The New South Wales government has granted a major 30-year extension to a key Hunter Valley quarry, ensuring a steady supply of materials for the state's colossal $118 billion infrastructure agenda. The decision will see the Boral-operated site at Seaham dramatically expand its operations to meet soaring demand.
Quarry to Double in Size for State-Building Projects
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has recommended approval for the Seaham Quarry Project, which was facing exhaustion of its hard rock reserves by 2026. The extension allows the quarry to double in size from 28 hectares to 59 hectares, with annual output potentially reaching 2 million tonnes of material.
State planners deemed the resource "regionally significant," vital for supplying a pipeline of projects over the next four years. This includes multi-billion dollar road and rail builds in Sydney, new schools and hospitals across NSW, and several Hunter-region megaprojects.
Key local projects reliant on the quarry's output include the Newcastle Power Station, the Jesmond to Rankin Park Bypass, the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace, and the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor.
Community Concerns and Strict Approval Conditions
The expansion faced substantial local opposition, with 49 out of 53 public submissions objecting to the plan. Primary concerns centred on loss of native vegetation, a major increase in heavy vehicle traffic posing safety risks, and potential water contamination within the Grahamstown Dam drinking water catchment.
In response, the Department imposed several key conditions on the approval:
- The quarry's footprint was reduced by almost 18 per cent to avoid critical koala and squirrel glider habitat.
- Production cannot exceed 1.2 million tonnes per year until a full upgrade of the Italia Road and Pacific Highway intersection is completed, managing an estimated extra 650 daily heavy vehicle movements.
- Boral was forced to completely redesign its water management plan to allay Hunter Water's contamination fears.
Jobs and a Secure Supply for Decades
Despite the controversies, the extension secures the future of the quarry, supporting 35 full-time equivalent employees along with additional contractors for blasting and transport. For the state government, it locks in a "reliable and affordable supply of hard rock" deemed essential for delivering its unprecedented infrastructure investment.
The approval, dated December 27, 2025, underscores the ongoing tension between large-scale development needs and local environmental and community impacts in regional growth areas like the Hunter.
