Warragamba Dam Raising

To whom it may concern,
I feel that the whole issue of raising the dam wall should be reconsidered.
There are better, cheaper options available and I think these should be more fully investigated.
The wishes of the traditional owners should also be taken into account. They understand the land and the seasons far better than other Australians.

To whom it may concern,
I live in Sun Valley in the Blue Mountains. I am blessed to enjoy the beautiful bush in the Blue Mountains every day. When people visit here from Sydney they realx as soon as they seen the trees as they cross the Nepean River at Emu Plains. The bushwalking and outdoor recreation opportunities we have living here are amazing.

I oppose the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall and the ramifications it will have for the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

I am worried about habitat destruction of Koalas, Platypus, Emus and Regent Honeyeaters. We have already destroyed so much of the beautiful bushland in Sydney's west and I really don't want to have more destroyed just for the sake of a few more houses.

There are alternatives to raising the dam wall and these should be used rather than choosing the cheaper and simpler option.

I call upon the NSW Government to reject the proposal to raise the Warragamba Dam wall and find another solution.

Please do not raise the Warragamba dam walls as it will eliminate more sacred indigenous land, flood entire important ecosystems and endanger wildlife.

To whom it may concern,
Please Please Please do not raise the dam wall of Warragamba Dam, this would be the most destructive and catastrophic thing that could be done. Australia with its unique environment and wildlife in the world heritage Blue Mountains National Park, would suffer great consequences if flooding occurred. Do not be a destroyer of our beautiful natural environments, it's been this way for millions of years so leave it alone and Let It Be as John Lennon's song goes. We have unique flora and fauna here, we do not want more extinctions - man is destroying many of our natural environments- leave this alone for future children, your children, my children and generations to enjoy. Leave something beautiful for the people of NSW, Australia and the tourism world.

To whom it may concern,
The EIS is flawed, and the geology is unproven. The added weight of such an increase in both the wall mass and the water pressure will cause substantial bedrock compression.
This is the science of tectonic geology which has NOT been taken into account.
The simple fact is, if this proceeds, Warragamba Dam will evenutally fail, with cataclysmic results.

To whom it may concern,
I have known and loved the Blue Mountains for my entire life, I have bushwalked there and for a while I lived there. This special World-Heritage listed area needs to be carefully conserved for all Australians.
Raising the dam wall will endanger wildlife, including Sydney's last emu population and rare platypus, that is already struggling under climate change and loss of habitat. Irreplaceable Aboriginal Cultural Heritage will be lost forever. Such damage can never be undone. Even if the government keeps its promise to only use the extra capacity occasionally, the damage will be done.
Developers are keen on the raised dam, as they will make money by building housing on the floodplain. The floodplain area should be left green, to give space around the city which can provide parklands or food production for Sydney citizens.

To whom it may concern,
I wish to register my objection to the proposal to raise the wall of Warragamba dam.
1.No modelling of the stated flood and economic benefits of the dam wall raising are outlined in the EIS. About 45% of water causing flooding in the floodplain downstream originates from below the dam, so raising the wall wont alleviate flooding. There should be no more housing development in the river's flood plain.
2. Alternatives were not properly assessed in the EIS.
3. the destructive impact on the flora, fauna and landscapes of the area that would be flooded by raising the dam wall is unacceptable. This affects obout 65 km of wild rivers, and about 5,700 ha of national parks, including some within the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area. I'm particularly concerned it will impact Regent Honeyeater habitat. I've attended about 15 tree planting events in the Capertee Valley to re-establish habitat for these birds.
4. My father took me to visit the Warragamba River valley as a child in about 1950. I remember feeling sad then for the coming loss of what was a beautiful river and river bed area. I object strongly to any more destruction of the natural enrvironment.
5. Please attend to the many objections to the EIS by authorities with expertise and wisdom and reject this proposal.

To whom it may concern,
I urge you to reject the proposal of raising the Warragamba dam. As a local to the area, the Cumberland plain is an endangered ecological community, a critical floodplain which maintains ecological balance. Thus, developers should be looking at building houses with sustainable materials elsewhere.
Furthermore, in order to protect rich biocultural and heritage sites, the Warragamba dam wall must not be raised.

I am deeply concerned about the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam wall.

I grew up in metropolitan Sydney and have fond childhood memories of bushwalking in the magnificent, irreplaceable Blue Mountains National Park area. This treasure of a National Park must be preserved for it's enormous intrinsic value, for the biodiversity it supports, particularly remnant ecosystems and endangered species such as the Regent's Honeyeater and platypus, for first nations people's cultural and historical heritage embedded in the landscape, for it's forests and the vital ecological services they provide such as carbon sinks, flood mitigation, clean air and water and for the park's world class recreation and tourism opportunities.

Biodiversity protection is one of the cornerstones of appropriate response to the climate emergency. To maintain a liveable climate for all our futures, for our children, grandchildren and generations unknown we must protect precious ecosystems such as the Blue Mountains National Park.

I am concerned about the dissonance between the climate emergency and this proposed dam wall raising. The climate emergency must be addressed responsibly and with a long term goal of a safe sustainable planet for all. Increasing the dam wall height is neither an intelligent nor responsible solution to flood risk mitigation.

Stop the Warragmaba Dam wall! Consider a safe, sustainable future for all!

To whom it may concern,
I am a person who enjoys walking in the Blue Mountsins National Park and enjoying all National Parks in general. I believe that all National Parks should be protected from activities which encroach on their land. Basically that is why the parks are created in the first place
I also respect the long cultural relationship to the land by the aboriginal people. Their remaining cultural sites must be protected.
When making any decision about modifying the dam wall you must consider:
- the cultural heritage of the aboriginal people.
- the fact that the National Park was declared to protect the valuable environmental aspects of the area. How can these possibly be less important now?
- people in the flood prone areas should not have been allowed to build on the low lying land, we have known for ages of the flood danger.
- much of the flood waters does not come via the Warragamba dam thus raising the wall will not protect the low lying properties.
For all these reasons, I am opposed to raising the Warragamba Dam wall.

Please do not raise the Warragamba dam walls as it will eliminate more sacred indigenous land, flood entire important ecosystems and endanger wildlife.

To whom it may concern,
I am very concerned about the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam wall. I have enjoyed bushwalking in the Blue Mountains and want future generations to be able to enjoy this beautiful and unique environment. 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 will mean that a huge part of this unique environment will be lost forever.
I understand that alternative options to raising the dam wall have not been adequately assessed. I also understand that the dam wall will not prevent future flooding of Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley as 45% of floodwaters come from from areas outside of the upstream Warragamba Dam.
I strongly oppose the construction of the dam wall as 1. the Traditional Owners have not given informed consent for the proposal to proceed; 2. a huge part of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area will be lost forever; and 3. the proposed wall will not stop flooding of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley. It is vital that all alternatives are appropriately assessed and considered.

To whom it may concern,
Think about the welfare of people and the environment beyond your political careers. Money and votes only go so far.
The welfare of the 'new' people that will build in the areas you deem to be safe with a higher dam wall - will not be safe.
The environmental assets behind the proposed wall has significant conservation values that are already being ignored by the Environment Minister.
Warragamba Dam was not built for flood mitigation. Pretending that raising the dam wall and opening up development, dooms many people with families in the future.
It's called a floodplain for a reason. The historic trajectory of the Hawkesbury Nepean alluvial floodplain in Western Sydney has been such that it moves, it is broad; and it floods.
It is a floodplain.
Only a very irresponsible government will allow the dam wall to be raised.
Short-term money and votes might look good now, but try lieing straight in bed at night knowing how many threatened species and cultural items you will be responsible for making become extinct.
Think also to the numerous future families, livelihoods, and homes that will be lost when the next flood comes.
No 'old-timers' will be here like this last time around (that know what to do); just a generation of millenials and families from non-english speaking backgrounds trying to live the Australian dream. And then drowning - literally.
What a fucking lemon of death you are selling as a future to Western Sydney.

To whom it may concern,
I bush run, walk and appreciate the environment of the Hawkesbury basin and its surrounding lands, its wildlife and heritage sites.
I have not been able to establish the basis of increasing the dam wall height verses relocation of existing flood plain development (or limitation of future development) in terms of cost/benefit relative impacts on the environment.

I oppose the dam as the this appears to be a solution looking for justification rather than a balanced outcome considering protection of property, the environment and provision of domestic and commercial water.
kind regards John

To whom it may concern,
I am completely opposed to the raising of the dam wall. It is beyond belief that a project like this could be even vaguely contemplated. The Blue Mountains was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in 2000 for a reason and that should be respected and protected at all costs. It is a magnificent place of natural beauty, rich in wildlife and aboriginal heritage like no other on earth.
Why is this government so hellbent on destroying the natural environment that belongs to us all for the sake of a few influential developers who care for nothing but lining their own pockets.
What's more it is totally negligent to put peoples lives at risk due to living in a floodplain. It's easy to speculate that a flood could never happen but with climate change, anything and everything is possible.
Please reject this proposal once and forever. It is wrong in every respect possible.

To whom it may concern,
Whilst your government is doing some good things, with which I am in support, and well done you! I wish to strongly object to the plan to raise the Waragambah Dam wall.
This is a very bad decision.

Most disturbing of all is appalling quality of the EIS and the credentials of the company who undertook it. How could such a decision be made on the basis of this EIS?

It would be a national tragedy to see this World Heritage site and its sacred sites flooded.
I believe there are better options. Please reconsider.

To whom it may concern,

Please stop your plan to extend dam wall higher which is very damaging and riskful for the whole region. Please use such a money to something more useful for every citizen.

The NSW government's decision to raise dam wall is not only dangerous but also wasteful for both residents and forest creatures. They have to become smarter to better serve their roles to protect and conserve the great nature and preserve the precious money collected from our tax.

To whom it may concern,
I live in Perth where only 15% of our water comes from dams. With green energy desalination plants being a large part of our water source this should be the future for Sydney water and not increasing dam capacity. The proposed raising of the Warragamba wall will destroy 6000 hectares of native habitat, put further pressure on endangered species and inundate indigenous cultural sites.
Please, think of alternate ways to increase water supply and so preserve pristine wilderness for the future.

To whom it may concern,
It is of great concern that a dam such as this is under consideration for increased capacity.
The effect of the raised water level cannot be ignored. This is not China (and the Three Georges Dam project)
Te impacts will be significant and i request that the dam levels not be inceased

To whom it may concern,
Stop supporting population expansion. Rural Australia is straining to support the urban sector. Water must be dedicated to production - wealth (agriculture and natural biological) and not urban consumption ( waste systems, and a solvent to 'clean' the urban and human environment.)
Stop sending water to human population growth, away from supporting biological systems.

To whom it may concern,
I object to raising the dam wall. This would result in loss of precious indigenous cultural sites and flora and fauna