (Eucalyptus globulus) (Department of Primary Industries and Water, 2009)

None of the preferred habitat for swift parrot will be affected by the operation.

Blasting will impact users of Tasmanian Trail, disturbing horses and leading to potential injury.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.13. Hazard analysis and risk assessment:

A separate blast warden will walk up the Tasmania Trail to ensure that no walkers or cyclists enter the blast area immediately prior to a shot being fired.

The normal procedure would be for two blast wardens to be located on Highland Lakes Road to ensure that no vehicles travel past the site when a shot is fired. A third warden will be required walk up the Tasmania Trail and stay at a remote location to ensure that no walkers or riders travel past the site when a shot is fired. All wardens will be in radio contact with the shot firer and only after the road and trail are confirmed clear will a shot be fired.

Users of the Tasmanian Trail may not know when a blast is occurring.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.13. Hazard analysis and risk assessment:

A separate blast warden will walk up the Tasmania Trail to ensure that no walkers or cyclists enter the blast area immediately prior to a shot being fired.

Blasting (percussion and ground tremors) will impact on expensive electronic testing equipment held at a local residence.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.3. Noise emissions:

Blasting will be undertaken by fully qualified personnel and will comply with AS 2187.1-1998 Explosives-Storage, transport and use, Part 1: Storage, AS 2187.2-2006, Explosives-Storage and Use Part 2: Use of explosives and the Australian Explosives Code (AEC).

The blasting plan will be designed to minimise air blast overpressure and ground vibration and the limits described in the Quarry Code of Practice will not be exceeded.

As is the case on the Proponent’s other quarries, blasting will be undertaken by a separate sub-contractor. The Blasting sub-contractor will develop a detailed risk assessment of the initial blasts to ensure that sound and vibration limits will not be exceeded. The blasting sub-contractor will locate monitoring devices at strategic



locations to record ground vibration for these initial blasts.

Blasting will damage concrete slab foundations and brickworks at residential homes.

The blasting contractor will ensure that ground vibration is limited to comply with national standards and experience suggests that it is highly unlikely that concrete and brick structures located outside the attenuation distance will be affected by blasting.

Blasting will cause damage to underground water tables, bore holes and springs.

The blasting contractor will ensure that ground vibration is limited to comply with national standards and experience suggests that it is highly unlikely that underground water tables, boreholes and springs will be affected by blasting.

Blasting will lead to a loss of water if the blasting closes off or changes the course of underground water tables or if springs collapse.

The blasting contractor will ensure that ground vibration is limited to comply with national standards and experience suggests that it is highly unlikely that underground water tables, boreholes and springs will be affected by blasting.

The development will increase fire risk for residents in Maroney’s Road due to hotwork (eg. welding and grinding) and dry forest conditions.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in 4.14. Fire risk:

A Fire Management Plan will be developed in conjunction with Forestry Tasmania.

All hot work on the site can only occur with fire suppression equipment at the ready.

Activities occurring at the quarry will be less likely to result in fire than forestry or farming operations because the work site will be cleared of combustible materials.

Surrounding land value will decrease.

The surrounding land is forest earmarked for conversion to plantation or is already plantation. The proponent will compensate Forestry Tasmania for the area of commercial forest surrounding the quarry. The quarry will have no other impact on land or resource values.

The area is zoned residential, rural and forestry, not mining.

The development is contained entirely within land zoned as rural and mining is a discretionary use. This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 3.6.Rural ZONE (RU1):

The current planning scheme states the intent of the rural zone is (in part):

(2) To ensure the protection of access to and sustainable development of resources and provide appropriate processes for resolving competing interests.



Section B Introduction:

Representations were received from the Resource Management and Conservation Division of DPIW requesting additional information. The following sections address these requests.

In addition Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania requested that a qualified archaeologist undertake a new cultural heritage survey. An Aboriginal Heritage Officer should accompany the archaeologist and conduct the community consultation.

B. State Government Comment

Resource management and conservation (DPIW)

Threatened flora and fauna

A wedge-tailed eagle survey is recommended prior to construction to determine if nearby nests are active.

Figures 4 and 5 are cross sections taken on a direct line from the development of stage two of the quarry to the two known eagle nests. These indicate that only the initial development of stage two could be visible from the nests and the activity would still be over a kilometre away.

The development of the second stage of the quarry will bring activities closest to the recorded wedge-tailed eagle nests. Before stage 2 is commenced a WTE nest survey will be undertaken to establish the status of the nests. Stage 2 of the quarry development will occur between seven and ten years into the life cycle of the operation.

A survey conducted now would be out of date by the time stage 2 of the works is underway.

Pest and disease management

A weed management plan is required for the operation.

This point is addressed in the DPEMP in Section 4.6:

Measures 1. to 7. of Section 4.6.3. will be adopted as a weed and disease management plan to control existing weeds and protect the site against the introduction of new weeds and diseases.

Additionally a weed management plan has been developed and is documented in Appendix 2 to this document.

Decommissioning and Rehabilitation

A detailed Rehabilitation Plan including a Monitoring Plan should be developed for the operation.

These points are addressed in the DPEMP in Section 6. Decommissioning and rehabilitation:

Additionally a Rehabilitation and revegetation plan has been developed and is documented in Appendix 1 of this document.



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Figure 5 Cross-section from access road across corner stage 2 to wedge-tailed eagle nest #189

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Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (DEPHA)

Aboriginal heritage assessment

A letter dated 5 June 2009 from Environment Protection Authority confirms a requirement of Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (AHT) that an archaeological survey by a fully qualified archaeologist is required and the findings of the survey must be incorporated into a report that is included in the supplement. The report must comply with the standards for archaeological consultants published on the AHT website.

Stuart Huys of Cultural Heritage Management Australia (CHMA) conducted a field survey on 11 August 2009 with the assistance of Vernon Graham of Palawa. CHMA completed a report with the research and field work findings on 2 September 2009. A copy of the report was supplied to Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania (AHT) on 4 September 2009. AHT evaluated the report and agreed that it met their standards and accepted the reports recommendation on 21 September 2009.

The report is included as appendix 3.

In summary the findings of the report are that:

1. There are no identified Aboriginal sites within the bounds of the study area. There are therefore no specific heritage constraints or requirements to development activity proceeding.

2. There are no specific areas of potential archaeological sensitivity that warrant further archaeological investigations.

3. If during the course of the works previously unidentified archaeological sites of items are discovered a Unanticipated Discovery Plan should be followed.



The commitments listed below are made by the Proponent in this supplement to the Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan and are additional to those already detailed in the DPEMP.

Item Proponent’s commitment

Dust emissions A limited ‘campaign-based’ dust monitoring program utilizing deposit gauge samplers in accordance with Australian Standard AS 3580.9 will be undertaken. Samplers will be deployed and sampling undertaken at three locations.

Samples for a series of consecutive two month periods pre and post commissioning of the quarry will be undertaken and the sampling programs will be conducted over at least two different seasonal ranges of conditions.

Noise emissions

The operators will undertake ambient noise monitoring at the site both before and during initial operations. Noise monitoring will be undertaken at a control and operational stations. Noise monitoring will be undertaken by a specialist consultancy.

Noise produced by crushing will be measured at neighbouring residences. If the measured noise when recorded at these dwellings outside normal operating hours exceeds 5 dB(A) above ambient, then crushing hours will be restricted to 0700 to 1900 weekdays and 0800 to 1600 on Saturdays.

Wedge-tailed eagle nest survey

The development of the second stage of the quarry will bring activities closest to the recorded wedge-tailed eagle nests. Before this stage is undertaken a WTE nest survey will be undertaken to establish the status of the nests. Stage 2 of the quarry development will occur between seven and ten years into the life cycle of the operation.



Appendix 1: “Rehabilitation, Revegetation and Monitoring Plan” Author Barry Williams of Integrated Land management and Planning. Dated; 22 September 2009.

Appendix 2: “Weed Management Plan” Author Barry Williams of Integrated Land Management and Planning. Dated; 22 September 2009.

Appendix 3: “An Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment of the Proposed Cresswell Quarry, Lake Highway, Deloraine Tasmania” Author Stuart Huys of Cultural Heritage Management Australia. Dated; 2 September 2009.

supplement to dpemp for highland lakes road quarry quarry... · dust and talcum powder (1 to 1000...

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