Warragamba Dam Raising

As a member of the public who is committed to supporting and protecting the environment for future generations. This is not only to allow them the joys of our environment but to more importantly to ensure the ongoing function of the critical ecosystems that allow for human habitation of the plant. Each creature has its important role and the extinction of each component our fauna and flora weakens the over all structure. Australia has an unacceptable rate of extinction which is know around the world THIS IS NOT acceptable.
I have worked on a number of occasions with a large group of volunteers endeavouring the restore the habitat of the threatened regent honey eater. This work by volunteers has been running for many years. The future of the reagent honeyeater is now being seriously put in jeopardy by the Warragamba Dam expansion. Australia is a dry land and if more water is required for the ever expanding population the limited natural environment cannot repeatedly be damaged to provide additional water. Technology must be implemented to solve water supply problems. The supply of water must be ecologically sustainable.
In addition I strongly support the following
• I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.
• The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary breeding habitat for the Regent Honeyeater that “cannot be avoided or minimised.”
• The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. 
• Modelling by BirdLife Australia suggested that up to 50% of contemporary Regent Honeyeater foraging and breeding habitat was burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. Protecting remaining unburnt breeding habitat is of the highest conservation priority.
• There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.
• Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.
• The destruction or degradation of a contemporary breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters would have dire consequences for the species as a whole.
• The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.
• It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of breeding habitat to occur.
• I strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater.
• Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater.
• There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

As an Australian nature lover, concerned for preserving the habitat of native animals, I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.
The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary breeding habitat for the Regent Honeyeater that “cannot be avoided or minimised.”
The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. 
Modelling by BirdLife Australia suggested that up to 50% of contemporary Regent Honeyeater foraging and breeding habitat was burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. Protecting remaining unburnt breeding habitat is of the highest conservation priority.
There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.
Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.
The destruction or degradation of a contemporary breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters would have dire consequences for the species as a whole.
The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.
It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of breeding habitat to occur.
I strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater.
Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater.
There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

The State Significant Infrastructure website for the Warragamba Dam Raising, https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/project/10571, accessed 10/10/2021, states “Warragamba Dam Raising is a project to provide temporary storage capacity for large inflow events into Lake Burragorang to facilitate downstream flood mitigation and includes infrastructure to enable environmental flows.”
This indicates that the purpose is to mitigate floods downstream of the dam wall and that environmental concerns are significant part of the proposal.
I strongly oppose this proposal for two major reasons:
• Experts state that only minor floods will be mitigated, so failing to fulfil the primary purpose of the project
• The unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species, presumably of more value in terms of biodiversity and preservation of natural and cultural heritage than the highly human-modified downstream areas.

Flood mitigation
Experts, including Assoc. Prof Jamie Pittock, have modelled flooding and shown that raising the dam wall will not mitigate major flooding. The topography of the regions is such that there are constrictions to out-flowing water. These constrictons result in floodwaters backing up and causing flooding of the aptly named floodplains. Further, half of all floodwaters in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley originate from areas that aren’t upstream of the dam so won’t be contained by the dam. It’s estimated that waters from the Grose River alone could cause moderate to major flooding.

Environmental and cultural impacts
The area to be inundated, or affected by sediment-laden flood waters for weeks at a time, is within an area deemed so valuable to the world as a whole, that it has been declared a World Heritage Area. It is home to threatened plant and animal species that can’t move elsewhere, making a mockery of the idea of offset sites in this context. It encompasses many of the remaining culturally significant sites of the Gundungurra People. It would be insensitive and destructive to add to the number of sites destroyed by inundation due to the current dam wall. The beauty of the area can’t be restored once flooded. It is totally inappropriate to destroy these cultural sites and natural beauty, and further endanger these species when there are other, more viable and more effective options. Further, flooding of this nature has been shown to add to greenhouse gas emissions, at a time when we should be doing everything in our power to reduce our emissions.

Raising the dam wall is old, out-dated thinking. We should be working with nature in attempting to mitigate the impact of natural events on human communities. Other communities and governments are recognising flood plains, seashores, earthquake-prone regions etc, as places that humans should respect and avoid “developing”. It is time for the NSW government to join this community.

John Sawhill of The Nature Conservancy once wrote "In the end our society will be defined not only by what we created but by what we refused to destroy." Raising the Warragamba Dam wall only destroys. Let’s look to useful, creative, respectful alternate options.

Dear decision makers,
I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project's potential impacts on the environment, including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and to threatened species, in particular the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater. The Regent Honeyeater is listed critically endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary Regent Honeyeater breeding habitat that 'cannot be avoided or minimised'. However, any breeding habitat is considered critical for the survival of the species, under the Regent Honeyeater National Recovery Plan. Please reconsider your plans.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dan due to the project's unacceptable potential impacts on the environment, including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area AND threatened species. There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.
Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.
Thank you
Cass Casaubon

I am a bushwalker who undertakes extended walks in the Blue Mountains World Heritage area.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.

The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary breeding habitat for the Regent Honeyeater that “cannot be avoided or minimised.”

The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. 

Modelling by BirdLife Australia suggested that up to 50% of contemporary Regent Honeyeater foraging and breeding habitat was burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. Protecting remaining unburnt breeding habitat is of the highest conservation priority.

There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.

Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.

The destruction or degradation of a contemporary breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters would have dire consequences for the species as a whole.

The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.

It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of breeding habitat to occur.

I strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater.

Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater.

There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

When will we learn we share this planet with myriads of other life and natural beauty?
As we enter troubled years ahead as the impacts of climate change and natural destruction on threatened habits (Reagent Honey Eater for one) it is apparent humans will not stop until we live in a sadly reduced world. Green energy desalination, water use reduction, water infrastructure improvements, less industrial wastage :
Please stop destruction and look at rehabilitation.

Raising the Warragamba Dam wall is a developer-driven proposal that will make it easier to build on flood-prone land in western Sydney – against the wishes of local communities, traditional owners and in violation of UNESCO World Heritage status.
Raising the Warragamba Dam wall by 17 metres would drown 4,700 hectares of Blue Mountains National Parks and 65kms of wild streams upstream from the raised dam wall.
The areas that would be inundated are home to at least 48 threatened species. The nationally threatened Camden White Gum and critically endangered Regent honeyeater would likely become extinct if the dam goes ahead.
Respected academic authorities have identified alternative flood mitigation measures for existing communities that do not require raising the dam wall. These alternatives including international best practice floodplain development controls, flood evacuation routes, property repurchase schemes, construction of downstream flood diversion structures, and integrated dam management and climate forecasting.
Raising Warragamba Dam is the most profound attack on Australia’s World Heritage in decades.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species. It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of Regen Honeyeater breeding habitat to occur. Any Regen Honeyeater breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”. I strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater. Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater. There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

I stronngly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.

The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary breeding habitat for the Regent Honeyeater that “cannot be avoided or minimised.”

The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. 

Modelling by BirdLife Australia suggested that up to 50% of contemporary Regent Honeyeater foraging and breeding habitat was burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. Protecting remaining unburnt breeding habitat is of the highest conservation priority.

There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.

Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.

The destruction or degradation of a contemporary breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters would have dire consequences for the species as a whole.

The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.

It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of breeding habitat to occur.

I strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater.

Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater.

There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

Why are all the beautiful creatures and things of this world devalued so absolutely. Is the aim to kill everything that's beautiful?

I strongly object to the raising of the dam wall as it will impact on the habitat and breeding grounds of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeaters. Please reconsider this plan and take into consideration the impact on the environment and the wildlife!!!

I am objecting to the proposed raising of the Warrigamba Dam on the basis that it will potentially endanger the habitat of the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater among other species, and therefore contribute to the extinction of this beautiful Australian bird.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise the Warragamba dam due to the projects unacceptable potential impacts on the environment, including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.

The draft EIS concludes that the project poses potential significant impacts to contemporary Regent Honeyeater breeding habitat that cannot the 'avoided or minimised'.
The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 birds remaining in the wild. Any breeding habitat is considered critical for survival of the species, under the Regent Honeyeater Recovery Plan which has been endorsed by the Australian Government under the EPBC Act (1999).

I have a 5 year old daughter who is very concerned about the state of our world and environment. When she asks me if I did everything that I did to look after our environment, I need to be able to say 'yes', which is why I am making this submission. I hope that I can go birdwatching with her one day to see a thriving population of Regent Honeyeaters, in a protected World Heritage Area.

My main objection is the flooding of habitat for the endangered Regent Honeyeater. This habitat is not a "maybe the Regent Honeyeater MIGHT like this habitat" or "it seems suitable for them here." No. They have been recorded BREEDING in the proposed flood zone. They are only sighted sporadically and are critically endangered - with as few as 350 wild individuals. If this species doesn't give sufficient pause to re-consider raising the dam, then I imagine there would be very few environmental considerations that would get in the way of any development. It's a sad time to be a conservationist - or indeed, it seems, a critically endangered species.

As an aside I wonder if, down the track, if the dam wall is raised, developers could then justify developing currently zoned floodplain. I'm sure any zoning changes/development would be examined under a microscope should this go ahead.

As a resident of the Blue Mountains, I strongly oppose the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall on environmental grounds. Temporary flooding caused by raising of the dam wall would have unacceptable impacts on the area’s World Heritage values, Aboriginal heritage and threatened flora and fauna, including inundation of one of only three breeding areas in NSW for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.
Mark Hocking
Blackheath

As someone who lives in the Blue Mountains region, the negative trickle down effect on the environment, wildlife and overall aesthetics that comes with raising the dam just isn’t acceptable, not to mention the impact on Indigenous sites. One animal that would be tragically affected is the Regent Honeyeater. The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild. Why is the potential deaths of 350+ birds and animals okay, but if these were human lives there would be an outcry? Australia is one of the top countries that has a disproportionate rate of extinction compared to the rest of the world. Don’t let the Regent Honeyeater face the same fate and help preserve what little natural beauty we have left in this ever-shrinking world.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species that depend on this unique and valuable area.

The draft EIS concludes that the project poses significant potential impacts to contemporary breeding habitat for the Regent Honeyeater that “cannot be avoided or minimised.”

The Regent Honeyeater is listed as Critically Endangered at both a state and federal level, with as few as 350 individuals remaining in the wild.  The protection of this beautiful bird is a matter of national importance that is not limited by our state boundaries.

Modelling by BirdLife Australia suggested that up to 50% of contemporary Regent Honeyeater foraging and breeding habitat was burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. Protecting remaining unburnt breeding habitat is of the highest conservation priority.

There are only a handful of contemporary breeding sites for Regent Honeyeater and during the assessment of the project a total of twenty one (21) Regent Honeyeaters, including active nests, were recorded within the impact area.

Any breeding habitat is considered habitat critical for survival of the species under the National Recovery Plan for Regent Honeyeater and it states “It is essential that the highest level of protection is provided to these areas and that enhancement and protection measures target these productive sites”.

The destruction or degradation of a contemporary breeding site for Regent Honeyeaters would have dire consequences for the species as a whole.

The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.

It is unacceptable and inconsistent with the National Recovery Plan for any avoidable loss or degradation of breeding habitat to occur.

I also strongly oppose the Project’s offset strategy for the Regent Honeyeater.

Offsets are rarely an appropriate response to proposed biodiversity loss and especially for critical habitat for the survival of a species, in this case breeding habitat for the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater.

There is no evidence that breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters can be successfully offset and any offsets would be unlikely to provide direct benefits for both the local affected population and the species.

Thank you for considering this submission, please do the right thing to protect our shared environment and unique biodiversity.

In view of the rapid decline of our native species in NSW, AustraliaI’m am truly disappointed with the proposal of raising Warragamba dam.
The endangered Regent Honeyeaters breeding habitat is in direct threat. This habitat must be protected to maximize and support their future survival.
I urge the members involved to consider this proposals.
Once our WILDLIFE is extinct it is final and the consequences of extinction, regrettable.

I vehemently object to this proposal!
The Regent Honeyeaters are an iconic Australian native bird and we are responsible for their survival.
This area has been determined by Birdlife Australia as a significant breeding ground for this critically endangered species. Please stop this project

This proposal has nothing to do with risk- migration but about housing MORE humans on an already high risk floodplain. Shame on the government, playing God thinking they can control Mother Nature. Manage the damage that your predecessor have already created and stop messing with the natural flow of nature. People who choose to live in the catchment, in the floodplain will manage their risk as they have done to-date. STOP DO NOT PROCEED.

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam due to the project’s unacceptable potential impacts on the environment including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and threatened species.

The destruction and degradation of breeding habitat for Regent Honeyeaters is incongruous with the time and money that the Federal and NSW Governments have invested into the recovery program, including the Regent Honeyeater Captive Breeding and Release program.