Warragamba Dam Raising

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

To everyone who lives in NSW but especially you,
As the years roll on, I can't help but witness my disdain growing for the LNP as they blatantly reject sustainability and long term growth for our state.
The raising of the dam wall has been proven in EVERY report to be rushed, highly politicised, and completely wasteful. We are in the most important decade of modern times if we will save the earth from our short sighted and self destructive ways. Unfortunately, the current politicians hoarding power and wealth believe they can keep acting unscrupulously. Help turn this tide of corruption and pollution. Reject this ludicrous notion that raising a wall and flooding endangered wildlife territory alongside Indigenous grounds for no significant flood mitigation is in the public's best interest. We are ethically and morally obligated to defend Nature. Do the right thing.

To whom it may concern,
I am totally in OPPOSITION to the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall.
I understand that raising the dam wall is completely unnecessary in terms of water storage. Protection of property downstream from flooding is also not a good enough reason for the destruction of a world heritage area and a national park.
The raising to the wall significantly and adversely impacts on cultural sites that are extremely important to Gundungurra traditional owners.
Please do NOT proceed with raising the dam wall.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to express my opposition to the raising of the dam walls at Warragamba. In my opinion, the environmental damage that would be caused in the Blue Mountains heritage area is too great, and the likelihood of the project eliminating major flooding too low, to warrant such an expensive and potentially damaging project. The fact that indigenous cultural sites would also be lost shows a degree of insensitivity towards our indigenous population, whose needs should be prioritised in situations such as this. At a time when climate change is putting our natural environment and our lives at greater risk, every effort should be made to preserve our natural heritage. Building on flood planes is irresponsible, will itself increase the risk of flood, and should not be encouraged. It is the government's role to represent the interests of all its people, not just developers .

To whom it may concern,
I am appalled by the consideration to raise the wall of Warragamba Dam and as a result lose so much of the Aboriginal sites and park sites. All of which i have trekked and camped within for many years as both a young man and older adult.
No further loss of lands such as this should ever be considered as opportunities to accelerate our hunger for community growth.
There are so many indigenous areas that would be lost forever. These are sacred sites.
Additionally so many species of trees and other flora that are listed as either rare or in danger.
Notwithstanding the wildlifes' need for their ongoing food and shelter.
To make a point, our use of water resources must be amended from now into the future.
There are alternatives that would help every household to reduce their drain on water catchments such as Warragamba.
Many homes could have government assisted rainwater tanks with greywater use that meet their need for gardens and other uses. This could become a project for every home to install and access funding to assist in its installation.
Stop any further waste of funds or time and rethink this potential loss of land, sites and flora and fauna.

To whom it may concern,
You are making in huge wrong decision. The wild effect is a huge. Stop the dam wall.

To whom it may concern,
I wish to register my firm opposition to the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam.
This area is justifiably on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its unique natural and cultural values. The EIS presented by the government appears to have been commissioned to rubber stamp a fait accompli.The organization used to produce this report lacks credibility, and the EIS itself is lacking in many ways - a Claytons EIS that tries to ignore anything contrary to the predetermined outcome.
The conjecture that raising the dam will protect downstream areas from flooding is preposterous, and the idea of increasing development on the floodplain is criminal. A raised dam would affect only about half of the Nepean catchment, and we cannot predict the rain events in the future, given more extreme weather due to climate change.
We can be far more confident that a future government will use some or all of the extra headroom for water storage, given it would be cheap and politically expedient. At the stroke of a pen, flood mitigation is gone.
There are other more cost effective methods of protecting lives in the floodplain, recommended by experts in their fields. This poorly justified, extremely expensive and likely ineffective solution can be avoided, and the World Heritage cultural and environmental values retained.
I have walked many times in the area that would be destroyed, and know first hand what will be lost. I have seen sections of the Cox's and Warragamba rivers that are intermittently inundated, and the destruction is total. Unique ecosystems are replaced by banks of silt and weeds. Few cities are as fortunate as Sydney is to have a World Heritage wilderness on its doorstep, and it is a major drawcard for tourist dollars.

To whom it may concern,
I was horrified at the position of the current NSW Government in again touting the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall as a means of preventing inundation of the lower floodplains of the Nepean/Hawkwsbury Basin to permit the possible further housing development in areas that by definition should not be inhabited.
The NSW Government appears to be totally unaware of the importance the Blue Mountains National Park as a World Heritage Area. The Park contains some of the world's finest natural scenery that is the home of muliple fauna and flora species which would be reduced as a result of flooding of the already large footprint of Lake Burragorang. Equally, and perhaps more important, much of the historical heritage of the First Nation Gundungurra people would be lost forever, to the shame of all Australians.
I along with many thousands of bushwalkers have enjoyed the rare priveleges of enjoying this unique environment in its pristine glory,and seeing it in its natural state. As a bushwalker, I have walked almost all of the area in my almost 80 years and with the old addage of "taking only photographs and leaving only footprints" I could only hope that future generations could reap the same enjoyment in seeing it and protecting it.
As we must ensure Sydney's water supply, it clearly could be done without extending the footprint of Lake Burrogorang which would ensure flooding of the Coxs, Nattai, Wollondilly, Kowmung, Kedumba and Kananga Rivers which would also deny walking access to the southern section of the Blue Mountains National Park. - A price far too exorbitant to pay for the for the lining of a minority developers' pockets.
Given that much of the recent flooding was caused by the river systems below Warragamba Dam, a more proactive water management program along with the sensible employment of the existing desalination plant would surely be a better option.

To whom it may concern,
• The engineering firm (SMEC Engineering) who undertook the environmental and cultural assessments for the project have an established history abusing Indigenous rights, recently being barred from the world bank.
• Severe fires during the summer of 2019/20 devastated 81% of Blue Mountains Heritage Area. No post-bushfire field surveys have been undertaken.
• Only 27% of the impact area was assessed for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
• Threatened species surveys are substantially less than guideline requirements. Where field surveys were not adequately completed, expert reports were not obtained.
• No modelling of the stated flood and economic benefits of the dam wall raising are outlined in the EIS.
• The integrity of the environmental assessment is fundamentally flawed, and cannot be accepted as a basis for further decision-making by the Minister for Planning.
There are many alternative options to raising the Warragamba Dam wall that would protect existing floodplain communities. A combined approach of multiple options has been recommended as the most cost-effective means of flood risk mitigation.
•
o Alternative options were not comprehensively assessed in the EIS. Any assessment of alternatives does not take into account the economic benefits that would offset the initial cost of implementation.
o On average, 45% of floodwaters are derived from areas outside of the upstream Warragamba Dam catchment. This means that no matter how high the dam wall is constructed, it will not be able to prevent flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley downstream.

To whom it may concern,
I bush walk in this area. I'm very concerned by the impact of the proposed development, which will seriously impact a number of endangered species.
An estimated 65 kilometres of wilderness rivers, and 5,700 hectares of National Parks, 1,300 hectares of which is within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, would be inundated by the Dam project. This includes:
The Kowmung River - declared a ‘Wild River’, protected for its pristine condition under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974;
Unique eucalyptus speciesdiversity recognised as having Outstanding Universal Value under the area’s World Heritage listing such as the Camden White Gum;
A number of Threatened Ecological Communities, notably Grassy Box Woodland;
Habitat for endangered and critically endangered species including the Critically Endangered Regent Honeyeater and Sydney’s last Emu population.
Severe fires during the summer of 2019/20 devastated 81% of Blue Mountains Heritage Area. No post-bushfire field surveys have been undertaken.
I strongly oppose the construction of a dam that will have such a serious impact on our fauna and flora, and damage delicate ecosystems. It will also impact heritage areas. It should not proceed.

To whom it may concern,
Wilderness areas and the biodiversity contained within cannot be replaced We don't get a second chance on this planet . We must conserve what we have. Not destroy it for the sake of the easiest or cheapest solution to a manmade problem

To whom it may concern,
I wish to make a submission against the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall.
I have visited the area many times in the past and admired the beauty of this World Heritage area. Living in suburban Sydney, it is a great area to breathe in the fresh air (i.e. when there are no bushfires) and see some of the native wildlife and flora.
The fact that the NSW Government in previous decades gave permission to build housing on a flood plain, is no excuse for the height increase to the dam wall, especially since nearly half of possible floodwaters are upstream of the catchment area and flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley would still occur.
The engineering firm (SMEC Engineering) have not taken into account the Indigenous rights, nor have the Gundungurra Traditional Owers fiven informed consent for the dam to proceed. Over 1541 identified cultural heritage sites would be inundated by the heightened wall. Nor has any any field survey been undertaken since the summer of 2019/2020 bushfires, which devastated over three quarters of the Blue Mountains Heritage Area.
There is also the fact that unique species of eucalyptus, habitats for endangered birds, etc., would also be in danger of extinction.
I earnestly request that alternative measures be investigated in a combined approach, which also would be more cost-effective and offer a wider area of protection against future flooding rains.

To whom it may concern,
I most strongly object to the raising of the damn level. The damage to the heritage area is unacceptable. In reality this decision is being made because greedy developers sold land on flood plains to the unwary.

To whom it may concern,
I feel that you have been deceitful which makes me very sad and disappointed.
Why have environmental reports been ignored in relation to the raising of the walls on the Warragamba Dam?
How can this go ahead when so much will be lost? I live on acerage and have let the trees grow and the birdlife come. I thought this was the direction of all Australians. With so many animals and birds now extinct how can this move forward with such little regard for the bigger picture.
The Blue Mountains has been a treasured place to visit with so many beautiful walks. This is a World Heritage area.
Please reconsider this decision and show Australia you are the best care taker of Australia for generations to come.

To whom it may concern,
Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to object to raising Warragamba Dam wall, as it will destroy the native trees, Grassy Box woodlands, and animals, such as the endangered Regent Honeyeater and Sydney's last emu population, that are all already endangered. The engineering firm SMEC Engineering, have bad history of abusing Indigenous rights and are barred from the World Bank. It will effect over 1541 identified cultural hertiage sites.
I love walking in the Blue Mountains world heritage area. I will be so sad if it all gets destroyed. Sydney is so lucky to have the Blue Mountains near by, it is so beautiful to be near nature of that size.
Please accept my submission

To whom it may concern,
I would like to note my objection to the Warragamba Dam wall raising proposal. I have been vacationing to the Blue Mountains since I was young, as have many sydneysiders, and have deep emotional connections to the National Park and native wilderness areas that make up the Blue Mountains.
I would like the NSW State Government to come up with an alternative solution to mitigate the risk of flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley. On average, 45% of floodwaters are derived from areas outside of the upstream Warragamba Dam catchment - this makes the proposed Dam raising sound as if it's the brainchild of people without the inclination to look for other possible solutions.
Why was SMEC Engineering hired to undertake the environmental and cultural assessments for the project? They have an established history of abusing Indigenous rights, even being barred from the World Bank. Why was there no post-bushfire field surveys undertaken after the Black Summer fires? From all that I've read it seems that the integrity of the environmental assessment is fundamentally flawed and should not be accepted.
Imagine the political fall out if this proposal goes ahead and another major flooding inicident occurs despite the raised dam wall. Imagine the lives that could be lost if building permission is granted to these areas prone to flooding. These seem like large risks to take when there are other options on the table.
Putting these possibilities aside, let's think about the known, immediate destruction that will take place if the proposal is approved. Habitat loss of the critically endagered Regent Honeyeater and Sydney's last Emu population, the destruction of our threatened ecological communities such as the Grassy Box Woodland, the havoc it would play on our unique eucalyptus species such as the Camden White Gum.
In Australia, our cities and towns are relatively young compared to the rest of the world. We do not have grand european chateaus or collosseums that need protecting, but what we do have is our wilderness areas. These are what make Australia great! These are what we need to protect, these are our cathedrals. With only 27% of the impact area being assessed for Aboriginal cultural heritage it seems as though our land and our native people are being neglected from this process.
In short I would like for this proposal to be scrapped and other options explored to mitigate the flood risk of the Hawkesbury-Nepean. Please consider this submission when making the final decision on this proposal.

To whom it may concern,
I, like many others, ask you to see sense and not raise the dam wall. In light of the recent flooding disaster, you should realise the devastation possible even at the current height. Raising it simply for economic reasons means you will be damning (pardon the pun) many people to extremely devastating consequences in future years. The devastation and any lives lost as a result will be at your hands.

To whom it may concern,
I have serious concerns with the proposed raising of the wall of Warragamba Dam.
The impacts on the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park will be of such magnitude that this magnificent area may lose it's World Heritage listing thus putting the park in danger of logging, mining and other environmentally harmful practices.
As I understand it, raising the dam wall will not necessarily prevent the occurrence of flooding, but will impact the insurance zoning downstream. This is an unacceptable attempt to enable more people to be housed on a notorious flood plain, with an implicit disclaimer for insurance companies.
Culturally sensitive areas of aboriginal habitat and environmentally sensitive areas of flora and fauna will be irretrievably lost if this proposal is allowed to proceed.
I urge you to say NO to raising the dam wall.

To whom it may concern,
Please don't go ahead with raising Warragamba Dam wall. There are lots of reasons and you know them already. the only people who will benifit are the developers who will build houses on land that will still flood in ones similar to what we had early this year. That's not fair on the poor people lving there.
Also we must consider the First Nations People and their wishes.
And this is a magic artea to walk in so we need to keep it safe.