Please report any Brandy Hill Quarry operations that are outside 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
In December, the following was received from Port Stephens Council (PSC):
“At this stage the only compliance matter that Council is looking into is the hours of operation for the existing operation. We did receive some legal advice which goes some way to support Council’s position that was provided in a submission to the State Significant Development Application for the Quarry Expansion.
Council has also contacted the quarry operator again to reiterate our contention that the approved hours are those provided in the Environmental Impact Statement that was part of the 1983 quarry development application.”
It is essential that the community helps PSC and BHSA expose Hanson’s lie that they already have 24/7. That repeated claim in their EIS and Response to Submissions is fundamental to their push for overnight and early morning operations for the next 30 years.
If you see any trucks leaving or entering the quarry outside of 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, or see or hear any operations noise from the quarry outside those times, please report the matter to PSC.
Report every occurence! Daily if needed. You can phone, but I suggest you also email. Include any photographic or other proof of location and time (not essential).
PSC contact details are:
Attention: Greg Rodwell
Development Compliance Officer PSC
Email: council@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
phone 02 4988 0468 | m 0447 446 779
If PSC can provide a history of community complaints to support our opposition to extended hours of operation, that will greatly improve our argument to NSW Planning and the Independent Planning Commission.
Your assistance will be greatly appreciated as it will help ensure that the amenity and character of our rural residential area is not trashed by this proposed development for the foreseeable future.
There is nothing further to report regarding the expansion, other than Planning has been waiting on more documentation from Hanson.
Please report all illegal quarry operations.
Neil
PS A belated Happy New Year to everyone. The fire season has consumed all spare time of the Seaham RFS brigade members and delayed this post. All other lower Hunter brigades have been similarly involved. Thankfully, our area has been free of fires but we have been sending crews to fires on both sides of the valley. Keep safe, prepare your property, yourselves and your action plan for worst case scenarios while we all hope for the best, and rain.
Brandy Hill & Seaham Action Group 
Thank you Neil and I will send your email to all members of Shepherds Ground and other friends in the area.
Thank you too for the work that Seaham RFS is doing in these unprecedented times. The goodness, compassion and sheer tenacity that is pouring out of people is as inspiring as the fires are unprecedented.
We have fire plans in place. I have also joined Findabed that gives accommodation to people made homeless by the fires.
If you hear of anyone in that position do let me know.
Every best wish to you and Marguerite,
Jane, Shepherds Ground.
On Mon, 6 Jan. 2020, 11:22 am Brandy Hill & Seaham Action Group, wrote:
> margareteritchie posted: “Please report any Brandy Hill Quarry operations > that are outside 6am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. In December, the following > was received from Port Stephens Council (PSC): “At this stage the only > compliance matter that Council is looking into is the hours ” >
Since when was 6am ? I always thought it would be 7am to 5pm Considering the Giles roads feel vibration and hear the sounds from trucks moving around on their site and the machinery. Something has snuck in I feel. But I will research the facts.
Sent from my iPhone
>
These hours are the current rules which have applied since the 1983 EIS was approved by PSC. The 1983 consent rules will continue to apply until the State Significant Development Application is approved by NSW planning, and ratified by the Independent Planning Commission. It will have an entirely new set of conditions, hopefully with operating hours much closer to current than what Hanson are seeking.
I checked the 1983 EIS again before publishing the post, so you can be confident that the 6am to 6pm 6 days is correct.
Neil