State Significant Development
Bowdens Silver
Mid-Western Regional
Current Status: Assessment
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.
The NSW Court of Appeal declared that the development consent is void and of no effect. The decision about the application must therefore be re-made following further assessment
EPBC
This project is a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and will be assessed under the bilateral agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth Governments, or an accredited assessment process. For more information, refer to the Australian Government's website.
Attachments & Resources
Notice of Exhibition (2)
Request for SEARs (2)
SEARs (3)
EIS (26)
Response to Submissions (14)
Agency Advice (42)
Amendments (18)
Additional Information (34)
Recommendation (2)
Determination (3)
Submissions
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Michael Bobronski
Support
Michael Bobronski
Elliott Shipway
Support
Elliott Shipway
Allan Waters
Support
Allan Waters
David Thulbom
Support
David Thulbom
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
Attachments
Ruth Behn
Support
Ruth Behn
Message
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Name Withheld
Comment
Name Withheld
Name Withheld
Support
Name Withheld
Name Withheld
Object
Name Withheld
Message
The project has been amended to remove the requirement for piping water from Ulan, how convenient. Such a large volume of water to run the mine is now supposedly coming from on-site storage and re-use as well as groundwater. if this is feasible why did Bowdens say so in the beginning. the volume of ground water is very large and as time passes such water will be in high demand from better on-going uses including agriculture. The current La Nina weather pattern is illusory going forward, the return to predicted drought conditions will mean the mine is left relying on ever increasing demands (probably to be granted by government) which are not feasible in the longterm. The water problem is insurmountable in that location.
The project still has not addressed the very significant real and potential downstream pollution issues of the tailings dam.
The project still has a smell of kite flying about it with a view to on sale to other entities who may not have the same "claimed" adherence to the environmental sensitivity requirements.
Accordingly, given the propensity of NSW Planning to support and approve such projects I urge that a change be made to the approval making Bowdens pay upfront sufficient dollars of Escrow to cover the full cost of eventual mine rehabilitation. There are too many examples of such mines flipping ownership near the end of productive life to companies that then default leaving the State to fix it and/or the community to suffer the blight of the stranded assets, piles, holes, roads and tailings dams. There are too many such examples to list here.