Environment

We aim to minimise and supress the sources of dust and are continuously looking for new strategies to reduce dust generation. The following are some of the strategies we have implemented to achieve our targets:

• Entrance road resealing – reducing material drag out onto public roads.
• Two trucks, carrying up to 30,000L of water operating within the Quarry – Water trucks are designed to spray down road surfaces, wetting the roads to reduce airborne dust from the quarry traffic.
• Installation of a 375kl water tank with fast fill for the two water trucks, which is located near the Primary crushing facility. This enables quicker turnaround times for the trucks and ability to spread more water around the quarry roads throughout the day.

• Progressively rehabilitating exposed/uncovered areas sooner. This reduces the potential for dust to become airborne from these surfaces.
• Real time Dust Monitors, measuring PM₁₀ size fragments of dust, positioned around the site. These monitors inform site management by SMS when high readings are occurring. Once an SMS is received, site personnel can take positive actions to reduce dust as described in the sites Dust Management Plan (DMP).
• Under crushing plant sprinklers located around the main crushing plant. These sprinklers operate continuously and can be programmed to operate after hours.
• Vegetation and Tree Rehabilitation – Approximately 3-5 tonnes of Rye Corn grass seed is spread across the quarry site each year. Between 1-2000 trees are planted each year as maintenance (replacing dead plants) or in new, recently rehabilitated areas.
• Community notices of planned blasts where we deem there to be a high likelihood of visual dust.
• Wheel wash stations, compliant with EPA regulations – The Wheel wash ensures the ‘drag out’ of dirt and mud onto public roads is minimised by the trucks leaving the quarry, benefitting other road users and the local community.
• Regular Street sweeping to clean South Road and the Quarry entrance.

• Crushing Plant Dust Suppression – Citrus based foaming agent, which is applied to the rock during the crushing process to help contain and minimise airborne dust.
• Water sprays used throughout the crushing plant and site stockpiles to apply moisture to minimise airborne dust in windy conditions.
• Certain sections of the crushing plant are enclosed to contain the dust and minimise the effects in windy conditions.
• EPA has conducted and reported on independent dust monitoring at Sellicks Beach. This information can be found at; Southern Quarries Dust Management Compliance Plan (epa.sa.gov.au)
• For information, please read our Dust Management Plan for Sellicks Quarry and Quarterly reports submitted to the EPA for approval. Visit EPA site here.

Mechanical sock system

• Blast monitoring – all blasts are monitored for noise and vibration under Australian Standards guidelines.
• Quarry blasts generally occur once per week. Blast times are generally mid afternoon
• Community engagement – Advance notice of planned blasts where we deem there to be a high likelihood of visual dust.
• Noise reductions – Main-crushing plant is located on the quarry floor and behind the Western Screening mound to reduce noise impacts from the quarry.

• Approximately 40,000 trees have historically been planted at Sellick Hill site since 1970.
• Laying of topsoil in areas to reduce impact of disturbed area and start growth.
• Seed dispersal – Rye Corn grass seed is spread across the site each year, improving visual amenity and progressively rehabilitating disturbed areas.
• The Western Screening mound is progressively rehabilitated and trees planted to screen operations. The Western Screening mound provides a visual barrier between the wider community and the quarry operations (open quarry faces and operating equipment).
• The top eastern quarry faces are progressively rehabilitated to reduce visual impact.
• Continuous revegetation projects using native trees at Sellicks Hill.
• The purchase and revegetation of more than 300 acres of buffer land surrounding the Sellicks Hill Quarry.

• Reduction of reliance on mains water – Recycled Water Connection, through the Willunga Basin Water Corporation to supply 50ML of Recycled water to the Sellicks Hill Quarry annually.
• Rainwater capture, storage and reuse, at all of our facilities.
• Using environmentally safe Polo Citrus products as a replacement for water dust suppression at our crushing plant at Sellicks Hill saving thousands of litres of water per year. For more details: https://www.polocitrus.com.au/products/dust-suppression/
• Wheel wash facilities are supplied by water captured in our dam and recycled through a series of settlement ponds.

• Dedicated Engagement Strategy, which acknowledges the commitment of Southern Quarries to share information and experiences with the community and to be able to co-exist successfully in harmony.
• Recent Community open days and site tours providing local residents the opportunity to view the operations and have open and honest discussions directly with quarry management.
• Dedicated email address; communityfeedback@southernquarries.com.au to allow residents to communicate directly with us.
• ‘One-on-one’, site tours for interested residents, register your interest through the Contact Us page or email communityfeedback@southernquarries.com.au