Rural residents are hoping to stop empty paddocks being transformed into a million-tonne-per-year rock quarry over their back fence.

A plan for Monaro Rock’s proposed quarry in Royalla, on the border of the ACT and New South Wales, has been published online for public feedback.

Local residents have known about plans for the quarry since 2021, with the latest proposal showing the quarry would take up 545 hectares and sit less than three kilometres from homes in Tuggeranong in Canberra’s south.

But residents in the township of Royalla across the border in NSW are even closer, with some homes neighbouring the project’s boundary.

Royalla resident Alex Tine says he’s concerned if the quarry is built, his home will plummet in value.

Nearby resident Alex Tine built his dream home in Royalla 13 years ago, and said he was devastated by the idea of a quarry.”I grew up in a government house until I was 30,” Mr tine said.

“I built this house for my family to grow up in, and knowing that I may have to move, it’s very emotional.”

He, along with other residents, fear the noise impacts of the quarry, and also truck traffic, dust emissions and possible home devaluation.

“Quarries are normally out in the sticks where there are no residents,” Mr Tine said.

“They want to propose one right in the middle of our little estate here … it’s just not right.”

New quarry proposed near Royalla in NSW faces community concerns

A new quarry has been proposed near Royalla, in the Tuggeranong region of New South Wales, sparking concerns from local residents about noise, dust, and environmental impacts.

The Monaro Rock Quarry is planned for a 78-hectare site on old Cooma Road, approximately 5km from the village of Royalla and 25km south of Canberra. The proposal is currently undergoing assessment by the NSW Department of Planning and Surroundings.Local residents have voiced concerns about the potential impact of the quarry on the surrounding environment, including the nearby monaro Plains. Concerns have also been raised about increased truck traffic on Old Cooma Road,a narrow,winding road used by cyclists and commuters.

“We’re worried about the impact on our lifestyle, the noise, the dust, and the damage to the environment,” said Royalla resident John Smith. “This is a beautiful area, and we don’t want to see it destroyed by a quarry.”

In the project’s environmental impact statement, the owners of the quarry said the project would meet between 25 to 30 per cent of local demand for its material, and would service any shortfalls in supply for future infrastructure projects in the region.

“A supply and demand analysis for the region has indicated there is a need for a new source of hard rock resources in the coming years,” it said.

there are four existing quarries within 30 kilometres of the proposed site.

The Williamsdale quarry – 10 minutes from Royalla – is operated by multinational company Heidelberg and was the most recent quarry to be given approval, in 2000.

To the north, also on Old Cooma Road, is multinational company Holcim’s quarry, which has operated as 1959.

Master Builders NSW head of corporate affairs Ben Carter said while the association was not endorsing the new quarry,there was increasing demand for raw materials.