EIGHT months out from the start of operations, the Lynwood Quarry at South Marulan is buzzing with activity.
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The $254 million venture is one of Holcim Australia’s largest with approval to extract five million tonnes of hard rock annually for 30 years. The experts believe there’s enough resource to last 100 years.
Before the company eyed off the site some 12 years ago, sheep and cattle grazed the property which was part of the Lockyersleigh estate.
Hours spent doing aerial surveys and poring over geological maps revealed that this was indeed a “resource rich environment.”
In the nine years since gaining state government approval (including three modifications), much has happened, project head Shannon Ladewig explained during a tour this week.
Over the past four years the pit, rock crushers, 83 covered conveyor belts (a total 9km), a 500 metre rail spur from the main southern line, roads, underground water, electricity and drainage infrastructure, dams, a fuel station, a $1m to $2m state of the art laboratory and many more civil works have been built.
An overpass on the Hume Highway, costing $15m, was another big ticket item. The company has spent $173m directly on the quarry.
By June, 2015, the first Pacific National trains, each laden with 2776 tonnes of material, will trundle out of Lynwood. Bound for Sydney, eventually up to nine trains a week will take product to Holcim’s Rooty Hill facility, which will end up as concrete product, rail ballast and road base. Some is also destined for the local and regional market via trucks but trains will be the principle transport mode.
“Rooty Hill is close to our markets and it keeps trucks off the road. It’s a more efficient for us to transport by rail,” Mr Ladewig said.
Indeed, the fact the rail line’s location was on the property was key in site selection.
Trucks used in construction refuel at a specially built station.
This week Lynwood took delivery of 70,000 litres of fuel which is expected to last two to three weeks.
At peak construction, 200 workers were employed. Now there are 60 to 70. There are 18 fulltime operational employees which will grow to 50 by the start of operations.
“As an organisation we welcome as many local people – both men and women - as possible to register their interest for positions at our quarry,” Mr Ladewig said.
Right now the operation is not using much water but when needed the quarry will rely on a pipeline from Holcim’s Jonnifelds quarry, 4.5km away. The company previously expressed interest in tapping into Goulburn’s Highland Source.
“We do not envisage using the Highland Source,” Mr Ladewig said this week.
“We have built four holding dams to support the operation with harvestable water.”
Extensive landscaping is also planned on top of that to mitigate noise and lighting impacts.
Mr Ladewig, who came from Queensland two years ago to head up the project, said Lynwood would employ about 100 people at full operation and contribute enormously to the economy. The company would extract two million tonnes per annum in the short-term and eventually ramp up to five million tonnes.
He said Holcim’s long-term plan was to “transition out” of the Jonniefelds quarry.
“There’s a limited reserve there but we also have a $254m investment here to meet the market demand,” he said.
