McPhillamys Gold Project

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I object to this proposed mine for the following reasons:
• The vast majority of Australia is in the grip of drought, claimed by some to be the most severe and widespread in recorded history. Most expert opinion is that, due to the now unavoidable climate change caused by global warming, such droughts are going to become more frequent. This may result in reduced rainfall, increased evaporation, and consequent scarcity of water for all purposes, including farming, on which we all depend for food production. Yet this project is seriously proposing to construct a tailings dam, full of potentially toxic sludge, on top of the headwaters of a river.
• Tailings dams have been known to fail, with catastrophic consequences. Destroying this agricultural area and leaving a highly degraded landscape and toxic legacy cannot be justified to produce a metal that will likely end up as jewellery, or be locked away as bullion. No doubt the financiers and engineers who are promoting and designing this project are highly skilled, but the risks posed by this project are way out of proportion with the benefit to be gained for the country as a whole.
• Some towns in NSW are about to run out of water. It is morally problematic, to say the least, that water has been turned into a commodity in this country rather than an essential resource to which everybody has a right and human and animal interests are considered higher than the profits of organisations.
• The use of cyanide to process the gold from ore and then pumped into the tailings dam. Cyanide has been banned in a number of countries, and poses a dangerous and toxic threat to the water and land in the region.
• Likely contamination of the Belubula and Lachlan Rivers, due to seepage through groundwater flows from the tailings dam
• Traffic problems and caused by the continuous stream of heavy vehicles, and light vehicles at shift changes
• The blot on the landscape caused by the “amenity bunds” and dust
• Loss of natural land and environment for wildlife
• Noise, dust, vibrations, particulate pollution from diesel fumes, light pollution 7 days a week and 24 hours a day
• The noise, vibrations and risks posed by regular explosions permitted for 12 hours a day.
• Degradation of prime agricultural land and scenery
• Loss of trees including high altitude yellow box that may be 200 years old
• Impact on bee population due to loss of ground flora and contaminated water
• Loss of the vegetation where the mine is proposed. This will entail a loss of a portion of an ecologically endangered community as defined by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
• The whole project proposes less than 1000 short terms jobs. Other industries in this area, with support a more diversified and resilient economy including tourism, renewables and sustainable agriculture offer far more employment.

I am making a submission to oppose the McPhillamys Gold Mine.
"This proposal will reduce water that would otherwise flow downstream to the Lachlan River and beyond."
It is in us locals best interest to save Kings Plains and surrounding areas.
We are in a drought, why on earth would another mine be allowed? We are already on Extreme water restrictions. Since when is gold more of a priority than our precious water supply while in a drought?
The wet lands would be destroyed, the bee keepers businesses would suffer. The list goes on as I'm sure you're already aware!
I'm not a greenie as a rule...BUT....this mine would be so detrimental if it went ahead :(

This project will generate many new jobs for the township of Blayney, the local area and for the Central Tablelands region which includes the cities of Orange and Bathurst. Currently the local economy is dependant on farming and livestock production with the Blayney community largely reliant on servicing these industries. The proposed McPhillamys gold mine project will provide diversification to the local economy and opportunities for different employment opportunities. These include roles in management, administration, trades based roles such as electrical and mechanical, and professional engineering roles including mining, geology, mechanical, electrical and environmental science.
Additional benefits that the project will bring to the local area are water and electricity infrastructure not currently available. While the proposed water pipeline from the Lithgow area will be fully utilised to supply the minesite, at the conclusion of the mining operation the pipeline will be available to continue to transport water for other industries, or general supply to the region including the cities of Bathurst and Orange.
Although there are negative aspects to this project, which include disruption to the lifestyle of nearby residents to the mine, the overall benefit to Blayney and the surrounding community and greater region will be positive and I believe the project should be approved.

It is preposterous in this time of drought, that any source of water be endangered by a tailings dam.
Apart from that, the disruption to families in the close vicinity of the proposed mine-dust, noise, intermittent blasting is wrong.
Native flora & our becoming endangered koalas would be other victims -at the end of the day, we can't eat gold.
We need our water to be safe
Thank you for your consideration

I object to the proposed Phillamys Gold Mine on several counts.
It is located in good productive agricultural ground, something which is a very small and precious resource in the overall Australian landmass.

It is located at the headwaters, including springs which are planned to be sealed off, of the Belubula River which feeds into one of the states major rivers the Lachlan. The Belubula is already under considerable water stress due to the Cadia Valley Operations gold & copper mine located on Cadiangullong Creek which flow into the Belubula.

According to the CSIRO NSW is suffering the worst drought since European colonisation. The drought is exacerbated by long term changes in rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures arising from anthropogenic climate change which is putting agriculture and town water supplies at risk and under greater stress than ever before in thousands of years. It is not the time to be putting water supplies at risk risk.

The planned tailing dams for this mine combined with that from Cadia, which has already had subsidence issues, poses an unacceptable serious pollution risk to all farms, stock and towns downstream.

Regis has advised that they will not be using best practice in processing ore on site and will instead be using cyanide. This despite there being far les toxic and environmentally friendly alternatives such as Thiosulphate which has no cyanide or mercury. Again this is an unacceptable risk to the rivers system and everything that lives along it and or relies on the water.

I implore you to take these vital factors into account in planing decisions and refuse approval of the Phillamys Gold Mine.

No objection - see attachment

I am a life long resident of Blayney, I have travelled to Bathurst or Orange for the majority of my working life and I think that the opportunity not just for me but the younger generation of local Blayney people to be able to live in Blayney and travel only minutes to work is something that this little town has needed since the local abbatiors closed its doors.
I also think that the flow on to local pubs, clubs, sports teams etc will all benefit from the Mcphillamys project. Blayney has long suffered because of its close proximity to Bathurst and Orange and it’s time we had a great employment opportunity so close to our town. I have seen first hand how Regis Resources has already helped benefit businesses in Blayney.

As a resident of Bathurst, who frequents Blayney with my children regularly to meet family, I am appalled by this project and the devastating effects it could pose for the region. I am quite stunned that something with so many risks to the environment and population of the region could ever be proposed.
Water is already a scarcity in the Central West and having local rivers, streams and dams contaminated, rendering them useless is heartbreaking, for us humans, our livestock and the natural flora and fauna.
I strongly believe the negative effects outweigh the positive of this proposed mine. The pollution and degradation of the surrounding lands and waters that would be devastating to our area should be enough to stop this proposal, not to mention the negative impact it would have on the pristine beauty of the region that generates tourism. Having additional trucks clogging the regions wonderful roads, extra noise of the trucks and pollution of these trucks driving around are very concerning. Having an open cut mine with towers and walls and whatever else is needed for such a damaging venture, running 24-7 with noise and drilling and processing, would be awful for residents and tourists alike.
As a mother who moved to the Central West for a healthier life for my family and in particular, a son who suffers from a chronic illness, asthma and allergies, I fear about the pollution and dust this mine would cause. The thought of pollutants, such the cyanide and whatever other poisons the mine would be emitting, quite frankly, scares me.
I absolutely condemn the proposal for McPhillamys Gold Mine.

REASONS FOR OBJECTION:
• As a boundary neighbour to the mine, I am scared to stay at my residential address due to contamination and loss of current peaceful home life. It is never going to be quiet again, I’m never going to be able to walk outside without continuous noise and look up and see the stars like we do now. Where do we go now?
• We have been told by mine staff that we fall into the 10% that just have to put up with whatever happens! The meaning behind this comment is; if the mine and government bodies look after 90% of the people & problems, it is just bad luck for the 10% it doesn’t care for.
• Where is the buffer zone for this mine? As it stands you have families living within 800 meters. Our home is within 2 kms from the pit and our boundary fence is so much closer. Blasting clearance is only set for 500 meters. Would you like to live next to this? We are expected to accept somebody else’s idea of an expectable noise level.
• How is a mine able to be so close to an existing township. 20 people are estimated to come due to the mine and 120 will be leaving as a result of the mine, this is a negative outcome and should be taken seriously, as stated in EPS social study.
• Some of the wording in your documentation does not clearly state how close all the homes are to the pit. At one point 45 people are mentioned for Kings Plains, we have 7 people alone in our home on the Guyong Road, with 6 other family members visiting and working regularly, like every second day.
• The dream to have a home for our children to grow up in and then their kids to follow, is suddenly just taken from us as we fear for their safety. Our home was meant to be our home, where do we go now. What about our memories we’ve made, just to have to get up and leave?
• We are losing the vision we had for our future. Yes, there are things that occur daily in one’s life that change pre-prepared ideas of the things to come. However, it does NOT happen daily that you are forced to have to say goodbye to your home as you once knew it and the plans you had for it. This is something we have no control over; we have no say in the decision process; and we definitely have no way of defeating the people that say ‘Yes or No’ to these decisions, and are forced to live with their choices, judgements and conclusion.
• There is no compensation, no choice is given to us.
• The dangers to the whole river system associated with loss of flow from the natural springs being sealed. With the current drought this is vital.
• Dangers to the whole river system associated with any toxic spills into the Belubula River Headwaters that runs through the mine site and will be buried for several kms by the mine tailings. Downstream from the mine, the river flows through the town of Blayney, rich alluvial flats grazing land, and into Carcoar Dam. Tablelands Water supply might be polluted via the planned pipeline connecting Lake Rowlands and Carcoar Dam. Below Carcoar Dam the Belubula passes through several rural communities, much grazing, cropping and irrigation country and then ultimately feeds into the Lachlan River west of Cowra.
Thank you
Tayla Hoadley

I object to the proposed Mcphillamys Gold Mine Project. The Belubula river is under stress from the drought. Rural families are trying to survive.
The prospect of further stress on this cropping and grazing area from a gold mine is unacceptable. Please do not approve this project.

I object to the establishment of the McPhillamys Gold Project in the Blayney area on the grounds that it will adversely affect the health and well-being of community members, the long-term economic growth of the local area and the natural environment.
In regions such as the Hunter where similar mining projects have been established there has a dramatic increase in the occurrence of allergies and respiratory problems in the local area. There is a direct correlation between the rise in health problems and the establishment of the mines and it is believed that this is due to the increased dust and air pollution in the area and the decrease in natural vegetation to counter this. See the attached statement made by a local medical practitioner working in the Hunter region. While the gold mine will not result in coal residue it will create significant dust particles through earth moving and increased carbon emissions due to increased traffic and heavy vehicles in the the operations of the mine. As Blayney is home to many elderly residents and and young families and only has a small hospital and medical practice this could result in significant and life long health concerns for many of the most vulnerable members of our community and inadequate access to health care resources.
While the mines may initially attract some increased spending in the area it will not result in long term investment and or economic gain in the area, it will in fact diminish the likelihood of families and investors buying properties in the local area. Employment will likely go to experienced workers who will fly in from other locations and then move onto the next project once the mine is depleted. Any local individuals who do gain employment will only have employment throughout the life of the mine and will then be unemployed or move or travel to another area to work on the next project. The local infrastructure will be stretched to accommodate the needs of not only the "fly in, fly out "workers but also the increased traffic and machinery. Any increased spending on infrastructure used for the mine will then become obsolete once the mine closes. There are very few mining "boom" towns which have not become abandoned, dilapidated natural and urban landscapes that have suffered rapid economic decline and rises in unemployment as a result of the closure of the mines. The economic benefits of mines are felt very marginally and short term in the local region and the economic benefit goes to corporations or overseas investors. The long term economic impact for the region is bleak. In addition to this the impact of the pollution of the local waterways and depletion of insects due to land clearing will negatively impact local agribusinesses that provide stable long term employment and economic growth and contribute to the tourism in the local region.
Lastly the devastating long term effects of the environment in localities where mines have been established is widely documented. Once the waterways are polluted, the vegetation is cleared, the nutrients in the soil are diminished and it begins to erode, the native animals and insects habitats are decimated and the air is polluted by increased traffic these resources that we rely on for human life can never be entirely replaced. I moved to this region so my family would have access to fresh air, the beauty of the natural landscape and the absence of overcrowding and noise pollution. Having the mines established in this area will remove many of the reasons why I like to live here and my friends. extended family and other tourists visit this area.

I am writing in submission against Regis Resources McPhillamy's Gold Project at Kings Plains.
I strongly object to every aspect of their proposal, and believe it to be a Hazardous and Offensive Development (SEPP33).
That Regis plan to destroy 1135ha of rural property, including the removal of 132.36ha of native vegetation and fauna habitat, to dig a hole 1050m long and 460m deep, with a 600 acre tailings dam at the headwaters of a water source that thousands of people rely on, piping 15.6 megalitres of already contaminated water a day through a 90 km pipeline from another water catchment area, is obscene. A 15 year project with a 400 year scope of rehabilitation (ES4.1.3), which will leave 16 families subjected to excessive Project Trigger Noise and high levels of visual impact 24 hours a day for a minimum of 4 years, (and the same for the entire nearby population), and having widespread Environmental and Social Impacts on the entire region.
Regis Resources have continually misrepresented the benefits of their proposal, particularly in regard to projected employment figures which have varied widely for the several years this project has been public knowledge, as well as disregarding the very real threats to the region they represent, which are many and varied, and will no doubt be addressed by others. Their Pipeline proposal is equally offensive for the same reasons as above, and it seems disingenuous for them to have already commenced work prior to the official approvals process, with pipe having already been laid in the Mt. Lambie area.
Regis Resources have been engaged with Bathurst Regional Council in a corrupt manner in regards to their initial proposal to access their water supply from Bathurst Regional Council, and that relationship has continued with a former Councillor now working for Regis (Michael Coote), as well as two former Mayors with Conflicts of Interest (Gary Rush and Graeme Hanger), as they continue to negotiate through Bathurst Regional Council and in conjunction with State Government Minister Paul Toole. Documentation to support these claims can be presented.
I cannot object more strongly to the lying sacks of shit at Regis being allowed to rape and pillage the beautiful environs of the Kings Plains and Blayney Region for their own short term personal gain, destroying lives, families, agricultural and natural resources, all for less than 0.01 gram of gold per cubic tonne of earth extracted.
I hope to have the opportunity to pursue this matter further and in greater detail in the near future, and I look forward to this proposal being rejected at all levels, if only on compassionate and intelligent grounds.
Thankyou.

Please find attached the submission by Wendy and Ian Manning in response to the EIS for the McPhillamys Gold Project. Please phone Ian Manning on 04 2140 1820 if there are any actions required in order for the attached submission to be considered by the consent authority. Thank you.

We live in a beautiful land rich in resources both above and below the ground. There is a need for both but when one is given priority over the other in a way that can never be restored then we have lost sight of who and what is important. In order to keep our rural communities alive, we need to protect our water and our good quality farmland.
Here in Blayney we have the beautiful Belubula River and we are surrounded by good quality farmland and a thriving farming community. The Belubula river runs for 165 km. It is a perennial river, which means it runs constantly in years of regular rainfall. The Belubula River is fed by nine natural springs making it a reliable source of water even throughout drought times. The Belubula flows into the Lachlan River so anything that impacts this river will also affect communities down river.
The Regis Mining Company proposes to plug these springs with concrete in order to build a gold mine directly above the springs! This is to ensure the toxic pollutants from their proposed mine do not enter our pristine waters. However directly on top of the plugged springs they will build a tailings damn to hold the toxic water from their mine. Where is the logic in that?
The mine also plans to use water piped from Lithgow which will be laden with heavy metals and salty brine. This is to wet down roads and amenity bunds. Spraying water on roads and vegetated earth bunds will leach these metals and salts into the soils and so on into the river system.
This proposed McPhillamy’s Mine will cover 642 acres of prime farming land. A huge loss to the area. Our nation produces some of the safest, best quality food in the world and we are being asked to risk that for a company who has no long-term interest in our area. Farming is long-term, mining is not.
This mine will pollute the river system, the soil and the air. This mine is only minutes from the Blayney township and surrounded by farms putting the health of residents at risk. Governments may make some money from taxes from the mine but they will end up paying more in the long run because of the health issues that will follow.
Our tourism industry will also be at risk. Council has recently spent a large sum of money in advertising our area for future tourism and this will be affected by a mine so close to town. Tourism will make our area prosper and will create jobs and have a positive outcome for the area.
The jobs created from this mine will not all go to Blayney residents but to experienced workers from other areas so will have little if any impact on unemployment in the area.
Regis are here because they want to make money and lots of it. The plan is for ten years of mining and then they will go and take any jobs with them. They are not interested in the future of the area; they are not interested in the long-term; they are not interested in the devastation to this community they will leave behind. They are only interested in more wealth for the company.
Blayney Shire does not need Regis, Regis needs us: to make more money!
NO to Regis and the McPhillamy’s Mine!
YES, to saving our river, our farms and our community!

I object to the McPhillamy Gold Project on the headwaters of the Belubula River, due to the impact the open cut mine operations, will have to downstream farmers and rural communities, who rely upon the Belubula River for water.
As of 2nd October the NSW Government have enforced Section 324 on the regulated Belubula River Source, with a restriction to reduce to 40% of water allocations. These restrictions are in response to extremely low inflow to the Carcoar Dam.
The operation of the McPhillamy Gold mine in the headwaters of the Belubula River will further reduce the inflow to Carcoar dam, and thus further worsening downstream water user access to water for their livelihoods.
Groundwater:
Groundwater level drawdown from de-watering of over 1 Giga litre per annum of the 450metre open cut mine in the headwaters of the Belubula River will severely impact the Belubula river system and the farmers that rely upon access to both river and groundwater. The open cut mine will require dewatering to enable operations and this will result in a significant reduction of groundwater levels.
The water table levels on farms surrounding the Cadia Gold mine have all fallen due tho the open cut mine and need to dewater the open cut pit.
The experience of Werris farmers having their access to groundwater reduced around the Werris Creek Whitehaven open cut coalmine, with the watertable levels dropping between 4-15meters for the surrounding Werris Creek farmers.
The impact of the McPhillamy open cut mine upon local farmers’ access to both groundwater quantity and quality will be equally significant.
EIS notes that the watertable at the project site is typically 10-15metres below the surface. The 450 metre depth open cut mine will result in significant changes to the hydrology of the Belubula River catchment, release of heavy metal contaminants into the groundwater, affecting groundwater quality for surrounding farmers.
The location of the Tailing dam and 450 metre deep open cut mine on the Belubula River headwaters will severely impact the water quantity and quality for downstream users.
EIS stated that the “predicted” seepage would be minimal without any scientific data to support this prediction.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Mullen