Increasing the number of truck movements from the Bass Point Quarry from 5am could have a significant impact on nearby residents’ sleep, and therefore their health, the region’s Public Health Unit has said.
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But a proposal from quarry operator Hanson Construction Materials argues the morning peak hours for commuters driving to Sydney is growing earlier, so its trucks need to start earlier to beat the traffic.
Hanson’s application to the NSW Major Projects planning process seeks to allow more trucks to start two hours earlier, from 5am.
The plan would allow 27 trucks per hour to leave from 5am, then 38 trucks between 6am and 7am.
From 7am to 10pm the current limit of 40 trucks per hour would remain, and from 10pm to 5am the current limit of 23 trucks per hour would remain.
The limit of 500 trucks per day would remain.
But a submission from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Public Health Unit (PHU) says more than 18 houses nearby the truck route would be adversely affected, and Hanson’s noise consultant had not properly measured the impact on houses.
“Impacts can range from annoyance, irritation and tiredness to anxiety, tension and cardiovascular disorders,” the PHU submission stated.
“The NSW Road Noise policy indicates [the] triggers for and effects of sleep disturbance have not yet been conclusively determined.”
The PHU said the consultant had used an unknown method for predicting traffic noise and had left out other information about noisier areas such as roundabouts where trucks slow down.
It said noise measurements had been taken in the field rather than on the edge of houses as was standard.
Hanson said the impact would be minimal as “potential operational impacts from noise and dust would not be noticeable at the closest residences to the quarry”.
And it said the most significant social impact would be to “potentially reduce” trucks contributing to peak hour delays.