Bowdens Silver

See attached

I am writing in support of this project, which I am confident is in very capable hands and will be hugely beneficial to the local economy.
With the water pipeline now removed from the development, the reduced water requirements, greater water recycling and water self sufficiency, I fully support the progression of this project to the next stage.

I’m ounce again discussed by the lack community consultation and the amount of response time given to community to respond. The amount of time given to voice our concerns is poor. You leave us with the feeling that there is something been hidden and corruption involved . There is still huge amounts of the community locally and wider not aware of the new submission required to be lodged. Given the current changes put forward the original proposal should be terminated and a whole new application for approval to be put forward from Bowdens. The water issue was never completely disclosed and formalised before approval given. Water is such an important factor for all mining operations and when you look at Bowdens proposal for how they are going to source the water it is a floored report and not accurate in so many ways. All the stakeholders were never made aware of the submission process in play. The stakeholders includes local business, tourism local and statewide , farmers of all types , schools and all workers in area. who’s lives will hugely be adversely impacted by a mining operation
You need too do right by the people impacted which is outlined above and provide more time and the consideration of a new proposal to be put forward

As someone who has been lucky enough to be part of a family that has owned a property for nearly 20 years it disgusting and unethical for a Silver mine to go in and ruin the town of Lue. The properties of many will be made worthless and the livelihoods of many will be completely destroyed. A good town of Lue that is built on the history of hard workers will be utterly eradicated by acts that prioritise selfish greed over the greatest good. I please request this message is read, understood and taken into consideration as this mine simply cannot go through.

I wish to object to the amount of water being taken from the water table and creeks near the mine at Lue.
Please see documents attached.

Oject to unreliable water supply.
And lead contamination.

I object to the project. For reasons, please see the attached PDF.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to register my objection to the following application .
Notice of Exhibition - Bowdens Silver Mine Application Amendment (SSD-5765)

* The ground water drawdown has the potential to reduce streamflow through either direct stream depletion or through intercepting groundwater that would otherwise discharge to surface water .
* Bowdens attempt to ‘get by’ with no external water supply will increase the health impacts on the local community.
* 2KM from the village of Lue is just too close .
Thank you.

I strongly object to the development of the Bowdens Silver mine near Lue for many reasons. In particular I am concerned with the health of villagers in nearby Lue from the mine’s unavoidable and inevitable multifaceted pollution- including lead, noise, light & increased traffic Also Lawson creek is already under threat in fact it has been identified in the NSW Stressed River Assessments to be in the most seriously stressed category with a high level of environmental stress as well as a high extraction rate. Bowdens mine will only exacerbate these issues with its high demand for water. This will have far reaching negative implications for town resources, as well as agriculture and farming that the Lawson flows through.
Lead is poisonous for Lue- I’m aware of the disastrous implications lead has on the health of children- working as a paediatric Physio for over 40 years I vehemently oppose any development that will place the health of children in particular and their families at unnecessary risk.

I would like to re-iterate the support that I provided to the initial submission of the Bowdens Silver Project development application (SSD-5765).
This amendment shows the proponents commitment to reducing the impacts of the project where possible and to act on community feedback.
It is excellent to see the improvements to the efficiency of the site and the resulting reduction of impacts in particular;
- The Mudgee-Wollar key breeding area for the Regent Honeyeater and Acacia Ausfeldii are no longer impacted
- The significant reduction in water requirements, and
- The reduction in disturbance footprint and impact on native vegetation.
The modification of the powerline route also shows the proponent's commitment to minimising impacts to community amenity where possible.
This project remains vital to the region, it is essential that we diversify and open the Mid Western Region to a wide range of businesses and projects to ensure stable long term employment from projects that benefit the community at large and are undertaken with a commitment to minimise impacts to the environment and community.
The NSW government have identified silver and zinc in their Critical Minerals and Hi-tech Metals Strategy for NSW, the Bowdens Silver Project is key to achieving the outcomes of this strategy. With NSW's combination of highly skilled industry professionals and world leading environmental standards the project will provide long term intergenerational benefit to the local area, region and wider country.

From: Susan Pridmore
The Badger Ground,
482 breakfast Creek road,
Rylstone
NSW 2849
To: The Director,
Resource Assessments,
Planning, and Assessment
Department of Planning and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
PARRAMATTA,
NSW 2124

Dear Sir,
RE: BOWDENS SILVER PROJECT SSD-5765

RE: BOWDENS SILVER MINE AMENDMENT

I Have NOT made a reportable political donation.
I DO NOT require my name to be withheld.

I OBJECT TO THE PROJECT because of the water issues, such as:
1. The ‘AMENDMENT SUBMISSIONS REPORT: State Significant Development No. 5765 omits a very significant matter: the potential for acid mine leakage, which has the potential to leach heavy metals into Lawson Creek. This could impacxt fauna and flora along the creek for at least 20 kms and over many decades. Putta Bucca Wetlands downstream and on the outskirts of Mudgee. Research has studied this matter and it is of serious concern.

2.Lawson Creek is listed in NSW Stressed Rivers Assessment in the most stressed category (S1) – with both environmental stress and a high extraction rate. It is more often a series of water holes with no visible flows during Summer. I witness , know this, as I travel alongside it in between home and Mudgee.

3.Bowdens are double -counting the harvest-able water from their property. The amount of water drained out of the tailing dam would expose lead etc etc dust. We live east of this, downwind from the Mine. Lead is toxic for people and wildlife.

4 Bowdens are ignoring what scientists are saying over and over again : that climate chaos is changing our rainfall patterns, amongst so much more. The area of Lue, Rylstone and surrounds has been in devastating drought over the recent years, to the extent that whole hillsides of trees have been dying, looking as though they have been burned in a bushfire. We live about 10 kms away from the Mine site, and our ridges looked as though they had been burnt but the eucalypts were simply parched to death . What is the morality of mining silver, lead and zinc in this climate?

Yours sincerely, Sue Pridmore

An issue that concerns me hugely is the risk of pollution either through the water course, noise, or in the air. As evident by other mining operations the risk of contamination to water sources is very real with no real consequences to mining companies . To risk the health of all the human population, flora and fauna downstream all the way to the Murray Darling or in general area is to bigger risk. The tailings dam area throughout the complex is huge and with the extraction of water from tailings dam to compliment requirement is only going to increase risk through airborne dust. There is only a thin man made membrane between Bowdens mine operations and a disastrous catastrophe to all in the local area and the whole of the waterways from Lue to Mudgee down to Murray darling and beyond. The air and noise pollution from mining process, the tailings dam to transporting of product for processing is unacceptable It should not be allowed to proceed

7 April 2022 Submission to Dept of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) re Bowdens Silver Project (SSD 5765)- re amended application -pipeline amendment
We are landholders and primary producers (cattle) in the Lue region and continue to vehemently object to Bowdens Silver Projects amended pipeline amendment application to build a Silver Mine in the Lue region. We strongly object to the proposed mine development.
This submission should be read in conjunction with our previous opposition submissions on 27 July 2020 and 16 August, 2021
We ask that you reject the Bowdens Silver Mine application.
In this submission we want to emphasise that we have concerns with-
• Water security
• Increases in local traffic
• Effect of the mine on the Lue natural environment.
• Noise issues.
• Air quality

Re Water Security
The Mid- Western Council in its letter to DPIE on 27 July 2020 made excellent points stating ‘the significant and long term water usage of the Mine is a serious ongoing concern for Council, particularly in light of (recent) drought conditions and rural hardship experienced across the Region. The recent drought has demonstrated that water is a highly valuable resource and Council does not support any potential threat to existing town water supplies or the amount of water available for rural property owners for domestic and agricultural purposes.’

In addition, the original EIS was going to draw up to 5 ML of water a day via the pipeline and now that is all to be managed onsite. We do not believe that the amended EIS adequately caters for contingencies during periods of prolonged drought and the huge demands for water that the mine will require. We are hugely concerned that the mine will be consuming large quantities of local water especially in the 1 ½ year establishment and construction phase. We agree with the Council’s original concerns and still do not feel that the Mine’s pipeline amendment application adequately addresses the local residents water concerns, just purchasing water licenses is not enough. Once the ground water has been used up it is gone forever.

In summary we are extremely concerned that the proposed Mine will have a negative effect on the local ground water available for the local village of Lue and neighbouring farming properties.

Noise, Air and Environment
Despite the Mine’s amended pipeline submission report we continue to be concerned with the effect of the Mine on local traffic, Noise, Dust suppression using large quantities of local water and effect on the air quality and finally the effect of the mine on the local natural environment. Should the Mine go ahead, we know that the Lue village and neighbouring farms will be adversely affected.

We ask that you reject the Mine’s application.

Submission attached

From: Susan Pridmore
The Badger Ground
482 Breakfast Creek Road
Rylstone
NSW 2849
Wednesday 6 th April, 2022
TO:
Director-Resource Assesments, Planning and Assessment,
Department of Planning and Environment,
Locked Bag 5022 PARRAMATTA,
NSW,2124

BOWDENS SILVER PROJECT SSD-5765
RE: BOWDENS SILVER MINE AMENDMENT

I Have NOT made a reportable political donation.
I DO NOT require my name to be withheld.

I OBJECT TO THE PROJECT because:

1. There has been lack of Community consultation. There has been insufficient time also to prepare our responses to this Amendment. I have had inadequate time to post a thought ful document. We live in an area where mail is delivered only 3 times a week. Our correspondence from your department arrived in our mailbox at the end of last week. This gives little time to post a response back, which people like myself have to do when their internet and technical facilities are not as advanced as others. I object to this very much.

2.Little understanding and knowledge of the local wildlife affected by the amendment. The arrangements in this amendment are lethal to our flora and fauna.
I find it horrifying that so much more land will be cleared. There is no understanding that endangered and threatened species such koalas, powerful owls, the Regent honey-eaters, are already deprived of their habitat around here, let alone all the other species of wild life, both tiny, large and inbetween, are already struggling to keep their habitats. Drought and bush fires here have exaserbated their plight severely. Wild life simply cannot uproot and relocate somewhere else. Offsets compiled of unwanted agricultural land are utterly unsuitable for re-establishing themselves.
We know our wild life and are a Wild life Sanctuary, We have a colony of koalas living around our house. They emerge from the Barigan Heritage Lands Reserve which is on our doorstep. Koalas are an example of wildlife seeking protection and habitat, and making a comeback at long last. They are known also around Lue, and in the uncleared lands stretching from the Munghorn to Fewrntree Gully Environmental Reserve. We live in between. Every hectare of uncleared land, and

2
2/ cont.
every drop of water, is needed to retain our wildlife. Bowdens plans of clearing habitat, creating acid mine leakage and polluting our waters, and sending lead dust into the air, etc reveal their ignorance and disregard to all scientific information which indicate that our environment is in dire straits.

3. Humans are dependent on a healthy environment. If the Silver Mine is producing toxic material into our air, airways and water, it simply mustn’t be worked.
We cannot, as a species , live without our natural world. This Mine is ignoring this fact. The Lue community is far too close to all the toxicity and noise and health-destroying factors involved with this Mine’s workings. Even ourselves, about 10 kms away, are affected by noise, and will be by the west-blowing winds carrying lead and cyanide dust.Research shows that Broken Hill’s children had lead in their bodies, and that Bowdens will be responsible for vast higher perecentage.

Yours sincerely,
Sue Pridmore

I object to this project as building an open lead-mine two kilometres from a primary school and a township it is horrible and terrifying.

One of my biggest concerns is the huge requirement for water to operate the mine. It absolutely wrong to allow the mine to extract the required water from the above ground landscape or underground sources. Any loss of surface water or underground water is totally wrong. As evident by our previous drought. History shows that it will occur again so we need to keep all the water available during good times to increase the water in the soil profile. It is critical that all the farm land downstream have no natural flow rate reduced so as able to produce healthy food in the future There is also evidence of BSAL land downstream with is the best agricultural land rating which should not be jeopardised under no circumstances Water conservation is a critical concern for future land and stock management and should not be given to a mining project

I object to the project. The proposed mine will have an unreliable water supply and lead is poisonous for Lue.

I am writing to protest against the proposed Silver mine in Lue.
Mining should not be happening at all ..
I live in this beautiful district and believe the mine would be very destructive to the local water ways.
I don’t believe it can be created without great scarring to the natural environment.
I also don’t want more trucks using the small country roads …. the impact would be horrendous ….

I object to the mine on the basis of environmental degradation and water use. The Lawson valley catchment cannot support this much water use. It’s already a stressed and fragile water source. This can absolutely not be allowed if there is to be a productive future for the catchment. Loss of native biodiversity is guaranteed of this goes ahead.