Residents of Ebenezer oppose development application construction and operation of facility

Around 90 people went to a local community meeting in Ebenezer last Sunday, July 5 to hear about the DA and discuss their opposition to it.

Federal Macquarie MP Susan Templeman, and Hawkesbury City Councillors Danielle Wheeler and John Ross attended the meeting.

The DA, which was originally submitted to Hawkesbury City Council on April 21, 2020, proposes that the facility would receive construction and demolition material and virgin excavated natural materials (VENM) sourced from sites Hala Constructions operate and also VENM from other sites, requiring VENM removal.

Construction and demolition material accepted on the site would be limited to excavated natural materials, concrete and bricks, and greenwaste.

The total amount of materials to be processed is estimated not to exceed 20,000 tonnes annually, according to the Environmental Impact Statement Hala Constructions submitted to Council.

Residents have shown anger and concern about the dust, noise, size of the facility, safety and the increase of traffic, along with the impacts on the environment, health and the nearby Ebenezer Public School, this facility will potentially have.

Paul Laurence, who has lived and worked in Ebenezer for the past 29 years, is one of the major objectors to the DA and believes it will have a negative impact on the community for a variety of reasons.

"My property is adjacent to the proposed location," said Mr Laurence. "We don't want it. 70 people from 30 different properties in the area signed the petition since Friday."

"The roads around the area can't take the amount of trucks that this facility is going to bring. The traffic will be horrendous.

"The roads are used by so many people, walking, riding bikes ... it'd be dangerous.

"It's right behind a school. There will be noise and air pollution that will affect the kids and staff there."

Many residents objecting to the application are upset that only a few people that they believe will be affected by the facility were informed about the DA, which has allowed the objection period and the extended period to elapse with little official objection letters submitted to the Council.

However, Hawkesbury City Council have said that, "The practice is that Council does not need to extend the notification period as Council allows people to provide submissions past the closing date and these submissions will be considered as part of the assessment process".

Cr Wheeler is encouraging residents who wish to object but missed the official period to continue to write to the Council.

She said she will request a further extension on the time period at the councils next meeting on Tuesday, July 14.

"I'm asking for another two weeks from next Wednesday. But [the Council] will always continue to accept if people want to keep submitting," she said.

"I am submitting a notice of motion for Council to make a strong stand against this. Since this goes to a planning committee we can only give a recommendation but I think the advice should be that this shouldn't go through.

"I think Councillors will be broadly supportive of the motion."

Mr Laurence expressed objection to the estimated figures that have been presented in the DA as he believes they won't represent what will be the reality of the development.

"They're saying it will cost $3.4 million to construct when really it's going to be closer to $10-12 million to develop," he said.

"It will require 45,000 tonnes of VENM to construct the building and platform. The platform will require compacting and they have failed to mention the use of a roller, which would be the loudest piece of equipment, in their application.

"The run off the plant will have from the dust, or water used to contain the dust, will end up in our backyard," he said.

"Any contamination will go into the water table at Currency Creek and affect anyone attached to it."

Mr Laurence also fears the large amount of noise that will be generated from the facility once operational.

"We live in a valley, sound bounces off the surrounding mountains. You can here the school bell ring from two or three kilometres away," he said.

"There will be an incredible amount of noise during the operation of the facility from the trucks and the compacting.

"They have used averages in the application and averages sound beaut, but they don't fully show what's going to happen."