Bowdens Silver

I Object to the Mine proceeding

We at Murong Gialinga are very concerned about this project and object to the silver mine being approved our concerns are as follows 1/.Aboriginal Culture . There is a area in the pipeline that has not been 100% surveyed this needs to be surveyed before any decision be made We have asked the mine when this will take place.We as Aboriginal stakeholders need to be given reports so our community can read themat meetings and they are aware what is happening and can make suggestions to the mine. All Aboriginal sites and Aboriginal objects are important to our people past/present we do not judge them by High Medium or Low significance. All contractors should be given Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Training we in the community are willing to do this.With the Triple c meetings we should be informed with the meeting minutes and any Aboriginal matters so we can have our say as Registered Aboriginal Stakeholders this is not happening. There should be a Aboriginal Man and a Aboriginal Woman on the triple c for Cultural reasons .There are areas in the mine that are culturally important to our people past/ present that could/will be destroyed our Culture is being destroyed on a daily basis .The wildlife will suffer .Its known that there has been Koala sightings and after so many perished in recent bush fires it would be horrific to see these local ones disrupted or destroyed there are also the wedge tail eagle and yellow tailed black cockatoo and the echidna all important culturally to our people. The country will never be the same if this mine goes ahead . 2/Ground Water Bowdens propose to use 1857 mega litres of water annually.They intend to take most of it out of the ground.There is potential for reduced frequency and depth of remnant pools during extended dry periods as a result of ground water draw down .The Bowdens study feasibility study shows that during mining they plan to store a pile approximately 40 million tonns of waste rock above the Lawson Creek water table.The pile would be between 50m and 90m high .Analysis shows that 54%of this waste rock is potentially acid forming meaning that it can create toxic sulfuric acid when disturbed.Sulfuric is toxic to aquatic life also drainage from this rock is reconised as a major source of heavy metal pollution to ground water and surface ways.The water ways in question here are Lawson Creek which flows into the Cudgegong River at Mudgee before flowing into Burrendong Dam.This water is source for feed many houses gardens, farms also vineyards. 3/LUE approximately 900 people live in Lue or its surrounds these people will be adversely affected by the mine if approved in some way shape of form.Examples if mine is approved there will be noise, dust, traffic,dust ,vibration from blasts.Property values will reduce in the area also the Locals will not benefit from employment as the jobs will go to out of town people like other mines and the workers will not live in Lue .The Silver mine LTD (SUL)have confirmed they will not be filling the void of the mine when mining if finished .Estimates indicate there will be a hole approximately 1.5 kms wide by 300 metres deep and a huge health risk to the surrounding environment.The proposal is to process 2 million tons of Ore per year over the next 17 tears. Extraction is expected to be in the vicinity of 4 million ton per year ,Movement will be approximately 6 million tons of materials per year around the sites and processing the of Ore on Site.They are our concerns we hope all these concerns are listened to .Kind Regards Debbie Foley on behalf of Murong Gialinga Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation.

I object to the project

-

BOWDENS SILVER MINE - my very strong objection!
I object on numerous environmental grounds to this project. I have immediate family living in the area around Lue and visit regularly from Sydney area. I had plans to move to greater Mudgee area sometime in the near future and have my children and grand children visit often. I am passionate about the animals and birds of this beautiful region and am horrified at the thought of the noise and impact trucking and constant blasting would have on the natural environment. Afterall, this beauty and tranquillity is the selling point in all tourism for your entire region. This is where true value from money comes - not blatant commercialism and mining. To say I am concerned for both air and water impact is an understatement. The water plans proposed along with the pit seem to completely be out of sink with the immediate environment and pollution risk should be a concern for everyone in Mudgee Region.No guarantee of professional running of a project as large as this seems at all possible given the seemingly lack of experience of Silver Mines Limited. Objection to this undertaking in my opinion by locals seems entirely reasonable and I believe that because there are so few of them, those from the city like myself need to stand firm with them and ensure there livelihoods and local environment are not destroyed. They deserve a safe and peaceful environment to live in and not have properties devalued.
Please give serious consideration to the complete non-approval of this plan. I strongly recommend the mine move to somewhere where it does pose significant environmental danger for animals and birds, and the locals.
Thank you

The Bowdens Silver Project is unlikely to have a significant impact upon jobs in the LGA nor contribute much to its economy. Tourism already contributes a large amount to the economy. The Orana Mid-West Renewable Energy Zone promises to be a larger contributor to local employment and economy without the adverse environmental impacts of land clearing and habitat fragmentation and loss, with subsequent loss of endangered flora and fauna; the Project, on the other hand, would have enduring adverse impacts upon the environment. The tailings dam is upstream from the Cudgegong River, a potential source of toxic cyanide (and lead). Tailings dams have failed. The operator of the Bowdens Silver Project is not an experienced mining company.

23 July 2020
Submission by the registered proprietor of “Bara Valley” of 874 Bara Road, Bara NSW 2850 and other nearby farming properties (the Property) in respect to the Bowdens Silver Project (BSP).
The Property is located about 2.5kms from the proposed north western boundary of BSP. There are three residentials dwelling on the Property. From time to time all three homes are occupied. My family and I love living on the Property as it is a very peaceful, quiet and picturesque place. Although the Property is a source of income, we live where we live due to the Property’s beauty. My countless Sydney friends who visit the Property always communicate whilst at the Property and more so on their return to Sydney, is how fortunate my family and I are to be able to live on such a beautiful peaceful place. That said, the most guests at the Property cannot stop commenting on the quietness of the place. Often our friends will retire to bed and say, “I am an early riser, so I will see you at 6am”. Often I won’t see my friends until after 9am.” My friends then often state, “It was so quiet and peaceful, I just could not get out of bed. My body started to relax and unwind”.

Due to the close proximity of the Property to the BSP site I understand that the Property is going to be affected by dust contaminates and noise which will be emitted from the proposed site of the BSP. This is not satisfactory to my family and I. Our drinking water comes from the rain falling on our iron roof and draining into rainwater tanks. It is not acceptable that dust contaminates emitted from the BSP end up in my children, wife, guests, workers and my bodies. I understand that even low levels of lead are a risk for people and a greater risk for children.
We have a koala group living on the Property. I am not a specialist in koala habitats or breeding but I am sure the noise emitted from the proposed BSP site will interfere with the koala group. Perhaps the dust contaminates falling on the gum leaves will affect the leaves so that the koalas can no longer consume them.
I have not been contacted personally from anyone from BSP. As far as I am aware BSP has not carried out any tests about the Property being effected by the BSP. I think that BSP should pay for any reasonable tests I wish to carry out on the Property as it is the project that is the cause for me wanting to carry out the tests. Although I may use the test results in future litigation against the BSP (as a benchmarks) I still request that BSP should pay for them as it is their project that is causing me this expense.
I understand that the lead to be mined at the BSP has a much higher absorption rate then other leads found at other similar mines around Australia. This should be sufficient to hold that existing safety measures at other Australian silver/lead mines are not suitable for the BSP.
The big issue is what is our local area going to be left with after the mine has finished. The area is going to the at risk of deadly contaminates for over a 100 years.

If the BSP is approved and goes ahead it will lower my family’s quality of life on the Property and will reduce its value.
For the abovementioned reasons and concerns I do not support the consent of the BSP and encourage the Minister not to approved it.

Regards