Residents, environment groups and the proponent seeking to develop a new quarry in a state forest north of Raymond Terrace have faced off at a public hearing into the project.
The proposed Stone Ridge Quarry project area covers 139 hectares within the Wallaroo State Forest with a disturbance area of about 80 hectares.
The Australian Resource Development Group wants to extract 1.5 million tonnes per annum of hard rock from the site for 30 years to meet the high demand to quarried
But Thursday's The Independent Planning Commission hearing at Seaham heard that if approved, the project would destroy native vegetation in an area which supports both an intact regional biodiversity corridor, as well as three overlapping climate corridors.
Opponents of the project cited research highlighting the corridors are essential to the survival of threatened species populations fleeing the effects of climate change.
"Seventy hectares of native species habitat in the Wallaroo State Forest is at risk of being destroyed for yet another hard-rock quarry in an area already facing cumulative impacts from area already facing existing quarry operations," Hunter Community Environment Centre spokeswoman Johanna Lynch said.
"Quarry proposals and expansions in the Lower Hunter have residents on guard over the combined impacts facing bushland including State Forest, water quality, road safety, dust and noise pollution from 10 new or expanding hard rock quarry operations."
Australian Resource Development Group director of planning and development Justin Meleo previously said minimising and avoiding biodiversity impacts, including on the koala, were of paramount importance when locating the quarry site and in determining the location of any project disturbance area.
"The project site is mapped as the lowest category 'marginal' habitat on the Koala Habitat Planning Map within the Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management prepared by Port Stephens Council," Dr Meleo said.
The project was referred to the Independent Planning Commission because the Department of Planning received 135 public and community submissions objecting to the proposal when it was on public exhibition.
The commission is expected to make a determination on he project in coming months.
