McPhillamys Gold Project

I oppose this mine as I love Carcoar Dam. This dam needs water from the Belubula River. This river needs the springs that have forever formed the headwaters of this river. Where McPhillamys propose to place their tailings dam covers this area of springs. This will affect this river flow. Don't let this mine go ahead.

Please see attached

Please see attached letter of objection

Please see attached objection letter

I am ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED to this project… Please think about the consequences… Please think about the river systems… Please think about the potential for major long term harm to the environment.

WATER
I have major concerns regarding water, not only for our property but also for the river systems.

Underground water draining from aquifers and our bore drying up. Altitude at our property is 1000 meters and with the mine pit being approx. 500 meters deep water absolutely flows down. Extremely concerning. Without bore water our farm will be worthless. No one knows exactly where the underground water is. The underground water in this area could also feed the Macquarie River system. The altitude in this area means everything flows downhill from here.

The 600 acre tailings dam is to be constructed over numerous natural springs in the headwaters of the Belubula and Lachlan rivers. Chemicals could seep underground affecting the river systems. The only answer that Regis have provided is that we will monitor underground water. An extremely UNSATISFACTORY answer. If the water is contaminated this will cause issues down stream FOREVER.

The tailings dam will be there FOREVER

Is the approving body comfortable with knowing that this could affect the river systems FOREVER? After the mine is done and the company leaves the site, who will maintain the tailings dam then? Who will make sure the dam stays intact? Who will be there if there is any problems? ... NOBODY…the dam will be leaching chemicals into the river FOREVER.

ASBESTOS
The mine site is being built in an area already know to have natural occurring asbestos. Regis say they have not found any but did they test every square meter?? There is already known asbestos in the forestry less than 200 meters from the mine site. It has also been found recently during road works in April 2019 on the Mitchell Hwy immediately south east of the mine site. I have attached a PDF with screenshots of the asbestos in this area

Is the approving body comfortable in knowing that the mine blasting has the potential for 1000's of cases of asbestos related diseases???

DUST, DEBRIS and AIRBORNE CHEMICALS
The extraction of materials from the mine will cause extensive dust and debris in the air. Our farm is south east of the mine pit and tailings dam. The majority of our weather comes from the South west. Regis cannot give a guarantee that air borne chemicals will not settle on the ground and our home. Our drinking water will be contaminated… Our stock water will be contaminated… Our ground will be contaminated and our stock feed will be contaminated.


JOBS
The social impact study stated that the max numbers of jobs for Blayney will be 70 to 80 only... how unfair to give jobs to 70-80 and TAKE SO MUCH from so many more. The "sensitive receptors" that border the mine site are numbered well over 100. To ruin the lives and livelihood of so many by a company so large it’s a simple case of harassment any bullying.

The construction of this mine is not for an essential commodity … Gold is not an essential.

This mine has the potential for DEVASTATING consequences for generations.

How will vibration, dust and noise from blasting be controlled?
How will noise, dust and lighting pollution from mining be controlled?
Where will noise, dust and vibration monitors be placed, how many will be used and at what will the maximum levels be set at before mining is stopped, who will be monitoring these levels and will daily levels be able to be viewed by the general public.
Regis has said it will employ around 710 employees during its peak construction period. Has Regis considered how the local area will accommodate all the extra people working at the mine during the construction time and mine life.
Has Regis a traffic management plan in place, as there will be a very large volume of extra traffic and noise coming and going from the mine site.
Will the permanent flow of water in Kings Plains creek be disrupted and if so what will Regis do if this flow of water is stopped due to mining.
Will underground water tables be disrupted?

Located on site at the Beekeepers Inn 2319 Mitchell Highway VITTORIA NSW 2799

I own and run a boutique microbrewery that uses only bore water. The makeup of the bore water is ideal for brewing and the recipes have been based on the mineral makeup of the water. My business is expanding and with the recent purchase of a hotel as an expansion for the sale of 1859 beer the stability of this is imperative.

As the beer relies on power for cooling continuous power supply is imperative

Please see attached letter of objection

This gold project , the tailings Dam and general waste created by this project is completely unacceptable destruction on what is already a fragile eco system. The Tailings Dam will actually be built over the current water way. This dam , even if engineered perfectly, will have such environmental and visual impacts I am surprised that the mine has even been given the go ahead to this level. The chances of the Dam leaking are very high and contamination of aquifers and ground water are a given.
The area is presently in drought. Farmers are struggling , and yet the intention is to take water to wash gold and settle dust. All for what purpose? Profit again at the expense of community, the environment , native animals and climate. The time is now to start saying NO to these projects. Does anyone in the Government have the guts to stand up to big mining? we need to find other ways to make money other than digging up the ground.

My greatest worries about the proposed Mc Phillamys gold mine in Kings Pains both relate to water:
(1) Water USAGE (amount)
(2) Water CONTAMINATION (groundwater, Carcoar dam, Belubula river.

Re (1). Via the 90km pipeline to Lithgow it is estimated to draw 13-15.6 ML/day of salinated water, and the groundwater withdrawn is estimated at 890ML/year (predicted in Year 2). Considering that the nearby Cadia goldmine uses 160 ML/day prior to the mine's expansion (as reported in 2 local newspapers), there appears to be an enormous discrepancy between those figures (McPhillamy's estimation so far under Cadia's.)

Re (2) Contamination. It would be impossible to guarantee that the highly toxic poisons in the tailings dam left over from the gold extraction, such as arsenic ad other heavy metals, could never leech through the clay surrounds and infiltrate the surrounding groundwater. The tailings dam is directly over the headwaters of the Belubula River which feeds the Carcoar Dam and through towns and villages, supplying domestic water and providing fishing and swimming, such as my village, Carcoar. Contamination worry would prevent these activities well into the future, if not forever.

It seems extraordinary at this time amidst the most severe drought possibly ever experienced, that a gold mine which needs so much water, should not be compelled to RECYCLE their water, so that usage would then be a small fraction of present requirements. That extraordinary amount of precious water at Lithgow should be saved for future use when required for future droughts . Local towns are drying ou t and are on severe water restrictions. With such enormous amounts of underground water at Lihgow, desalination methods which are rapidly becoming cheaper , could easily render that water usable for domestic, agriculture and stock....easily possible and probably drought-proofing for a good period.
This salty water to be used at the mine would possibly spray onto surrounding valuable agricultural land aswell...a poor environmental outcome for farmers.

In Summary:
Without the following conditions, this application should be refused unless:

(1) All the water used at the mine must be RECYCLED.
(2)The Tailings dam must be lined with the minimum thickness concrete of an in-ground swimming pool.

If these costs are considered "prohibitive" then, so be it...approval ought to be declined. These environmental measures shouldt be the minial requirements in this age of climate change , severe drought and good land management consideratios.
These measures should be part of the price of doing this business......

I doubt it is exaggerating to state that WATER IS A LOT MORE VALUABLE THAN GOLD, now and in the forseeable future.

Thank you.

I Object to the proposed mine please see attached file for my written submission.

Please refer to the attached submission.

See Attachment

Proposed mine at King’s Plains

I write in my actively motivated position to oppose the mine with reasons as outlined as follows.

I shall also sign a petition as the community resilience is directly impacted by a mine where a spatial ecosystem study does not indicate the merits of such a disturbance to both the water table, the Belubula River that flows into the Lachlan and ultimately the Murray-Darling Basin, as well as the impacts to community efforts to promote Landcare initiatives and to be involved in education for future generations.

My own education involved knowledge about the Great Artesian Water Basin at a time in the 1980s when indigineous custodians of this Wiradjuri land presented to children such as myself about the value of the protection of the natural world – interrelated to the wellbeing of communities.

For a mine to stand near Blayney not only negates the progress of the community to foster tree planting initiatives and wetland sanctuaries for bird life in Blayney, the industrial risks overturn the educational programmes for future generations to be custodians of the physical environment.

It is unacceptable to me, as I have appreciated the natural biodiversity – and worked at CSIRO’s Biodiversity and Biosecurity themes – to allow another incursion to take place because I value the community and the steps towards regeneration that the community so needs and for children to deserve better from the NSW Government in advocating for their interests as well.

Employability through the mining sector is not the apex of community life – nor shall profit over community be endorsed through a process of deliberations by State Government.

Crown Lands, as administered by the Department, reflect the balance between development and the care for parklands and reserves to be accessible. Mining the King’s Plains landscape as well as draining the Belubula River for profit is not a sustainable exercise. The shortsightedness of such an expansion of the Cadia Mine and its impact to the water supply is enough for the community to contend with.

I do not accept the proposal and hereby submit my full opposition at every stage of this proposal until the community as a whole benefits from a future-focused proposal. I shall await such a proposal that is more indicative and reflective of modern communities represented by all levels of Government with a commitment towards fairness and transparency.

The King’s Plains spatial ecology is not for sale. For the proposal to be granted approval by NSW Government is to be rigorously opposed until there is an undertaking by the Department to implement balance in appraising applications for development – in line with community needs and to fully receive the wishes of citizens with resonance and with integrity.

I require a personal response directly from the Minister on this issue and to be updated on the progress of the proposal where community consultation is to be acted upon at every step of the development process.

Thank you in advance

As a long-time birder and hiker, I am writing to object to the planned McPhillamy's Gold Project on environmental grounds due to the loss of biodiversity in this region and for the lack of analysis and assessment of flow-on effects in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project. By allowing this project to proceed will lead to the ongoing degradation of our rural landscape and degradation of our few remaining woodland areas.

Due to our changing climate, there are notable changes to the patterns of behaviours in our bird population, and this has not been accounted for in the EIS. The EIS noted that there are four plant community types that are either vulnerable or endangered under the Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016). Of most concern highlighted is the Blakely's Red Gum Yellow Box grassy tall woodland which is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Act. The EIS makes no mention of of how other vulnerable, threatened and endangered species rely on these types of woodlands for their survival. As more mining, land clearing and agriculture, combined with increases in average temperatures and reductions in rainfall, these ecological communities are put under greater stress and are relied on by these species. Two threatened and vulnerable species of parrots have been sighted in this region and rely on these woodlands as part of their migratory behaviour - the Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) and the Superb Parrot (Polytelis swainsonii) - and there is little appreciation of what their needs are. By allowing the mine to go ahead will further reduce areas that these birds rely on in order to survive.
Other animal species would also be adversely effected by this project should it proceed. By stating that ecological restoration will occur in 15-20 years after the lifecycle of the mine has concluded may well be too late for thse birds as they head towards extinction. Australia already has one of the worst rates of extinction of its flora and fauna in the world, and it is insufficient to say this is an extinction crisis. By our own actions that mines such as this proposal are part of an extermination crisis of our native plants and animals, and allowing this mine to proceed will only contribute to this.
There are other concerns about this project that lead me to object to it. The project proposal threatens a number of significant water systems in the local area and presents a significant cascade risks to other water systems. The Belubula River plays a significant role in this proposal, and this presents significant risks to the communities that rely on clean water to live. This project presents a significant drain on water resources in this area, leading to further restricted flows in the Greater Lachlan River catchments, and the bringing of dirty water from operations in Lithgow will only increase the burden of risk to this region.
As highlighted in recent media reporting, many rural and regional towns have very limited amounts of water available to them over the next 12 months. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts that there is low probability of drought-breaking rain occurring in the next 12 months, and that this mine will add a significant burden to these limited water resources. This scacity suggests that humans and the natural environment need to be given precedence over the mine. Our survival as a species depends on it.
This project presents a rolling cascade of risks to both people, the community, and the natural environment. For these reasons, I strongly object to it's being given approval to proceed. It is the wrong mine, in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Thank you for your consideration

My name is Rod Smith and I am the General Manager - NSW for Regis Resources. I have been personally responsible for the development of the McPhillamys Gold Project since 2013, approximately six months after Regis acquired the project. I have seen first hand the modifications and refinements to the project to minimise any impacts along with the multitude of environmental baseline assessments that have been undertaken as part of the development process.
The Environmental Impact Statement, as a result of the above, contains a very thorough and accurate assessment of each contributing impact, both positive and negative. Whilst the beneficial impacts of McPhillamys are more than considerable to the local area, particularly Blayney, I also acknowledge that there would be some negative impacts to the nearby Kings Plains community. From a personal and professional perspective, this has been the greatest challenge for the project development team and it is why Regis has put such a significant effort into communicating with and listening to the Kings Plains residents throughout the EIS preparation and finalisation, and since completion, in aiming to develop negotiated agreements in a timely manner with those residents impacted under VLAMP.
Modern day development applications in the mining industry are invariably influenced by water supply and it is in this area that McPhillamys has a considerable advantage. From the outset, the aim of Regis was to avoid wherever possible local water impacts. Regis has, as part of McPhillamys developed a water supply solution that not only limits local groundwater and surface water impacts to a minimum, but more importantly provides potential legacy infrastructure connecting a ‘water rich’ area near Springvale with a ‘water poor’ area near Blayney.
I have through my position had the opportunity to talk extensively to people in the local area representing a variety of demographics. Whilst there are some who oppose the development with valid reasons due to their proximity to the project, they also appreciate that McPhillamys will be developed at some point in the future and are fully aware that if it is to be developed, then they would prefer that the development is undertaken by a company with strong community and environmental values like Regis, rather than one who does not appreciate their concerns. Beyond those nearby residents who are directly impacted due to their proximity to McPhillamys, the overwhelming voice has been in support of the project, primarily in relation to employment and more importantly, employment for the youth in the local area so that the ageing population can finally see those youth either return to, or remain in the area and not continue to venture away from Blayney to the populated cities.
It is my opinion that McPhillamys will provide significant benefits, such as employment and business opportunity to the local area, in particular Blayney, and that the environmental and social impacts that would result from the development are manageable. McPhillamys would enable youth to find employment in the local area either directly at the project or in positions that flow from the development.
In summary, the Environmental Impact Statement adequately assesses the environmental and social needs for such a development and with Regis’ ongoing commitment to support the local community, I am constantly reminded when I talk to people that like my own support for the project, there is a significant silent majority in the local area who also strongly support this project.

I object to the Regis Gold Mine proposal on the grounds of environmental destruction and irresponsible vandalism in 3 areas:
in perpetuity, contamination of surface water, - as described in Regis’ EIS
in perpetuity, destruction of 38 sites of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage - as described in Regis’ EIS
in perpetuity, destruction of Commonwealth listed critically endangered woodland ecological community - as described in Regis’ EIS.
The value of land and landscape, free flowing uncontaminated water, habitat for natural flora and fauna, and low impact sustainable agricultural practices are worth more than the value of this proposed mine.
Humans do not need the gold, especially as it is so destructive.
The case for this mine is neither justified nor warranted.

Please see attached.

I object to this proposal .
Application number SSD – 9505
• The plan to bring 13 000 000 litres of dirty saline water from Lithgow to the mine every day. This is water that Sydney does not want in Warragamba Dam, that has its origins in the degrading wetlands of the western Blue Mountains, that is polluted by being filtered through coal seams and by being used in a coal washery, and has its salt content multiplied by addition of brine, the waste product of a desalination plant at Mount Piper Power Station. The net result will be the introduction of a very large volume of poor quality water and the supply of thousands of tonnes of salt to the already overburdened Murray – Darling Basin.
• Development of the mine site will lead to the destruction of 44 Ha of critically endangered Blackley’s Red Gum – White Box – Yellow Box grassy woodland and the habitat of at least two colonies of squirrel gliders, and at least one koala colony. Both animals are listed as vulnerable. Threatened bird species reported include the Regent honey eater. The Kings Plains district has a very wide range of commoner bird species as well as kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, frogs and reptiles. All such fauna will be to a degree displaced by destruction of habitat and the effects of noise, dust, night light, and destruction of potable water sources. Combined these indicate a risk to local biodiversity and a reason for rejecting the mine.
• There are numerous small-medium sized businesses in the area around the mine site . Visitors will be reluctant to stay at AirBandB’s near the mine, equine pursuits may no longer be possible, riding tuition will cease because of the danger of blasting frightening horses, horse breeding and agistment because of the effect of blasting and toxic dust coating grass ingested by close grazing animals, honey and queen bee production by the effect of dust, organic and experimental biodynamic farming tuition because of pollution, clients will probably no longer wish to board their domestic animals at kennels/cattery close to the mine.

Please see attached