A proposal to allow trucks to enter the quarry at the Penrith Lakes Scheme from 6am has revved up Penrith Councillor Kevin Crameri.
“That means they will be starting an hour earlier than they are now,” he told the Weekender.
“You can’t mow your lawn before 7am in the morning, why should they be allowing truck movements in and out of the quarry from 6am?”
Cr Crameri found out about the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation’s (PLDC) application to extend the hours fill can be transported into the site through an advertisement in the Weekender.
It seeks to extend the weekday hours from 7am to 6pm, to 6am to 9pm, and on Saturdays to 6am to 3pm, from a current 7am to 1pm.
No changes are proposed for the number of truck movements, and there will continue to be no work on Sundays and public holidays.
Cr Crameri said he has had next to no time to make a submission to the NSW Department of Planning, and wants an extension on the Friday, November 4 close date.
“I’m totally against it because they will have to have the quarry open and ready at 6am, which means they will have to begin in the quarry before 6am,” he said.
Residents in Waterside have already been affected by the quarry, according to Cr Crameri.
“People are saying now they are hearing noise and vibration at 3am in the morning. That means they are doing work in there,” he said.
A spokesman for PLDC, said the extension would allow trucks to avoid driving in peak hours while getting the same amount of work done.
“It’s in order to accommodate truck movements outside the hours everyone is trying to get to work and school,” he said.
“Also, nothing goes on on that site after hours except security patrol checking gates, so it’s hard to understand any noise coming from there.”
He said over a year ago, PLDC applied to build an intersection at the north of the lakes scheme that would allow access for trucks away from residential areas, which has not yet been approved.
Friday is the last day submissions can be made via www.majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au.
