Bowdens Silver

The moving of the 500Kv power towers will create even more disruption to the Lue Community. The Lue community have been tormented with an impending minerals mine for the last 30 years, with the resultant disruption to their lives and livelihoods. This change to the placement of the power towers will be a constant and visual reminder to the impending threat of dust containing lead and the destruction of the local environment. The towers current placement has them barely visible against the mountainous backdrop, however moving them to the ridge line will see them visible to the whole Lawson Creek valley.
Moving the power towers will result in further clearing of the remnant vegetation with a large majority of this Box Gum Grassy Woodland, a nationally threatened plant community. There has also been Swainsona recta identified on the mine site. With no information available in Bowdens document it is hard to judge what damage could occur to this threatened species, and possibly many others that have not been identified on the site.
As well as the movement of these large towers there is also the issue of the water supply that is "rumoured" to be supplied from the existing Ulan mines. There is no information available on the possible pipe placement or even if the water supply is available. There is not enough water in the Lawson Creek to supply the mine for dust suppression and so this is a possible deal breaker for the mine. There has been no community consultation on this major issue the landholders or to the landholders that may be on the route of this pipeline. The destruction of more native vegetation for this pipe line is also a concern.
Power supply is also an issue that the Bowdens Mine have not consulted the community. It is believed that the power supply for the mine will be accessed from the East. Again with a buffer of clearing of native vegetation required for the powerlines the amount of environmental damage to the area is accumulating.
The disruption and environmental damage for a mine that will only be in operation for 16.5 years is wanton and irresponsible. There are agricultural businesses in the area that have been operating for generations and the growing tourism industry will ensure the survival of many of these businesses as they diversify into this booming industry. The threat of a mine that can destroy the aesthetics of the area, potential community health with lead dust and a tailings dam shedding dust for many hundreds of years is a threat that we should not have to fight. It makes no sense to allow this mine to continue for such a short term gains.

I object to the project because of impacts on:
1. Air
Silver bearing ore can contain up to 15% more lead than silver. This mine will increase significantly the quantity of lead air pollution in the area.
2. Social disruption
The mine will destroy the township of Lue, which has been in existence for around 200 years. Property values will decrease and communities will be divided. This is a small farming area with many lifestyle blocks and a dependence on tourism. A silver mine is incompatible with this.
3. Visual impacts
Re-alignment of the power lines will detract from views from the township which will then also detract from tourism.
4. Traffic impacts
At maximum production there will be scores of truck movements each day on small rural roads which are poorly maintained but used to the maximum by local residents. This poses a danger to other road users and will damage roads.
5. Water
The cyanide enrichment process requires very large volumes of water and other water users in the area will have water supplies greatly reduced especially in times of drought. Highly acid water is a waste of the enrichment process and there is great danger of this water leaking into surrounding soils and waterways, especially in flood periods.

Please consider the submission attached.

Please see my concerns within the attached file.

I object on the basis of the enviromental damage which will result if this mine proceeds. The potential damage from this mine, in particular the lead component far out weighs the possible economic benefit to the community. The recent submission to move the power line, if allowed to proceed, would be an eyesaw, noisy and construction would increase traffic on the already dangerous Lue Rd. I therefore strongly object.

A mine only 2kms from a local town is too close.
Moving of 500Kv power towers:
• creates disruption to the community, destruction of trees, grass, animal and bird habitats.
• Towers would then be visible thus creating visual pollution.
Water source:
• Quoting rainfall from Mudgee airport is ludicrous. Our family farm near Lue has had no rainfall when Mudgee has rain.
• Where would the water come from in periods of drought? Water is needed to keep dust from tailings down so as to not create an environmental and health hazard.
Tailings wall:
• Need 2 walls in case of a failing with the inner wall
• Potential to contaminate natural water supply

As attached

The situation where we are now being asked to respond to a massive additional proposal in relation to the Bowdens Project is indicative of either utter incompetence or deliberate intention to obscure the full impact of the project. Neither can give the Lue community confidence that its interests are being considered or that there is a genuine desire to interact honestly with Government and communities.
The proponent should resubmit an EIS for the Bowdens Project  which includes  the newly located powerlines, the new line through Camboon and Pyangle, and the water pipeline.  This is the only way the full impact of the Bowdens Project can be adequately assessed.

I appreciate the opportunity to address my concerns with this project. I feel the project will ruin the beauty and picturesque surroundings of the Lue village.

I feel that the towers and the position of them will impact on my view from my home , Lue village and will devalue my property !

This statement is an OBJECTION to the proposed development.
As per our initial objection, this objection relates specifically to the proposed water pipeline between the mine site at Ulan and Moolarben, and the mine site at Lue, and the 3.87Km stretch of pipeline on the landholding at 2778 Ulan Road, Cooks Gap NSW 2850.
Please see the attachment for the full objection.

I object to the establishment of the Bowden Silver mine.
There will be an unacceptable addition of heavy traffic on Lue Road. The potential for accidents will be massive as the road is not made for the amount and type of traffic anticipated. The noise of the extra traffic on the road 24 hours a day will destroy the peace that the community now lives in.
The amount of water needed to operate the mine is huge. This is Australia and the Lue area has often been in drought in the last 40 years. Where will the water come from? Even if the pipeline from the Ulan mine is approved it won’t provide all the water needed to operate the mine.
No mine should be near a town. 2 kms from a town is a totally unacceptable distance for the establishment of a mine.
Moving 500Kv towers will destroy habitat for birds and animals as well as well as creating visual pollution. At the moment the visual pollution is minimal.
A second wall needs to be built around the tailings dam. It is an unacceptable risk having only one wall, especially when the dam is so close to Lawson Creek.
It is disingenuous calling this a silver mine. Lead and zinc will also be mined. Lead dust is a serious threat to the health of the local community.
The company has in their plan 7 years of rehabilitation, after the mine closes, to some of the environment they have destroyed. There is no compulsion for this to be carried out.
The risks to the environment and community if this project is allowed to go ahead are too huge to make it worthwhile for the 16.5 years of production anticipated by Bowden Silver.

I object to the amended project. The power lines, associated infrastructure and all works in the region to build the power lines and allow access of machinery will be an extremely unsightly and literal blot on the landscape negatively impacting the locality as well as extended areas. The amended project will further extend the invasion of the project upon the area's amenity and long established rural and natural values.

Please also note the points I made in my original submission on the EIS have been unanswered by the proponent. Could you please ensure these are addressed.
Thank you

From the back verandah of my residence the powerlines are currently not in my direct line of sight or affecting my view, once repositioned they will be in my direct line of sight and affect my view.

I think the project is very important for local industry and an important development for Australian exports at a time when the country needs it most.

Burrendong dam and the entire Wambool/Macquarie river will be impacted in the very likely event of a tailings dam failure.
Climate change and the resultant severe rainfall events expected, will flood through the nearby Lawson river and into Burrendong dam and beyond.
The resultant lead pollution in our river system would be a death sentence for many already threatened or endangered species.
High voltage power lines and access roads to service them will be a blight on the visual amenity of the area. Poles and wires needed to be a part of the original EIS.
Air and water pollution are not adequately addressed in the application and lead by-products pose unacceptable risks to people and the environment.
The project planning process needs to be torn up and started again as the original documents and amendments are confusing and concerning in the extreme.
The publicly exhibited EIS in 2020 should be withdrawn and the concerns of all parties should be addressed before they are put back out for comment.
Aboriginal cultural and heritage assessments have failed to adequately address the concerns of First Nations People.
Any project that rejects the wisdom and knowledge of Indigenous people has not fully considered the impact on them and the planet.
Only by looking at the whole picture can an informed decision be made.

I strongly object to the Bowdens Silver Project in Lue for the following reasons:

1. This project is a high water user. Whether is uses groundwater or surface water this these are finite resources. It competes will all other businesses and individual users of fresh water and will likely contaminate surrounding catchment areas and waterways when the tailings dam is breached in an extreme wet weather event.
2. The health and wellbeing of residents, developing foetuses, livestock and wildlife will be compromised not only from breaches of the tailings dam but also from wind born and water born lead particles. I lived for some years in Broken Hill where lifestyles are dominated by lead management because of lead contamination in the air, (especially when there is wind), soil and water. It is not a way of living that I would wish on residents in the central west. In drought periods it is going to be impossible to curtail the dust and subsequent spread of lead particles throughout the region from the mine site.
3. There is will be much destruction of natural bushland as a result of the rerouting of the transmission line, water pipeline construction and the open cut mine site itself. I'm sorry but regeneration and Biobank credits just don't cut it. Biodiversity is never reinstated with the same integrity. Loss of fauna species is a permanent loss. This project will contribute to further decline of critically endangered species through the short sighted destruction of habitat. When is enough loss and scaring of our remaining bushland enough?

L Norton

I object to this amendment and the project. The amendment will allow for a untenable amount of truck movements during construction with noise and pollution, will destroy even more of the natural landscape, local flora and animal habitat through land clearing than was originally envisaged (which was already totally unacceptable as this area is home to endangered and vulnerable species) and it's highly visible nature on top of a high ridgeline will completely ruin the rural/natural landscape.