Warragamba Dam Raising

To whom it may concern,
We moved to the Blue mountains just over two years ago to live along side a World natural heritage area. It brings us closer to the area that we care about. I have done plenty for bsuhwalking and don't want to see it changed.
Fact that it would be a beach of Australia's obligations under the World Heritage convention and would destroy native bushland, aboriginal sites and endanger native animals species.
Is why I am very strongly against the idea of rising the dams wall.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you to voice my concern over the proposal to raise the level of Warragamba dam. I understand that the Sydney city region needs water security but I do not accept that further reducing our already limited natural areas is the best way to achieve that. Our native flora and fauna are already under intense pressure from encroaching land use by people, we should not be enacting policies that increase that pressure. I would like to see the city (and the country as a whole) embrace greater efficiency of our water usage including eliminating losses from aging, leaking pipes; and more importantly treating and recycling stormwater and sewage. The latter would have the additional benefit of reducing the pollution entering the ocean around Sydney. Thank you for taking the time to read my submission.

To whom it may concern,
Listen to the science and think of our future.

To whom it may concern,
I wholey object to the flooding of world herritage areas within the blue mountains. Raising the damn dam wall clearly makes no sense to anyone apart from western sydney devleopers, I call upon you to do the right thing and follow your duty if care to the wider Sydney public and this wilderness area and the flora and fauna contained within & commit to not raising the damn wall. Now or on the future.
Stop long wall mining while you're at it and property monitor the effects of this on dam levels, tracking lost water using clear and scientific method now and projecting into the future

To whom it may concern,
As a working member of WIRES, NSW's leading Wildlife Protection agency, I object strongly to NSW Government's ignoring all environmental advice, the lack of consent from Traditional Owners and the damage this will cause to World Heritage sites and the wildlife in the areas that will be flooded.

To whom it may concern,
This qwhole business of changing nature to suit humans really has to stop. History should have taught us already that it doesn't work and only makes things worse. Consider building over water drainage areas with asphalt and concrete so areas flood, or putting rabbits and foxes in nature where they are not native so hey swarm the place instead of what was intended.
Humans meddling always comes with unintended consequenses and to also intentionally destroy large areas of pristine bushwalking nature to boot, just for some profits, is just plain ignorant of both nature AND people's needs.

To whom it may concern,
Well it concerns everyone doesn’t it- that is why there are organisations in place to ensure environmental impact studies are conducted independently of vested interests.
when such bodies are blatantly ignored there can be no doubt that there is something underhanded afoot.
You are in a position of responsibility not power - you are obligated to act acccordingly- for people, for environment, for what is left of our wildlife and for heritage.
When there are plenty of sensible ways to ensure water supply,there can be no excuse for outdated methodology and subterfuge.

To whom it may concern,
From what I understand:
- The National Parks and Wildlife Service said it failed to address impacts on species and ecological communities affected by last year’s bushfires.
- Heritage NSW said the EIS failed to properly consider cultural heritage values or adequately consult Traditional Owners.
- The Commonwealth Environment Department said the evaluation failed to consider impacts on iconic species like the platypus, and told the NSW Government to redo the entire heritage assessment.
Until these issues are addressed, I ask you to reconsider expanding the Warragamba dam.

To whom it may concern,
I regularly go bushwalking in the Blue Mountains National Park and I want to be able to take my grandchildren there when they get older. By raising the Warragamba Dam wall this will become more difficult.
I am concerned that there has been almost three-quarters of the impacted area has not been assessed for Aboriginal cultural heritage. I am concerned that the surveys for threatened species have been inadequate. I am concerned that no post-bushfire field surveys have been undertaken in the Blue Mountains Heritage Area.
Almost half of the flood waters come from areas outside of the catchment area and so will not be stopped from flooding the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley. So it seems to me that raising the dam walls makes no sense and that some of the proposed alternative options, that are cheaper and more effective, should be used instead.

To whom it may concern,
I'd like to make a submission to oppose the
proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam.
Firstly, the world shuddered when thousand years old cultural sites were destroyed by mining companies in the Pilbara. Do the project developers and authorities granting permission for the dam raising want to be responsible for camparable cultural destruction? Do they want to be held accountable by the traditional custodians, indiginous people and Australia as a whole and indeed the rest of the world?
Secondly, raising the dam wall would inundate 6000 ha of valuable World Heritage ecosystem, providing habitat to a number of threatened and endanered species.
Thirdly, the claim that the raised dam would provide flood mitigating for houses in the Hawkesbury-Napean valley seems deliberately misleading, as only a small proportion of the water in that system can be controlled by that dam. However, if the project is not scrutinised properly now it will be after major flooding happens.

To whom it may concern,What a damaged environment for clildren to inherit.God help them.They will be given devastation so that a few politicians can make money.

To whom it may concern,
I am a lover of the natural environment and a Bushcare volunteer in my local area. I lived in western and south western Sydney for 60 years. I believe that we are the custodians of our environment for future generations to enjoy. As such we must dilegently preserve and protect the natural environment and culturally significant sites.
I have enjoyed and delighted in many walks in the Blue Mountains World Heritage area. How one could even consider destroying a World Heritage listed area is beyond my comprehension. We have the responsibility and an obligation under the World Heritage Convention to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage area.
If the proposed raising of Warragamba Dam wall proceeds it has been estimated that 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 Kowung River a declared Wild River and protected for its pristine condition under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974,
. A number of threatened ecological communities, particularly Grassy Box Woodland
. unique eucalptus species
. destruction of habitat for critically endangered and endangered species including the critically endangered Regent Honey Eater and Sydney's last emu population.
The EIS for this project is fundamentally flawed and cannot be accepted as a basis for further decision making by the Minister for Planning.
SMEC Engineering who undertook the environmental and cultural assessment for this project have recently been barred from the world bank. They have a history of abusing Indigenous rights.
Only 27% of the impact area was assessed for Aboriginal Heritage.
No post 2019-2020 devasting bushfire field surveys have been undertaken.
No modelling of the stated flood and economic benefit of the dam wall raising are outlined in the EIS.
The Gundungaurra Traditional Owners have not given free, prior and informed consent for the Dam proposal to proceed! More than 1541 identified cultural heritage sites would be inundated by the raising of the Dam wall!
There has been repeated criticism of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment by the Australian Department of Environment and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
There are more cost effective means of flood mitigation that have been recommended. A combined approach of multiple options has been recommended as the most cost effective means of flood risk mitigation. These options have not been comprehensively assessed in the EIS!
On average, 45% of floodwaters arise from areas downstream of Warragamba Dam! Raising the height of Warragamba Dam Wall would not prevent flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley downstream of the Dam wall.
I object to the proposed raising of the wall height of Warragamba Dam on multiple grounds including environmental, indigenous cultural, economic and effective flood mitigation grounds as outlined above.

To whom it may concern,
The plan to raise the warragamba wall is seriously a disgrace. The barragorang valley is home to many threatened species, not mention some the most pure breed dingos in the state. Why not expand the de-sal plant instead?

My name is Anthony Ekstrom, I'm 56 years old and have been a resident of Sydney my entire life. I have a long association with the Blue Mountains and Kanangra Boyd National Parks and their surrounding areas, having visited the parks and walked extensively in them over a period exceeding 30 years. Most of the trips that I have done over this period involve off track walking along the Kowmung and Coxes rivers, along with many of their tributaries. The entire Kowmung (and large sections of the Coxes) river represents the last true wild river systems left in NSW and a true wilderness experience. I have walked all of the sections of the Kowmung from the upper sections near Tuglow caves, through Morong Deep, down through the middle section near Christies creek, towards Gingra and then on towards the Coxes river junction. This river system is largely pristine and is truly the jewel Blue Mountains / Kanangra Boyd National Park area - it is immensely beautiful. Whilst most Sydney siders are not aware of the beauty of this region, many people like myself do value the importance of having untouched wilderness areas to hand down to future generations. I believe that as Sydney's population continues to grow over time the challenge for society is to balance our requirement for resources and services and still maintain key natural areas. I am certain that future generations will value the river wilderness areas of the Greater Blue Mountains area just as much as I do. The lower Kowmung and Coxes rivers represent a priceless natural resource that should not be flooded.

To whom it may concern,
I am against the dam, please protect the flora and fauna.

I object to the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall on several grounds.
1. The destruction of more indigenous heritage. The original dam along with all the development in the area has destroyed so much indigenous heritage and taken land from the traditional owners. We can't really change that past dispossession but we can stop doing it now and in the future. No more destruction of first nations heritage.
2. The ecosystem is not adapted for inundation and will be severely and permanently damaged by the flooding that will occur when the raised wall is used for its intended purpose. There will be large scale death of the plants that are flooded and erosion of waterways. The resultant scars may be visible from the lookouts of the Blue Mountains world heritage area and would diminish its world heritage and tourism values.
3. The habitat of many animals including the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater and the locally rare Platypus will be badly affected. We should be protecting these animals and the habitat they depend on, not destroying more of it.
4. Raising the dam wall is not an effective way to manage flooding on the floodplains of western Sydney. Many other rivers flow into the Nepean and cause flooding in their own right. The extra water stored in Warragamba needs to be released at some point and if the wet period is prolonged it will still add to the inundation downstream.
Raising the dam wall is a bad solution to this problem. Better ideas need to be explored. Indigenous heritage, ecosystems and animals of the Blue Mountains shouldn't be sacrificed for the spread of housing across a flood plain.

To whom it may concern,
Please understand that water supply needs to be secured from other sources, not just a dam. It is time to diversify and get innovative with water. The Blue Mountains World Heritage area is TOO SPECIAL to compromise. Nowhere in the world like it. Nowhere! And Australia has the longest continuing culture in the world, our indigenous heritage is world important, that's something for all Australians to be proud of. It is time for 19th century thinking to be turned around by politicians. Business is preparing, communities are preparing, kids are demanding new solutions to meet climate change. Now is the time to lead the way on new water solutions. Raising the dam wall looks like an easy solution but it's not the effective quick fix and there is too much at risk. Follow the State government's own water resilience advice, move into other solutions.
Thankyou for your work

To whom it may concern,
PLEASE do NOT raise the Warragamba Dam wall.
PLEASE do NOT insult our First Nation any more. This time by permanently destroying MORE of their (and our) irreplaceable and unique flora and fauna, including their sacred places, their heritage. It is NOT ours.
You are not God-Almighty, above all others. You have been placed in a so-called elevated position of authority by the people's votes. How many mistakes have been made by former Government employees, voted by the public in the belief that they will govern by good will and by listening to these same people who, by the way, pay your WAGES!!
Listen to us. Open your ears. Show some backbone.

DON'T RAISE THE WALL

I object to the raising of The Wall of Wararagamba Dam as this will cause irreversible environmental & cultural damage impacting negatively & destroying irreversibly the pristine the Kowmung Wild Rivers wilderness area & The Blue Mountains National Patk as well as sacred sites of our Indigenous people yet again

I strongly oppose the proposal to raise Warragamba Dam. This project has unacceptable potential impacts on the environment, including to the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, threatened species and their habitats.

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. Australia's extinction rate is one of the worst in the world. It is critical that we work to preserve the species we have left. Biodiversity needs to be preserved if humans are to survive.

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.

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. 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 a whole.