The assessment by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment found the extra truck movements “would not result in any significant impacts beyond those previously assessed and approved”.

This came after quarry operator Hanson agreed to requests from Shellharbour City Council to establish a 50km/h speed limit on the new truck movements, and suspend the 24-hour trucking on weekends.

This was necessary because the morning peak hour commute to Sydney had grown earlier, Hanson said, so more of its trucks would need to leave earlier in order to beat the rush on the trip to Sydney.

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.

The Health Department, the Environment Protection Authority and Shellharbour City Council had wanted better information on noise impacts before they would agree to the plan.

Health and the EPA’s concerns were met by extra information from Hanson.

Shellharbour City Council had no further reservations after Hanson agreed to its requirement for a 50km/h speed limit on the Bass Point Quarry Road Haul Road between 8pm and 7am, and for the new truck times to only operate on weekdays, which will be conditions of approval.