Bowdens Silver

Being an elderly resident in Lue for the last 6yrs I feel that if the mine goes ahead I will have to move as I feel I will be concerned about the quality of the air and water on my health! I also think the beautiful little school will close as parents might feel there children’s health might be impaired by the air quality and the noise will disturb their schooling!

1. INTRODUCTION
My family, the Christie’s, have owned and lived at Eastwood for over forty years and three generations. We have two homes on the 972-hectare holding and are situated on the western end of the current lease of the Bowden’s mine. We are approximately eight kilometers from the proposed mine site.
Due to our proximity to the proposed mine and concerns for the Lue Village l volunteered to become a community member on the first Community Consultative Committee (CCC) in May 2012 when the mine was owned by Kingsgate Ltd. When the mining lease was purchased by Silver Holding Ltd in 2017 (the sixth owner in the past 30 years, one previous owner being Rio Tinto) l was again volunteering time to represent the community on the CCC from October 2017 till today.
Over the past eight years of my involvement with the CCC l have kept an open mind as to how changes could be made to the project to mitigate some of the communities major concerns. Working as a registered nurse in health l had health uppermost in mind. After a mine site visit in 2019 by the CCC, suggestions were made by community representatives who were local to Lue on the CCC. For example, changes to positioning of wind turbines that would better indicate in modelling wind directions and strengths. Bowden’s response was that their ‘experts’ were best suited to decide on modelling. The implication being that suggestions made were not that welcome.
Changes to daytime operating hours only, a suggestion to have the processing plant further to the east, the list of suggestions for ways the proponent could work with the community were endless and presented at a CCC meeting. This was until l realised that the CCC was a formality imposed on the proponent and not an opportunity for community input. It took a while to dawn on me that the economic outcomes far outweighed any compromise the proponent was willing to make to be able to keep a community safe and in their own homes. And there lies the rub. Through the eight years of CCC meetings the proponents absorbed more information about the local area for their own use than any compensation they were willing to give back to the community.
On the topic of the CCC l do wish to thank the Department of Planning for their intervention in the Bowden’s CCC by appointing a truly independent chairperson to preside over the meetings. Darryl Watkins has done an outstanding job in this regard as we finally had minutes we could all agree on and have answers to questions that had previously been disregarded.
With the release of the EIS areas of previous concern have still not been adequately addressed by SVL consultants to give any peace of mind as to the safety, health and long term interest of the Lue residents and those of the surrounding area. Certainly, the loss of the biodiversity and Threatened Ecological Communities in the surrounding area in which we live and work will be a great loss that the state of NSW can no longer afford with only 5% of these remaining in the central west. Therefore, it will come as no surprise that l object in the strongest possible terms to this project even being considered to be allowed to proceed at Lue.
I have highlighted only a few areas of the areas of concern below based on firstly the effects to our farming, health and environment personally but also for the long-term effects for people living in the village and also the loss of biodiversity to the area of Lue and surrounds.



Dust/Air Quality
It is agreed globally that no level of exposure to lead is safe for either adults or especially children. Lead will make up 42% of the ore mined by Bowden’s. There is inadequate data in the EIS to draw the conclusions of the SVL consultant. Lead particle size and chemical form are critical factors in estimating dangers of exposure/ingestion and this has not been included in the EIS.
An inevitable repeat of the recent dust storms we have experienced will be lifting lead from this mine site and relocating it over time.
This lead dust will also be a concern in drinking water sourced from rain water tanks washed in from roof tops. Rain water diverters have been mentioned in the social impact assessment but no real commitment or plan is offered by the proponent in this regard.
The EIS has not adequately addressed the issue of human health and lead dust. Consultants who work in the field of heavy metal and contaminants have offered that there is not enough information from the proponent to draw any conclusions about the effects on the residents of Lue village and beyond. This would suggest the proponent knows of the major issues with lead mined in such close proximity to a village.
Ground Water/Surface Water
Like other graziers in the Lue area we are reliant on our extensive groundwater reticulation system for stock water. This system has been funded both privately by us and government funded through landholder incentive programs. For the short term (16 years) this mine will cause drawdown and compromise bores in the area. Two bores outside the mine site are already identified in the EIS as being compromised. Inadequate explanation has been made in the EIS for compensation. Realistically what compensation long term would work for loss of ground and possibly surface water both from a production viewpoint and groundwater reliant ecosystems.
Surface water flows will be severely affected by the mine. Dry periods currently see the Lawson Creek reduced to individual pools already adding problems for adjoining landholders. Water has and will be highly sought after for food production. The operation of this mine will be controversial in its high-water use and remembering every drop of water that comes off the site will be contaminated.
Noise
Currently we have very low noise levels day and especially at night. The EIS indicates very low noise levels in Lue below 25dBA. The assessment agreed that 30dBA at night and 35dBA day time would be the baseline. This will certainly cause social impact implications on tourism and residents alike. Also, the use of onsite offsets for the biodiversity offset scheme (BOS) would suggest that these high noise levels at night affecting fauna would be a contradiction of the benefits of the scheme even though it is legal.
Light Pollution
Dark Sky Alliance has recently conducted a public awareness campaign on the affects of light pollution and sky glow on native fauna. Many researches have identified nocturnal species being adversely affected. Many examples were given by researchers quoted by Dark Sky Alliance. Squirrel Gliders, Sugar Gliders and Barking Owls are just two of the prey/predator species identified in the EIS that are currently onsite. This would also indicate that onsite offsets are not ideal when there is clearing of threatened ecological communities and no buffer zones allocated.

Terrestrial Ecology
We currently implement conservation grazing methods on farm. This not only improves our production but adds to the biodiversity and sequestration of soil carbon.
Understanding biodiversity and ecosystem function leads us to believe that the most recent changes to the biodiversity offset scheme will lead NSW into a net loss of box gum woodland (BGW), which is a Threatened Ecological Community (TEC)
Bowden’s have 675.2 ha of BGW in the study area, 147.87ha of BGW is to be cleared leaving 519.2ha as a possible onsite offset. There is no planned buffer zone to protect this area from mine disturbance questioning what fauna would frequent this as habitat with noise, blasting, night light and vibration.
“Given that these are Threatened Ecological Communities there is insufficient acknowledgement of their limited nature across NSW and Australia. With 95% clearance of Grassy Woodland Community in the central west, the importance of the remaining communities cannot be understated.”
The 2020 bushfire season affected the areas to the east of Lue, a key biodiversity area identified by Birdlife Australia. This damage highlights the importance of protecting remaining fauna and flora in our area. Sadly, the EIS has inadequate surveys for Swift Parrots (wrong time of year for flowering of the species it feeds on), frogs (surveyed during dry times) and two out of three key points of the Koala recovery plan are not addressed.
Tree hollows for prey and predator reliance are already reduced due to bushfires. The survey in the EIS needed size, distribution and type information on included on these all-important tree hollows.

Conclusion
The Lue community and surrounding area would not like to go the same way as the communities of Ulan, Wollar and Bylong due to mining. There has been a groundswell of movement that would suggest that the people of Mid-Western Regional Council area feel the same way. There are many who have come to Lue seeking a tree change and settled here in the community adding to the wide diversity we have today. This also encourages decentralisation from cities to regional areas. A lead mine would certainly close down this opportunity for Lue.
After eight years l have spent on the Bowden’s CCC and slogging though much of the EIS over the past sixty days l feel that the job of DPIE and the Minister has been made much easier knowing the decision really is a ‘no-brainer’. As the multiple signs between Rylstone and Mudgee state, “No Lead Mine for Lue”

We were not properly informed about this mine until after we saw the placards on people’s gates. Long after initial submissions were due.

We own a nearby farm with animals within a small radius of this silver aka “lead” mine and wholeheartedly reject this proposal.

The impact on the community will be irreversible, not to mention that we are STILL having debating the ecological disaster this will cause in this day and age. The debate about the potential harm to the natural landscape and surrounds is ludicrous. Leave this beautiful village alone. The scientific data alone is enough to tell us this is NOT acceptable.

I strongly object to this mine and the structures that have been put in place as a Band-Aid solutions in order to open this mine.

Surely the health and well-being of the community and the wildlife in this region is of paramount significance.

Please see attached submission

Bowdens have proven to be a responsible company that cares for the community. They have provided much needed donations and grants to the community that have kept such valuable organisations operating. I have read all submissions and responses to date and dont see how this essential community project can not go ahead and provide needed jobs and support for the region. I note the opposition and the blatant lies and agendas propagated and expressed by activist groups and hope that they are given the proper consideration. I fully support Bowdens Silver and hope they can progress as soon as possible.

To Whom It May Concern,

As a landowner in Mudgee, I am a big supporter of the town of Mudgee and its future growth, driven primarily by the construction and growth of nearby mines. The opportunity to continue this growth through the approval of the Bowdens Silver Project, with the support of the town’s local council, Mid-Western Regional Council, is a huge boost for the area and something many country towns can only dream of as they face declining populations, increasing unemployment and rising socio-economic problems.

Personally, Mudgee has been a big part of my family since the early 2000’s. Over the years my brother has been married in Mudgee, my family has spent many weekends in and around the town and made many trips to the incredible wineries around the area and in 2013 we purchased land within the LGA.

The existing mines located 25 to 45 minutes from Mudgee have proven over the years to work hand in glove with the town and its community. The mines have been successful in providing a large number of jobs to the local workforce, increasing the population by bringing outside workers and their families to the town and giving back to the community with grants and sponsorship. The opportunity to have another mine operating in the Mudgee area is something that should be embraced with both hands by the town. It will create further employment opportunities, increase the town’s population which in turn will create further employment opportunities, and increase the economic standing of the town immeasurably.

As regional areas and country towns around NSW and in fact, all of Australia, face economic hardship as populations decline, young people move away and socio-economic problems start to rise, not decline, Mudgee has an incredible opportunity to buck the trend with the approval of the Bowdens Silver Project. This new mine presents the town with the chance to continue to grow and get stronger – creating more jobs for the current population plus the future residents that are attracted to the Mudgee area. Based on research that says one mining job creates 2 or more new jobs in sub/supporting industries, the approval of this mine stands to benefit even those that don’t work in the mining industry within the township. More people in town means you will see more people employed at places like restaurants and cafes, more retail shops, more cars sold and more people in general shopping and being employed by local businesses to keep up with the increase in demand a growing population creates. All these things are a huge boost for the local economy and an incredible opportunity for the town of Mudgee and its people.

It is for these reasons I am formally writing to you to personally support the Bowdens Silver Project.

Yours sincerely,
An ardent supporter of the Bowdens Silver Mine Project

Satisfied with the strategies to manage enviromental impact and rehabilitation.
With the increased uptake in solar and electric vehicles, silver is becoming a much needed industrial commodity.
An open cut silver mine would contribute to the economy of NSW and Australia especially when global financial stability is uncertain with the current pandemic.

Great economic support for the regional communities.
Great economics for the mine.
Great resource for industry and environment overall (eg. solar panels)

I am of the opinion that this is a worthwhile project for our region. I see many benefits both short and long term including the continued growth of our community and businesses in our region.
Employment is vital to the continued prosperity of all, particularly the youth of our region. The continued support to our local industries will be welcomed.
It is great to note that apprenticeships and trainee-ships will be available on this project as this is something that is particularly lacking not only in our region, but our country.
I have to date been impressed with the Community support offered by Bowdens Silver and believe the community will benefit greatly from their continued support.
It will be great to see an updated road in that part of our region and will be an asset for continued tourism.
My only footnote is for Bowdens Silver to keep supporting the village of Lue and keep them safe.

The Bowdens Silver Project is a huge opportunity for the regional communities of the Mid- West region where the investment and jobs that will be generated by this project are desperately needed.
We need the Bowdens Silver Project to be approved to secure jobs and investment for local communities. Most of the workforce will live locally and contribute directly to the region’s community.
The Bowdens Silver Project has the support of the local community, local MPs, local Council and local businesses.
Our metal mining industry supplies the metals needed for products that we use every day such as mobile phones, batteries, cars, solar panels and televisions. Silver is the best electrical conductor of all the metals.
Mining is important to me and my family, our community and NSW.
The project will provide 320 jobs during construction and permanent full-time employment for 228 people during the project’s operation across the 16 year projected mine life.
The federal government’s tables of multiplier effects shows that more than three times as many indirect jobs are created for every person directly employed in a mine.
Mining provides Australia’s most valuable exports.
The state of NSW will benefit from royalties by approval for this project. This is money that NSW will be able to spend on our hospitals, schools, emergency services and roads.
Our national, state and local economies rely heavily on mining, so mining benefits all Australians.
NSW needs to focus on the positive aspects of mining and its many benefits so as to not be distracted by ideologically driven anti-mining activists.
We should all be proud of what mining is doing and can do in future for Australia, NSW and the Mid-West Region.
The reports submitted for the Bowdens Silver Project demonstrates its comprehensive coverage of all environmental issues. The benefits from the commencement of this silver mine are immense.
For all of these reasons I fully support the Bowdens Silver Project and its Amendment.

The Bowdens Silver Project is a huge opportunity for the regional communities of the Mid-West region where the investment and jobs that will be generated by this project are desperately needed.
We need the Bowdens Silver Project to be approved to secure jobs and investment for local communities. Most of the workforce will live locally and contribute directly to the region’s community.
The Bowdens Silver Project has the support of the local community, local MPs, local Council and local businesses.
Our metal mining industry supplies the metals needed for products that we use every day such as mobile phones, batteries, cars, solar panels and televisions.
Mining is important to me and my family, our community and NSW.
The project will provide 320 jobs during construction and permanent full-time employment for 228 people during the project’s operation across the 16 year projected mine life.
The federal government’s tables of multiplier effects shows that more than three times as many indirect jobs are created for every person directly employed in a mine.
Mining provides Australia’s most valuable exports.
The state of NSW will benefit from royalties by approval for this project. This is money that NSW will be able to spend on our hospitals, schools, emergency services and roads.
Our national, state and local economies rely heavily on mining, so mining benefits all Australians.
NSW needs to focus on the positive aspects of mining and its many benefits so as to not be distracted by ideologically driven anti-mining activists.
We should all be proud of what mining is doing and can do in future for Australia, NSW and the Central West Region.
The reports submitted for the Bowdens Silver Project demonstrates its comprehensive coverage of all environmental issues. The benefits from the commencement of this silver mine are immense.
For all of these reasons I fully support the Bowdens Silver Project and the recent Amendment.

We need such project to go ahead in such difficult COVID time to engage local work forces and revive economy.

Planning and Assessment
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta. NSW. 2124.

SUBMISSION

Date: 26th July 2020
Name: [Withheld]

Address:
[Withheld]

Applicant – Bowdens Silver Pty Limited
Application Number – SSD-5765
Application – Bowdens Silver Mine

I object to the BOWDENS SILVER MINE proposal.

I declare that I have not made a reportable political donation in the previous 2 years.
I would like my submission to be anonymous.
I request that you please withhold my name, do not publish my name on your website and
Remove my name from any documents that are already published on your website.

The reasons for objecting to this proposal are:
1. Water safety/security
2. Damage to the environment
3. Human health
4. Legacy for the Lawson Creek Valley and the state of NSW

I am a long-term resident and Winemaker of the area and upon reviewing the application I am deeply opposed to Bowden’s Silver Mine proposal.

We live in a fragile landscape with complex hydrology and I am gravely concerned for the ability of farmers and landholders in the Lawson Creek Valley to utilise this water source once the Silver Mine implements its proposed infrastructure.

The proposal put forward by Bowdens makes no provisions for drought in a climate that is changing. With warmer temperatures and longer dry spells predicted, fresh, uncontaminated water is the key to survival of our community.

Salinity is another major concern to us, the proposal to transport saline water from Ulan mine will place more pressure on a catchment that has worked extremely hard for many decades to control salinity. This has involved to engagement of many community groups, Landcare and volunteers all working with a long-term view to combat salinity and stabilise the landscape. To see this work undone will be devastating to the community at large.


My main concern is the impact that this mine will have on the long-term residents of this area. And for many, long-term is in the order of generations. These people have endured many hardships, drought, bushfires and now the shockwaves of COVID-19. The mental health of the residents is certainly something that must be considered in this application. Many of these residents were the ones that, in the grips of the worst drought on record, were leaving their own land unattended on a daily basis to fight the Gospers Mountain fire and many other fires in the region. They have built the local community over many decades, enabled development and provided jobs over this time. So to allow a mine to place all of that in danger for a project with a lifespan of 16 years is not a fair trade.

The Mudgee region has been very lucky in recent months, enjoying a flourish of visitors form Sydney and greater NSW due to COVID-19 restrictions. The overwhelming reactions from these visitors is that they are drawn to the pristine landscapes, the local Wine and Food scene and interaction with the farmers producing our food and fibre. The potential for this region to grow, develop and create new jobs lies in our ability to preserve our environment and to allow the landscape to be as productive as possible for generations to come. Tourists want to see healthy landscapes teaming with biodiversity and native flora/fauna, not gaping holes with heavy metal contamination 2kms from historic hamlets. I believe that the proposed silver mine endangers a lot of these tourist attractions if contamination and environmental degradation occurs due to mining activity.

This region has much more to offer than a silver mine, now is the time that traditional farmers are finding that they need to diversify in order to survive and to continue to produce our food and fibre in such a way that lessens the environmental impact and ensure long-term viability. In the process of diversifying, new industries emerge, jobs are created and the region as a whole can benefit from the effects. The silver mine will create some new jobs but these will be at the expense of many skilled jobs in the area if farms become unviable due to contamination or farmers & their families become ill from lead poisoning.

Bowdens have already demonstrated an alarming disregard for the landscape in which they wish to operate by breaching a number of environmental regulations during their initial testing. This does not instill us with a lot of trust in the company, that it will take the necessary measure to minimise the effect on the environment and that it will rehabilitate the area at the end of the mine’s life.

I am asking you to please reject the application for a mining licence by Bowdens Silver Pty/Ltd.

Yours sincerely,

A Mid Western Council Meeting scheduled for 4TH August 2021 has stated under the heading
“Confidential Session” the following item for discussion:
“Bowdens Silver Voluntary Planning Agreement”
Whatever the secret discussion is about the question is. Are there any Council Member present who have a fiduciary interest in Bowdens?
This is a question for the ICAC and should be treated as a matter of urgency!

I object to the proposed realignment of the Transgrid 500kv powerline, for the reasons outlined below.

• I object to the whole process of an amendment being added even before the Department has released an assessment report. This should have formed part of the original submission and been properly considered in the EIS. The original EIS was highly flawed and we see a continuation of poor environmental assessment with this amendment.
• It is a travesty of the environmental assessment process that this amendment is being considered even though the exact location of the realignment is not known.
• The realignment will result in12.6ha of native vegetation and includes the threatened Ecological Community, Box Gum Woodland. With only 5% of this ecological community left in the Central West, every hectare is precious.
• As mentioned above inadequate environmental assessment has been done. Of particular concern are hollow bearing trees significant to Barking Owls and Greater Broad Nosed Bat identified close to the clearing for the transmission line. The importance of tree hollows (particularly large hollows in old trees) should not be underestimated especially following reduced habitat due to the the 2019-2020 bushfires.
• Adequate assessment has not been done of the impact on aboriginal cultural heritage. This is yet another example of the significant negative cumulative impact of mining being ignored.
• The proposed realignment will have a huge negative impact on the visual amenity of the region which is a major tourist destination. This has not been addressed.
• It is of great concern that there have been no discussions with the community regarding visual amenity, dust and noise associated with the amendment – yet another travesty of the planning process.
• We understand alternate options for proposed realignment were considered. Should this realignment go ahead the condition that a route that places the line on lower
topography, avoiding the ridge and less destruction of native vegetation must form be enforced..

This whole project has serious issues relating to water and air pollution and should not be approved at all.

This is an unsustainable project with unacceptable risks to the environment and the community.

The project will support the local, state and country economy. Provide much needed jobs for locals.

Running a family farming business is always challenging, opportunities and threats are ever present. Drought, fire, Covid 19 and mines have been the major challenges this year. More recently significant rainfall events have provided a season with plenty of opportunity in merino sheep and beef production supported by strong markets in both sheep and beef sectors. Our farm is located on the Hayes Gap Road, a single lane rough dirt track that links the Lue Road to the Wollar Road. We have been running our business in it's current form, employing 4 full time people and 1 part time, for over 30 years on land that has been passed down through five generations of the White family. My two adult children (Anna & Nick) are actively involved in the business and will extend this process to six generations.

The Bowdens Silver Mine at Lue has the potential to cause significant environmental damage in both the short and long term and poses a threat to our business. The mine intends to use significant amounts of underground water in an area where water is scarce. While the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addresses this problem in the water supply section it remains exactly that, a statement on paper that hopefully relates to the real world. There is potential for this to affect underground water supply to surrounding landholders from as far as 10 kilometers away. Nobody has ever extracted the quantity of water the mine is going to use from the Lawson Creek so we just don't know what the consequences of taking 5 megalitres a day are going to be.

Additional water requirements for the mine are going to be supplied from coal mines at Ulan. This 60 kilometer pipeline is crossing productive agricultural land and along roads such as the Hayes Gap Road. In the construction process large quantities of native Eucalypts will be removed from the road side. The pipeline also has the potential to cause significant environmental damage through potential leakage of salty water from the Ulan mines. The EIS states that the pipeline will be monitored on a regular basis and that it will go under a number of permanent waterways. How will a leak underneath a creek ever be detected before it is too late? Bowdens Silver is expecting landholder cooperation in the pipeline construction process. There is no compensation in any form to landholders affected by the pipeline that will disturb an area of land 10 meters wide for the entire length. This is totally unreasonable given the risks associated with this project.

The Bowdens Silver mine will also increase traffic flow on all roads surrounding the mine. In the case of the Hayes Gap Road this will pose an increased safety risk as we move livestock and machinery. Along the Lue Road safety will become an issue as the proposal is to move six B-Double trucks of ore per day from Lue to Parkes. Large trucks will also be carrying dangerous chemicals such as Cyanide in the other direction to the mine. This is a recipe for disaster.

While I have no experience in mining, a project of this size has the potential to ruin the water supply to Mudgee through leakages from the tailings dam down the Lawson Creek. The dam and all it's toxic chemicals will stay there for at least two hundred years and there are no dams anywhere in the world that would give any level of confidence that this dam will not leak.

In summary the Bowdens Silver mine is a project that needs more time (about 50 years). Time to prove that the water supply will not affect surrounding landholders. Time to make better and safer roads around the mine. Time to prove that the tailings dam will be secure. The mine has a life expectancy of 16 years and presents some good employment opportunities during this time and in the construction process. However the risks to the environment of the Lue community and the wider Mudgee region are high. In every step of the life of this mine there is the possibility of failure resulting in damage that will last forever. A pipeline failure will destroy productive farmland. A failure in the lining in the tailings dam will destroy a creek system. A truck accident on poorly constructed roads will destroy lives. Is a mine that provides for a 16 year period worth the risk of permanent damage?

I am concerned about the impact from moving the powerline will have on view of the surrounding land. The Lue valley has a beautiful picturesque landscape, which will be ruined by the propositions of this mining project.

This project is a much needed investment in the local community and will create many jobs during construction and then continuing through to operations. Being an Australian company will help our local economy grow which is much needed after the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. Silver is a much needed commodity with many practical applications, as are the the lead and zinc by-products. I support this application.