Matter 3 – Dunmore Hard Rock Quarry (DA470-11-2003-Mod-13) Shellharbour

Dunmore Hard Rock Quarry (DA470-11-2003-Mod-13) Shellharbour

This concern relates to the risk of losing an entire vegetation community and a local endemic plant species. 

Melaleuca armillaris Tall Shrubland 

  • Identified as a Critically Endangered Ecological Community (CEEC) under NSW BC Act.
  • Only found in Dunmore/Jamberoo area, in decline and at serious risk of extinction. 
  • Approximately 164 ha of this ecological community has survived, with 132 ha mapped within the hard rock mineral resource area1Modification 13 of Dunmore Quarry Expansion Project- Assessment Report, page 11 (Department of Housing and Infrastructure) 2024. Over 86 per cent of this community occurs in the Dunmore resource area2Tindall et al. 2004, Tozer et al. 2006. 
  • The NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee rational for CEEC designation for this community includes: it’s highly restricted geographical range; continuing decline in area due to clearing, dieback due to drought, and the likelihood of continued and more severe drought in the future3Conservation Assessment of Melaleuca armillaris Tall Shrubland – NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee .  
  • It is identified as ‘an entity listed at risk of serious and irreversible impacts (SAII)’ under NSW BC Act. 
  • This CEEC is not represented in any conservation reserves on public lands4Tindall et al. 2004. 
  • It grows in a unique association with endangered endemic plant species Zieria granulata (Illawarra zieria) at Dunmore. 

Zieria granulata  

  • Listed as Endangered under NSW BC and EPBC Acts. 
  • An endemic plant species only found across a limited range of 22 kilometers in Shellharbour/Kiama areas5Zieria Granulata Profile https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10856.  
  • The quarry resource area coincides with the largest known population of this species and is considered to be its main stronghold.  32% of recorded plants are located within the extractive resource area. 
  • The Zieria Granulata Recovery Plan estimates the total population of this species to be approximately 8000 mature individuals.  
  • This Plan cites clearing associated with quarrying as one of the main threats to its survival and the ongoing cumulative impacts of hard rock quarrying in the area.
  • It has been assigned to the Site-Managed management stream under the Saving our Species (SoS) program and requires site-based management in order to secure it from extinction in NSW for 100 years

Who has been watching while this biologically important vegetation has been cleared at Dunmore for quarrying since 1921, including 13 modifications to the 2005 approval? 

In the recent 2024 consolidated approval Boral has been granted consent to clear a further 8 ha of Melaleuca CEEC and 6.65 ha Zieria granulata habitat, including removal of 1,381 mature Zieria granulata plants.   

GEPS concerns
While offsets and translocation of plants provides some compensation, the outcome of this approval is a net loss of these endangered habitats and species, pushing this vegetation further towards extinction.   

The cumulative impacts of clearing of this endangered vegetation has not been assessed, is not understood and there is no meaningful plan in place to ensure its survival. 

The Strategy for the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity in the Dunmore-Shellharbour Hills Area, 2011 is the primary governmental response to the known biodiversity threats in the Dunmore area. It has set a biodiversity target to increase the recovery of threatened species, populations and ecological communities by 2015.  

It is a real concern that the opposite is happening and this Strategy is not effecting change. Between 2011 and 2024 the area of Critically Endangered Melaleuca armillaris Tall Shrubland has more than halved (from 390 ha to 164 ha).

Requests: 

In order to address the Strategy for the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity in the Dunmore-Shellharbour Hills Area target referred to above, we would like you to support and raise with the minister the need to investigate:  

  • Melaleuca armillaris Tall Shrubland habitats in Jamberoo, and Dunmore to ascertain if it would be possible to protect and manage these remaining habitats within new conservation or nature reserves. 
  • the development of a Recovery Plan for Melaleuca armillaris Tall Shrubland CEEC.
  • how Kiama Council Jerrara dam site could be utilized to assist in the recovery of Zieria granulata, including Landcare or Biodiversity Conservation Trust grants?
  • possible unauthorised clearing of this CEEC (particularly in the area referred to as remnant 1 in Figure 3 Vegetation remnants and TECs of the study area (page 8 of the Strategy) See attached photo.

Aerial Photo: Remnant 1 in Figure 3 Vegetation remnants and TECs of the study area (page 8 of the Strategy for the Conservation and Management of Biodiversity in the Dunmore-Shellharbour Hills Area