Bowdens Silver

Please find attached my letter that strongly disproves of the silver mine at Lue

Bowdens Silver Project
I am the owner of Wilgowrah, 499 Lue Road, Milroy, 2850 NSW. I oppose Bowdens Silver Project as it will have a detrimental impact on my current business.
Firstly, my farming, haymaking and cattle operation relies on reliable ground water supplied by Lawsons Creek and wells below the proposed mine. The business has a 60 megalitre water licence attached to Lawsons Creek to provide water for haymaking, cropping and cattle production. Due to the resent drier seasons water from these sources has been unreliable and will be even more so when Bowdens commence using the proposed 2050 Megalitres of water each year including 780 Megalitres of water from Lawsons Creek. It is imperative Lawsons Creek and the entire water table remains pristine without any pollution from the proposed mine. The proposed tailings dam will be built less than 1km from Lawsons Creek providing no guarantee that leakage will not occur in the future. Thus, rendering any farming or livestock production on Wilgowrah impossible without a reliable supply of water and a guarantee future generations will not be subjected to polluted water.
Secondly, our property offers tourist accommodation attracting visitors wishing to experience a quiet, tranquil and pristine environment. Increased noise and traffic from mining equipment and trucks transporting ore from Bowdens Silver Mine along Lue Road will have a negative impact on our tourist business.
Finally, our home is situated 15 metres from Lue Road and any increase of heavy vehicle traffic will have a significant impact on our lifestyle. We will no longer be able to enjoy a quiet country existence with the constant rumbling of trucks, heavy equipment and the increased traffic flow from mine workers.

Thankyou for allowing me to make this submission- my name is Rowan Mills.
I am the owner of the property "Glendos" who's nearest boundary is approximately 2 kms from the proposed Bowdens silver project. I had a meeting with the previous owners of the Bowdens silver project to voice my concerns regarding the mine, the mine representative stood on my front veranda and looked straight down the valley to where the open cut mine would be , he said quite simply I wouldn't be able to live here because of the noise and dust. I relayed this story to the new owners and their response was "I dont Know why they said that" I said perhaps they were being honest, their reply a deafening silence. I am greatly concerned about my future.

I strongly support the project for the following reasons.
Firstly the jobs created by this development are desperately needed throughout the immediate and surrounding areas and the commitment by the company to source as many jobs as it possibly can from the local area is a huge boost for the the local economy. The project is also a boost for the State and Federal economies at a time when the those economies desperately need it due to the impacts of covid 19. Approval would also provide a huge benefit to people's well being with the prospect of jobs and increased economic activity.
The very rigorous and thorough EIS shows not only the positive benefits but also addresses the many issues which could cause concern for a community such as human health, noise, traffic etc and shows how seriously the company has taken these issues and the work done to address any community concerns.
I am also aware of the industry leading way in which the company has genuinely, honestly and diligently engaged with neighbours of the project and the broader community so they are fully informed throughout this process.

I think this is an amazing opportunity for the local area, to create much needed job opportunities.
NSW has a bad reputation for slow process approval which has really slowed the development of the mining industry of NSW, this is deterring investment into NSW. We need investment to grow local job opportunities.

As a landowner on the Cudgegong River downstream of the Lawson Creek's confluence and friend of several landowners on the Lawson Creek I feel qualified to voice my objection to the proposed mine for the following reasons;
* The highly toxic tailings dam is to be constructed less than a kilometre from Lawson Creek. These dams often give way in extreme rain events - leading to pollution in a major way in the Lawson Creek.
*This mine will produce 95,000 tonnes of lead. A toxic element such as this close to family's homes and schools in Lue etc is just not on in 2020.
*The mine is to operate 24/7 - surely an unfair imposition on a population who settled and bought into the area with the knowledge of no such mine existing there.
*A deadly cyanide processing plant will operate on the site.Is this environmentally appropriate in 2020?
*The extra traffic placed on the Rylstone/Mudgee road due to 227,000 tonnes of ore being trucked from the mine will present a serious likelihood of potentially fatal accidents - this is a windy and narrow road.
*The mine cannot source sufficient water locally so propose to pipe it from Ulan or Moolarben mines - this is not sustainable in dry years.
* Ground water levels will drop by 25 metres- the open cut pit will continue to draw water for up to 100 years after the mine has been abandoned.
*Waste dumps (of potentially acid forming material) produced by the mine above the water table will most likely leach into the water table and the surrounding catchment.
*Bowdens do not offer a suitable plan for rehabilitation of the mine - hardly the level of concern required of a company disturbing the environment so radically.
* This mine covers habitats of koalas and regent honeyeaters. Any disturbance on the scale proposed for this mine would ruin these habitats forever.
* The economics of the mine are marginally viable at best ( the assumed silver price in the EIS is US$20.91/ oz. - a price not achieved in the last 5 years)) which leads to the inevitable cheaper methods of running the operation and the consequent worse results environmentally and socially.