Bowdens Silver

From: Susan Pridmore
The Badger Ground
482 Breakfast Creek Road
Rylstone
NSW 2849
Wednesday 6 th April, 2022
TO:
Director-Resource Assesments, Planning and Assessment,
Department of Planning and Environment,
Locked Bag 5022 PARRAMATTA,
NSW,2124

BOWDENS SILVER PROJECT SSD-5765
RE: BOWDENS SILVER MINE AMENDMENT

I Have NOT made a reportable political donation.
I DO NOT require my name to be withheld.

I OBJECT TO THE PROJECT because:

1. There has been lack of Community consultation. There has been insufficient time also to prepare our responses to this Amendment. I have had inadequate time to post a thought ful document. We live in an area where mail is delivered only 3 times a week. Our correspondence from your department arrived in our mailbox at the end of last week. This gives little time to post a response back, which people like myself have to do when their internet and technical facilities are not as advanced as others. I object to this very much.

2.Little understanding and knowledge of the local wildlife affected by the amendment. The arrangements in this amendment are lethal to our flora and fauna.
I find it horrifying that so much more land will be cleared. There is no understanding that endangered and threatened species such koalas, powerful owls, the Regent honey-eaters, are already deprived of their habitat around here, let alone all the other species of wild life, both tiny, large and inbetween, are already struggling to keep their habitats. Drought and bush fires here have exaserbated their plight severely. Wild life simply cannot uproot and relocate somewhere else. Offsets compiled of unwanted agricultural land are utterly unsuitable for re-establishing themselves.
We know our wild life and are a Wild life Sanctuary, We have a colony of koalas living around our house. They emerge from the Barigan Heritage Lands Reserve which is on our doorstep. Koalas are an example of wildlife seeking protection and habitat, and making a comeback at long last. They are known also around Lue, and in the uncleared lands stretching from the Munghorn to Fewrntree Gully Environmental Reserve. We live in between. Every hectare of uncleared land, and

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every drop of water, is needed to retain our wildlife. Bowdens plans of clearing habitat, creating acid mine leakage and polluting our waters, and sending lead dust into the air, etc reveal their ignorance and disregard to all scientific information which indicate that our environment is in dire straits.

3. Humans are dependent on a healthy environment. If the Silver Mine is producing toxic material into our air, airways and water, it simply mustn’t be worked.
We cannot, as a species , live without our natural world. This Mine is ignoring this fact. The Lue community is far too close to all the toxicity and noise and health-destroying factors involved with this Mine’s workings. Even ourselves, about 10 kms away, are affected by noise, and will be by the west-blowing winds carrying lead and cyanide dust.Research shows that Broken Hill’s children had lead in their bodies, and that Bowdens will be responsible for vast higher perecentage.

Yours sincerely,
Sue Pridmore

Submission attached

An issue that concerns me hugely is the risk of pollution either through the water course, noise, or in the air. As evident by other mining operations the risk of contamination to water sources is very real with no real consequences to mining companies . To risk the health of all the human population, flora and fauna downstream all the way to the Murray Darling or in general area is to bigger risk. The tailings dam area throughout the complex is huge and with the extraction of water from tailings dam to compliment requirement is only going to increase risk through airborne dust. There is only a thin man made membrane between Bowdens mine operations and a disastrous catastrophe to all in the local area and the whole of the waterways from Lue to Mudgee down to Murray darling and beyond. The air and noise pollution from mining process, the tailings dam to transporting of product for processing is unacceptable It should not be allowed to proceed

From: Susan Pridmore
The Badger Ground,
482 breakfast Creek road,
Rylstone
NSW 2849
To: The Director,
Resource Assessments,
Planning, and Assessment
Department of Planning and Environment
Locked Bag 5022
PARRAMATTA,
NSW 2124

Dear Sir,
RE: BOWDENS SILVER PROJECT SSD-5765

RE: BOWDENS SILVER MINE AMENDMENT

I Have NOT made a reportable political donation.
I DO NOT require my name to be withheld.

I OBJECT TO THE PROJECT because of the water issues, such as:
1. The ‘AMENDMENT SUBMISSIONS REPORT: State Significant Development No. 5765 omits a very significant matter: the potential for acid mine leakage, which has the potential to leach heavy metals into Lawson Creek. This could impacxt fauna and flora along the creek for at least 20 kms and over many decades. Putta Bucca Wetlands downstream and on the outskirts of Mudgee. Research has studied this matter and it is of serious concern.

2.Lawson Creek is listed in NSW Stressed Rivers Assessment in the most stressed category (S1) – with both environmental stress and a high extraction rate. It is more often a series of water holes with no visible flows during Summer. I witness , know this, as I travel alongside it in between home and Mudgee.

3.Bowdens are double -counting the harvest-able water from their property. The amount of water drained out of the tailing dam would expose lead etc etc dust. We live east of this, downwind from the Mine. Lead is toxic for people and wildlife.

4 Bowdens are ignoring what scientists are saying over and over again : that climate chaos is changing our rainfall patterns, amongst so much more. The area of Lue, Rylstone and surrounds has been in devastating drought over the recent years, to the extent that whole hillsides of trees have been dying, looking as though they have been burned in a bushfire. We live about 10 kms away from the Mine site, and our ridges looked as though they had been burnt but the eucalypts were simply parched to death . What is the morality of mining silver, lead and zinc in this climate?

Yours sincerely, Sue Pridmore

I would like to re-iterate the support that I provided to the initial submission of the Bowdens Silver Project development application (SSD-5765).
This amendment shows the proponents commitment to reducing the impacts of the project where possible and to act on community feedback.
It is excellent to see the improvements to the efficiency of the site and the resulting reduction of impacts in particular;
- The Mudgee-Wollar key breeding area for the Regent Honeyeater and Acacia Ausfeldii are no longer impacted
- The significant reduction in water requirements, and
- The reduction in disturbance footprint and impact on native vegetation.
The modification of the powerline route also shows the proponent's commitment to minimising impacts to community amenity where possible.
This project remains vital to the region, it is essential that we diversify and open the Mid Western Region to a wide range of businesses and projects to ensure stable long term employment from projects that benefit the community at large and are undertaken with a commitment to minimise impacts to the environment and community.
The NSW government have identified silver and zinc in their Critical Minerals and Hi-tech Metals Strategy for NSW, the Bowdens Silver Project is key to achieving the outcomes of this strategy. With NSW's combination of highly skilled industry professionals and world leading environmental standards the project will provide long term intergenerational benefit to the local area, region and wider country.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to register my objection to the following application .
Notice of Exhibition - Bowdens Silver Mine Application Amendment (SSD-5765)

* The ground water drawdown has the potential to reduce streamflow through either direct stream depletion or through intercepting groundwater that would otherwise discharge to surface water .
* Bowdens attempt to ‘get by’ with no external water supply will increase the health impacts on the local community.
* 2KM from the village of Lue is just too close .
Thank you.

I object to the project. For reasons, please see the attached PDF.

Oject to unreliable water supply.
And lead contamination.

I wish to object to the amount of water being taken from the water table and creeks near the mine at Lue.
Please see documents attached.

See attached

As someone who has been lucky enough to be part of a family that has owned a property for nearly 20 years it disgusting and unethical for a Silver mine to go in and ruin the town of Lue. The properties of many will be made worthless and the livelihoods of many will be completely destroyed. A good town of Lue that is built on the history of hard workers will be utterly eradicated by acts that prioritise selfish greed over the greatest good. I please request this message is read, understood and taken into consideration as this mine simply cannot go through.

The retention of extra surface water runoff will have to have an adverse effect on the downstream waterways and the wildlife relying on the water. Landowners will also lose water already available for stock.
The short and long term effect of the drawdown effect on the groundwater is unnacceptable.
Bowdens make a sketchy and frivolous attempt at justifying their disdain of biodiversity and it's value to the wider community.
The Application attempts to justify the destruction of 381.17ha of native vegetation. 180ha of this is EndangeredBox Gum Woodland, 146ha of this is Critically Endangered Community!!
This must be considered in context with other mining activity around the State and the entire country as having a cumulative and devastating effect on wildlife listed as Threatened and on other unlisted but important species.
There are six species listed as threatened or migratory.Envirokey claim no significant impact on these with the exception of the
rgegent Honeyeater.
How advanced are the offset plantings?will they be mature enough to supply food and shelter for when the land is cleared? I think not.
What about the other five species listed? Koalas - now Endangered, Squirrel Glider, Silky Swainsona Pea, Small Purple pea, Large -eared Pied Bat.
The report totally ignores them!
Where are these offset areas? Can the wildlife onsite reach them before the land is cleared? Is the existing bushland already at maximum capacity? Or are they just crushed and buried. If they manage to relocate is there sufficient food and shelter for them or do they need to compete with the animals already in residence.
Some of these will no doubt perish.
How can this project possibly justify itself as an Ecological Sustainable Development?

I’m ounce again discussed by the lack community consultation and the amount of response time given to community to respond. The amount of time given to voice our concerns is poor. You leave us with the feeling that there is something been hidden and corruption involved . There is still huge amounts of the community locally and wider not aware of the new submission required to be lodged. Given the current changes put forward the original proposal should be terminated and a whole new application for approval to be put forward from Bowdens. The water issue was never completely disclosed and formalised before approval given. Water is such an important factor for all mining operations and when you look at Bowdens proposal for how they are going to source the water it is a floored report and not accurate in so many ways. All the stakeholders were never made aware of the submission process in play. The stakeholders includes local business, tourism local and statewide , farmers of all types , schools and all workers in area. who’s lives will hugely be adversely impacted by a mining operation
You need too do right by the people impacted which is outlined above and provide more time and the consideration of a new proposal to be put forward

I am writing in support of this project, which I am confident is in very capable hands and will be hugely beneficial to the local economy.
With the water pipeline now removed from the development, the reduced water requirements, greater water recycling and water self sufficiency, I fully support the progression of this project to the next stage.

Potential for Acid Mine Drainage from long term storage and consequent exposure of mine waste is such that any Pb Zn Ag sulphide and related mining at the head of a regionally significant catchment is unjustifiable both environmentally and consequently economically.

Murong Gialinga Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation object to the Bowdens project .The area where the mine is situated is Culturally important to the local Wiradjuri people past/present . Aboriginal Culture is the oldest in the world but it continues to be destroyed daily.There are concerns for the Koala which is sighted in the area and had been put on the endangered list there are also the wedged tailed eagle,echidna,yellow tail black cockatoo which are important to our people culturally.The amount of ground water that the mine wants to take is potential for reduced frequency and depth of remnant pools during extended dry spells as a result of ground water being drawn.The feasibility study shows that during mining they plan to store a pile 40 million tonnes of waste rock above the Lawson Creek water table.Analysis shows that 54% of this waste rock is potentially acid forming meaning it can create toxic Sulfuric acid when disturbed.Sulfuric acid is toxic to aquatic life.It could also run into Lawson Creek which flows into the Cudgegong River at Mudgee before flowing into Burrendong Dam.If this project is approved it will be a huge impact on Aboriginal Culture, Wild life and the residents of the village of Lue and surrounding farming land with noise,vibration,dust,traffic it could also see a decrease on residents properties.We hope the department looks and addresses our concerns and not approve this mine.Kind Regards Debbie Foley on behalf of Murong Gialinga.

Powerline realignment proposed will remain a visual impediment to the rural ambience of this district. The area is frequently on the route of a large number of economically very significant tourist traffic. Any degradation of tourist appeal will lead to regionally significant reductions in economic activity and consequent employment opportunities. The powerline proposal, along with all other aspects of this mining project, must consequently be dismissed as an approved activity.

I strongly object to amendment as it does not make this project safe. By scapping the pipeline, Bowdens wish to extract all water for their mining from their harvestable rights onsite, from aquifers. The amendment does not demonstrate that this mine will have a reliable water supply causing even more pollution from lead and other heavy metal and mineral dust to our local environment. The mine will have to close in dry times. Bowdens have not modelled stream flows from lawson Creek on a meter above Rylstone on the Cudgegong River - totally irrelevant. They don't know anything about local creek flows. They have not demonstrated they are suitable to operate a mine as design of the TSF is experimental and widely disputed by experts. They want to destroy our local creeks and aquifers forever to mine for a short period of 16 years. Who will care for the toxic tailing storage dam and leachate residue dam FOREVER. Experience from other similar old mines such as Captains Flat near Canberra and Sunnny Corner near Bathurst is that heavy metals cause pollution which despite repeated efforts to rectify damage, mostly at the expense of government, they cannot rehabilitate the waterways. What a prospect for the future of the Lawson Valley.
Bowdens is seeking to amend the alignment of 500kV powerlines from on top of the mine site - many residents of Lue will have suffer. Not only will they have to suffer poisoning from lead dust, dry bores, increased road traffic, noise from mining vehicles and light pollution, many of them will now look onto enormous high transmission lines. Bowdens has not yet secured a supply of electricity for the mine - they are hoping to bring a 66kV line through sensitive vegetation and many private landholdings. They cannot demonstrate they are fit to operate a mine. I don't believe they have the skill or the will to be good mine managers and the ore they are mining is particularly toxic. As a landowner near the mine and on the Lawson Creek, I am extremely worried about our future and the detrimental effect this proposed mine will have on my property. We are proud of our farm and have spent many years improving our native and improved pastures, fencing out sensitive vegetation and soils from stock, maintaining grass cover even during droughts - all to ensure we have a healthy farm producing healthy animals. We love our home. This mine threatens my home.
For many years we have battled the prospect of a silver lead and zinc mine at Lue. As time goes on, proponents get more determined and seem to have deeper pockets. One fact has not changed - mining for lead is extremely dangerous and polluting especially 1.9km from a large village and set within a fragile landscape high in the catchment. I strongly object to the Amendment and also to the Bowdens Silver Project SSD-5765

I don’t believe that there is complete transparency and honesty in relation to jobs that will be created or lost by this mining operations. The issue of the job numbers to be created is that there is no mention of the jobs lost to the community adversely affected by a mining intrusion to the area either locally or wider ranging. As seen in other areas when the mining operation cease to continue the remaining surrounding surviving community fails to recover. The mental and human health toll that has been afflicted on a community is unacceptable and is morally wrong