McPhillamys Gold Project

Please find the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council submission and Elder Statement of Significance attached

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My submission is attached.

Please find attached an Ecological Risk Assessment regarding the McPhillamys Gold Project and the impact it will have on wild and managed bees and the local beekeeping industry surrounding the proposed mine site. This ERA was conducted in consultation with Goldfields Honey Bee and Pollination Services Pty Ltd but is submitted independent of them. Please do not hesitate to contact the submitter should further clarification be required.

Please see attached and also below for added information

: https://www.abc.net.au/radio-australia/programs/pacificmornings/new-caledonia-bees/11376972

File attached

I object to the following proposal on the following grounds-
-Potential toxic spills contaminating the Belubula River and river systems drown stream such as the Lachlan.
-Possible distruption to adjacent water supplies affecting the environment & business locally near the proposed mine site.
-The proposal to bring 13,000 Litres of dirty saline water to the mine site daily- contamination locally & water supplies
-The effects on the neighbours of the mine- increased traffic, pollution and noise just to name a few.
-The proximity of the mine to the township of Blayney- it is far too close & could affect the future growth of the township by detracting serenity with noise, pollution and it's environmental blight on the environment.
-The irreversable nature of mining- if contamination occurs not only the local community is affected but the whole community and environment downstream of Blayney & the Belubula river.

I want to protect our water and prime agricultural land for our future generations to come.

See attached document

I want to protect our water and our environment and all the animals that live there for my generation and future generations.

I object to the mine because I am worried about the pollution in the river created by the tailings dam and I am worried that the chemicals from this dam will poison the river and kill the environment and all the animals.

For a grand total of 14 new jobs the McPhillamys gold project proposes to permanently destroy and pollute an entire river system. All at a time when Bathurst and surrounding areas are facing extreme water restrictions. The future viability of the bathurst region is in doubt with climate change and worsening drought. The Mcphillamys gold project sees fit to make the situation worse. There are many industries that will be affected by this mine. This mine should not go ahead.

Please see attached submission.

To whom it may concern.
I understand and appreciate the economic benefits of the mining industry and support the industry in principle. That said, the location of this particular mine and the potential environmental and social impact has me rather concerned.
The residents of Kings Plains in particular will have to deal with an increase in noise pollution, air pollution, water contaminates and visual pollution.
For this Project to have my support, i believe the people of Kings Plains should be compensated for the impending reduced standard of living.
Please do what's morally and ethically right by these people.
Kindest Regards,
Concerned Citizen of O'Connell

I am completely opposed to the Mcphillamys Gold Mine. This project should not go ahead for many reasons.
Here are some of them:
1. This project enfringes on the enviomental human rights of the roughly 180 people who live in the 88 Households that are living withing a 2km radius of the proposed mine site. This is too close to a established community and because of this alone should not be allowed to proceed. "All human beings depend on the environment in which we live. A safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation. Without a healthy environment, we are unable to fulfil our aspirations or even live at a level commensurate with minimum standards of human dignity." The noise from blasting, costant dust and the eysore that the mine will be infringes upon the human rights of the people of Kings plains to the right to a clean, healthy and safe enviorment. Regis also has no intention in entering into voluntary purcahse agreements with any of the landholders who will see a steep decline in their property values and will not assist any nearby residents move if the noise, dust and starts creating health problems.

2. We are in the midst of a prolonged drought and are all towns in the area are on severe water restictions. We cannot afford to lose any local water to this mine. The proposed mine will be built on the head of a rivers system that provides year round precious water to local farmers and wildlife even in the midst of the drought. The tailings dam will be built over naturally occuring springs that provide for the river. The tailings dam will remain even after the mine closes and so the river will lose these springs and we do not know if this will mean the river could dry up without them in an even more prolonged drought period.

3. Bathurst and Blaney have very low rates of unemployment, the mine will not provide very many jobs for locals as the mine will be employing professional miners who have the appropraite experince for the job. Regis keep changing their figure of how many local jobs will be available and cannot respond when we ask them where they are getting their figures from. Since the mine is automated, there will not be many employees needed. For the few jobs that will be created by this mine going ahead, many more livelihoods will be lost as local farms and busineses that rely on the land and river will be lost. One such example is the Bee Keepers Inn which employs 40 staff. This business alone will close if the mine goes ahead and 40 jobs will be lost.

4. Water is crucial in this area during drought and the potential for toxic pollution into the Belubula River is great since the tailings dam and mine waste will remain for hundreds of years and the risk will be greater after the closure of the mine. Surely this valuable natural resource cannot be risked for some overseas investors to make money and this gold to be turned to jewllery.

5. Biodiversity will be lost in the area of the mine site including koala and squirrel glider habitat. The mine has underestimated and down played the importance of this site to local wildlife. The project will not benefit enough Australians to lose these beautiful speicies and precious other wildlife. People come to the Bathurst, Blaney, Orange area to get away from the city and industry, to see wildlife and spend time in natural surroundings. With this mine going ahead, less people will be attracted to this place as a tourist destination and the area will overall lose money in the long run.

There are many other reasons for this mine not to go ahead, but these are my main reasons. I implore the people making this final decision to act in the best interests of my home and community rather than be swayed by the money that the mine will offer. We will lose far too much if this mine goes ahead.
Please stop it and stop Regis from destroying my home.

Thank you

I have numerous objections to this proposal, they are as follows:
I do not believe that this mine is in the best interest of the township of Blayney and it's surrounding communities. The increase in noise, traffic and dust will affect all members of a small shire which already struggles to maintain it's roads and amenities. The visual impact of the mine will have a very real impact on the township of Blayney, as the mine at Tomingley has had, turning it into a virtual ghost town.
The effect 24 hour operations will have on residents directly surrounding the mine site will be ongoing. Noise, dust and visual. Given the close vicinity to the township of Blayney, all residents will hear activity during certain periods depending on wind direction. There seems to be very limited guarantees that there will be benefits to the town, in the way of ongoing employment or new business opportunities. And while some suggest that housing prices may increase in the short term due to rental demand, what happens when the project is finished, and is this worth current residents losing value on their properties as no one in their right mind would buy this close to the mine. It seems very short sighted.
My main concern is water. Surely in our current environment, where not just farmers are running out of water, but entire townships, we cannot take ANY risks when it comes to our water supply. Even a 1 in a million chance of our water becoming contaminated is too much of a risk for our most precious resource. Without water, no one can operate. If for some reason the Belubula is contaminated, as we have seen on so many occasions before in mining disasters, stemming from bad management, planning or just unforseen circumstances - It is not just the local area that is affected. There are countless families and business downstream on the Lachlan river whose only water comes from the Lachlan. These are businesses and families that feed our Nation. What do they do when they no longer have access to water? Surely we need to look at the longevity of our most precious resources rather than the short term gain from resources we can live without. No water, no food, no life. When are we going to stop gambling with our future.

I have lived in my current home at Vittoria for over 35 years. The house and surrounding land (including what is now the Vittoria State Forest) has been owned and farmed by my extended family for 6 generations. I am approaching my retirement and relying on the eventual sale of my property to fund the next stage of my life.

My house is less than 2km from the proposed tailings dam. I highly doubt residents of Sydney and other major metropolitan centres would willingly buy property knowing that information, hence I believe my property value is negatively impacted.

Despite being less than 2km from the proposed tailings dam, I received no information from Regis Resources until I instigated communications myself. This alone makes me highly suspicious of the company’s attitudes and future intentions with regards to interacting with near-neighbours and resolving their concerns.

I object to the project for the following reasons:
- Likely impacts to waterways and groundwater. Given the current drought conditions and gross mismanagement of the Murray Darling Basin by the NSW Government, it is unfathomable that they would approve a development with such grave potential impacts to the Belubula Headwaters and the Basin. There also appears to have been little investigation into the possible disruption to adjacent groundwater, including bores used for human and animal consumption.
- Air and noise pollution from the project are likely to affect residents of nearby properties and the general public. One only needs to look at existing mining operations at Cadia to see the obvious visual and health impacts of dust rising from the mine site. I also have significant concerns about the pollution to rainwater caused by dust and fumes.
- The proposed closure of Dungeon Road will remove the only direct, publicly accessible route from Vittoria to the Kings Plains area. This road is commonly used during road closures and provides a useful access point for emergency services vehicles requiring access to properties along the road.
- The project is also not in the public interest because it goes against the principles of ecologically sustainable development, including intergenerational and intergeographical equity. While the projected economic benefits may benefit the current generation including Regis shareholders and residents of NSW, there will be long-term adverse environmental, heritage and agricultural impacts to the future generations of residents who live and work near the site of the project.
- The above factors will undoubtedly combine to have a significant impact on the values of surrounding properties. There have already been examples of high-quality agricultural and lifestyle holdings close to the site failing to sell due to concerns amongst prospective buyers about the proposed development. As a property owner relying on the eventual sale of my property to fund my retirement, a likely decline in its value is extremely concerning to me.

In addition to the reasons listed above, the communication from Regis regarding the project has been inadequate to say the least. Despite my property being less than 2km from the proposed site of the tailings dam, all of the information I’ve received has been passed on by the Belubula Headwaters Protection Group and other nearby property owners (some located further from the mine than my property). The only communication I’ve had with Regis has been instigated by myself.