Warragamba Dam Raising

I object to this plan , any further destruction of aboriginal cultural heritages without their consent is morally corrupt and will be viewed as criminal by indigenous peoples and others like myself.

To whom it may concern,
As a resident of the Blue Mountains, I would like to object to the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam wall, the reason for which is obviously to allow for increased housing developments in the already overcrowded western Sydney floodplain. As has been reported, the EIS is seriously flawed, and the effects on wildlife habitat, traditional Australian historical sites and general landscape destruction have all been ignored. In addition, the claim that raising the wall will prevent flooding and thus, justify developer-driven housing construction is dubious at best. As an alternative, desalination should be the preferred method of water supply for Sydney residents, and a reduced storage of water in the Warragamba dam should be result.

To whom it may concern,
Please-do not raise the dam wall!
We have Prospect Resevoir & other water sources to draw on, including the desalination plant.
With more frequent droughts on the horizon-raising the wall will make no sense. The extra destruction of precious bush is simply not needed.

To whom it may concern,
I would like to make my opinion known about the raising of the Warragamba dam wall, and the potential impacts to the Blue Mountains world heritage status and local environment . It has been demonstrated that raising the wall will not prevent flooding of the flood prone areas it is attempting to protect. This is an act of environmental vandalism and I am disgusted that our "government" would try to do it. STOP.

I wish to register my objection to the proposed Warragamba Dam Raising Project.
If the dam wall is raised more than 1,000 sites of immense cultural and historical significance in the beautiful Burragorang Valley — irreplaceable Indigenous cave art galleries and occupation and burial sites — will be drowned under metres of water.

Houses in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley will not be protected by raising the Warragamba Dam wall which is the main reason the government gives to justify this destruction. Almost half of the flooding in the valley comes from waters that are not controlled by Warragamba Dam.

To whom it may concern,
I am a recent university graduate majoring in linguistics and Indigenous Studies, and I am also a long-time member of Greater Sydney’s local community. I am concerned about the environmental impacts of raising Warragamba Dam’s wall and I am also concerned about the effects this may have on Gundungurra people, material culture and knowledge. I am aware that when the dam was first built in the 1960s this caused significant destruction to Gundungurra Dreaming sites. I believe that repeating this destruction by raising the dam wall and hence flooding many of the remaining sites reflects very poorly on the New South Wales government. In the 1960s, government responses and wider community responses to Aboriginal peoples and cultures were still strongly imbued with paternalistic and both covertly and overtly racist overtones. It is in this atmosphere that Charles Perkins orchestrated the Freedom Rides around New South Wales to regional towns in which segregation was still very much alive. I would like to think that the people of my city and my government are more educated, more respectful and more compassionate than those communities and governments of the 1960s.
In recent years, we have stepped up. Across the country, Australians have shared outrage and sorrow at the destruction of Indigenous sites. In October of this year, the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia released A Way Forward; their final report on the destruction of Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge as a result of a Senate inquiry. This report referenced the “national condemnation” of mining company Rio Tinto after destroying sacred Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura sites at Juukan Gorge. Of particular note is the following phrase: “The Juukan Gorge disaster is just one example of countless instances where cultural heritage has been the victim of the drive for development and commercial gain.” It seems clear that raising the dam wall at Warragamba edges dangerously close to the drive for development triumphing over irreplaceable cultural heritage. Amongst its recommendations, the report points out the need for a new government framework for cultural heritage protection developed through co-design with Indigenous communities, in which traditional owners have primary decision-making power as well as access to effective mechanisms to appeal decisions. I would like to see the NSW government take on the spirit of these recommendations without delay, before they face the same ‘national condemnation’ that Rio Tinto experienced.
I urge this government to act with the respect that Gundungurra cultural heritage warrants, and to adequately address the presence of archaeological, cultural and artistic sites all around the dam’s vicinity. To wilfully destroy sites of such significance is to agitate old wounds in a changing world, and is something which I, as a Sydney resident, am firmly against.

To whom it may concern,
I write because I have visited the Blue Mountains many times and love this beautiful part of NSW.
I am extremely concerned that the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall would be very damaging to the environment.
About 1,300 hectares of the Blue Mountains World Heritage property would be inundated by the dam. This is incompatible with UNESCO policy which is to conserve, protect and transmit these World Heritage treasures to future generations intact.
Flooding 1,300 hectares of a World Heritage listed property will damage the Outstanding Universal Value of the Blue Mountains World Heritage site. If the government decides to proceed with the raising of the dam wall, the World Heritage Committee may decide to inscribe the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Such a move would potentially damage the tourism industry and communities of the Blue Mountains by exposing to the world the poor management of this natural treasure and the low regard that the NSW and Australian Governments give to our beloved World Heritage site.
I urge you to drop the dam raising project and to proceed with alternative options that would protect the World Heritage site, not to mention 65 kms of wilderness rivers, threatened ecological communities and the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.

Save the natural environment for future generations.

There is too much damage that will be done upstream, particularly in the Blue Mountains Area. The destruction of the heritage area and Indigenous sites is something I cannot support. I would be in more support to lowering the dam and/or alternative solutions.

To whom it may concern,
As someone who frequently visits the Blue Mountains to explore hiking trails, I am concerned about the Dam Raising Project and the impact it will have on the surrounding nature and wildlife.
I think that at the very least, further studies need to be conducted to examine whether there are alternatives to dam wall raising to prevent flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean region. I understand that these options haven't been comprehensively assessed in the EIS.

To whom it may concern,
I wish to object to the proposed raising of Warragamba Dam. As a concerned bush walker, climate activist and heritage consultant I believe the proposal will have detrimental impacts on the ecology and world heritage of the area.
The Blue Mountains World Heritage area is not just a world class National Park, in 2000 it was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in recognition of its Outstanding Universal Value for the whole of mankind. Raising the Warragamba dam wall and consequent damage to natural and cultural values would be a clear breach of these undertakings and Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention.
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 species diversity 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.

The EIS has not looked in detail of alternatives and has misrepresented the importance of the world heritage of the area, including Aboriginal cultural heritage, some of which would be intangible. The landscape itself is protected under the world heritage listing. No post bushfire surveys have been undertaken of the area. This may expose sites that were previously not visible due to vegetation.
These items need to be thoroughly addressed to ensure world heritage is not adversely impacted by the proposal.

To whom it may concern, I do not think that you should raise the wall of warragamba dam.

To whom it may concern,
Please don't raise the warragamba dam.
Wild places are necessary as humanity expands its footprint. For the people to enjoy and connect with nature
On financial incentive these wild places in places like the Blue Mountains will be major tourist destinations in the future - don't be part of destroying them

To whom it may concern,
Why does this government continuously reject the advice of people who know more, and obviously care more, about environmental issues??? When the people of Australia DO NOT AGREE WITH YOU!
You have progressively and underhandedly destroyed local environments and endangered species against all advice from the people you asked advice from! And still continue to do so???
You have lost my vote, my family's and friends votes, and hopefully many more due to this ridiculous, money-driven and short-sighted behaviour. What will you tell your children and your grandchildren? Stop hiding behind your old age and out-dated knowledge and total lack of foresight! Disgusting! If you weren't politicians you'd be jailed for this behaviour! Shame on you! How do you sleep at night? On expensive sheets from your political bribes?
Time to use your power for the country and not your career. Let's flood your family's graves and see how you feel hey?? This country doesn't even belong to you, you'll be dead by the time we all have to clean up your mess! Thanks for nothing! So un-Australian!

To whom it may concern,
The NSW Government plans to raise Warragamba Dam’s wall 17 metres so developers can build houses on low-lying floodplains in Western Sydney.
Raising the dam wall will flood pristine wild rivers and important bushwalking areas west of Sydney.
If the dam wall is raised, more than 1,000 sites of immense cultural and historical significance in the beautiful Burragorang Valley — irreplaceable Indigenous cave art galleries and occupation and burial sites — will be drowned under metres of muddy water.

What you may not know is that houses in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley will not be protected by raising the Warragamba Dam wall, the main reason the government gives to justify this destruction. Almost half of the flooding in the valley comes from waters that are not controlled by Warragamba Dam.
Upstream inundation would also destroy the mighty Kowmung River, 6,000 hectares of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park, and further endanger already threatened species like the regent honeyeater and the Camden white gum.

The NSW Government recently released an environmental impact statement (EIS) that downplays – and denies – the environmental and cultural damage this project will cause.

The impact assessment was heavily condemned by several agencies:
• 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.
It’s hard to believe that the NSW Government refused to redo this work and has carried out no further field studies since receiving those severe criticisms.

This is the most significant threat to Australia’s World Heritage in decades. There are few times in Australian history when Governments have undertaken such callous attacks on protected areas. DO NOT LET THIS BE ANOTHER.

To whom it may concern,
I strongly oppose the raising of the Warragamba dam wall.
Raising the dam wall will not achieve its objectives of protecting property down stream as much of the flooding comes from the Gross River and tributaries after the dam. Much flooding occurs before the floodgates of the dam are opened.
In addition to this i object because of the destruction of many culturally significant sites of the local aboriginal population and finally that it would put in jeopardy the World Heritage status of the Blue Mountains National Park, loosing billions of dollars of revenue created from tourism and potentially destroying important natural areas of our state- all without benefit.

To whom it may concern,
I oppose the Warragamba Dam Raising Project. The proposition of raising the Warragamba Dam Wall is not one rooted in practical evidence, nor scientific evidence. The proposition has not considered the factors that the risen dam wall will drown the World Heritage and cultral sites, including parts of the Blue Mountains National Park that are under protection of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974. Furthermore, identified cultral heritage sites in the immediate area would also be inundated, most of which were not even assessed in the EIS undertaken by the flawed engineering firm which has a history of abusing Indigenous rights.
Finally, there needs to be alternatives to raising the wall undertaken. 45% of the floodwaters are derived from areas outside the catchment, thus raising the dam wall still would not stop flooding in the downstream valley in major events.

To whom it may concern,
Do not raise the dam wall. Aboriginal culture and heritage is priceless as is our environment. The impact this will have is too great and shouldn't be putting this at risk for future housing development.

To whom it may concern,
Hi
I can't beleive that with all the enviromental issues we are facing today, and Australia having the worlds highest extinction rates in the world you would even consider this proposal of raising the dam. Anybody that builds in a flood zone is fully aware of the dangers of flooding.
If you build in bushland there are strict regulations to protect life and property. If you buy in a flood zone you should be made aware of that fact and access the risk before purchasing property.

To whom it may concern,
The proposal to raise the wall of Warragamba Dam is flawed on many levels.
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. Either of these should stop the wall being raised. Together they are compelling.
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.
Alternative options to raising the wall 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.
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.