State Significant Development
Bowdens Silver
Mid-Western Regional
Current Status: Determination
Interact with the stages for their names
- SEARs
- Prepare EIS
- Exhibition
- Collate Submissions
- Response to Submissions
- Assessment
- Recommendation
- Determination
Development of an open cut silver mine and associated infrastructure. Link to Independent Planning Commission's page for the Project https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/cases/2022/12/bowdens-silver
Attachments & Resources
Notice of Exhibition (2)
Request for SEARs (2)
SEARs (3)
EIS (25)
Response to Submissions (14)
Agency Advice (42)
Amendments (18)
Additional Information (32)
Recommendation (2)
Determination (3)
Approved Documents
There are no post approval documents available
Note: Only documents approved by the Department after November 2019 will be published above. Any documents approved before this time can be viewed on the Applicant's website.
Complaints
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Make a ComplaintEnforcements
There are no enforcements for this project.
Inspections
22/08/2023
Note: Only enforcements and inspections undertaken by the Department from March 2020 will be shown above.
Submissions
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
I am in support of this project and see great benefit for family and friends in the area.
Ben Mahoney
Support
Ben Mahoney
Message
Henk Roest
Object
Henk Roest
Message
Attachments
Saskia Van Schie
Object
Saskia Van Schie
Message
Attachments
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Craig Maggs
Support
Craig Maggs
Message
Shaun Kim
Support
Shaun Kim
Message
Sleiman Majdoub
Support
Sleiman Majdoub
Message
Hassan Majdoub
Support
Hassan Majdoub
Message
Tically Superannuation
Support
Tically Superannuation
Message
Ali Majdoub
Support
Ali Majdoub
Message
Gareth Sutch
Support
Gareth Sutch
Message
Bowdens Silver is a Australian company.
Silver is a valuable resource used in medical and renewable applications.
Susan Hellyer
Object
Susan Hellyer
Message
The village of Lue is 2 kms from the proposed mine site, & it’s Aboriginal meaning of “chain of waterholes” describes the presence of groundwater in this long-standing farming area.
Bowdens propose using 2050 megalitres of water each year, 780 to be taken from the Lawson creek valley, equivilant to more than 1 Olympic swimming pool per day. They admit they will reduce the water table by 25 metres on site, apparently scrapping ideas for water storage. Farmers are rightly concerned that with increasing droughts water will dry up.
There are already recent examples of this happening in the Werris creek area, & the Hunter valley, where the Hunter river water supply has diminished dramatically from the high water usage of coal mines & power stations upstream.
My major concern is that mining & agriculture cannot co- exist.
The Hunter valley also experiences fine dust pollution, now known to damage lungs. The Bowdens mine will produce 83,000 tons of lead, only 2 kms from Lue school. The risk of lead contamination of water sources in the surrounding area is not worth the risk, when there are known examples of environmental damage in the Boolaroo area of Lake Macquarie where the Pasminco Sulphide lead smelter contaminated land which is still being remediated & lead to unacceptable lead levels in children.
The Lue community cannot be confident that Bowdens will be responsible in managing the environment. There are no plans for rejuvenation of the site, the main pit & tailings dam will remain forever & pollution will be ongoing. There are too many examples of irreversible damage to the environment from mining companies such as Ok Tedi in New Guinea.
In the Mudgee area, residents are acutely aware of the impact of existing & proposed mining ventures on established communities like Wollar & Bylong, where mining companies bought up most of the properties, destroying the fabric of those communities & the productivity of the land.
In February 1919, the Independent Planning Commission rejected the Rocky Hill mine application on the basis of proposed Greenhouse emissions. It found “the environmental impacts , particularly on groundwater & productive agricultural land, would last long after the mine is decommissioned.” It has become urgent that we take action on climate change & the costs to future generations.
This is mining proposal is dangerous, with long term risks far outweighing any short term employment benefits. We ask you to seriously reject it.
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Message
Gallanggabang Aboriginal Corporation
Object
Gallanggabang Aboriginal Corporation
Message
Attachments
Wellington Valley Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation
Object
Wellington Valley Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation
Message
Attachments
Bradley Bliss
Object
Bradley Bliss
Grahame Hellyer
Object
Grahame Hellyer
Message
Attachments
Rosalind Manley
Object
Rosalind Manley
Message
We New South Welshmen (and Australians) have an obligation to ensure that our children and their children have a positive future in a land that is managed skilfully, bearing in mind that we have low rainfall and are the driest continent on Earth. I cannot support, and therefore strongly object to, the Bowden Silver Mine proposal. It must NOT go ahead.