Water supply near the head of the Lawson Creek catchment is over the years frequently inadequate to meet the desired level of extraction by existing rural users. The SVL EIS Amendment stating that all the mining and ore concentrate processes required by the proposed activity can be met with water acquired on the subject sites, without impacting on downstream users, is unbelievable. Any form of use of surface or groundwater MUST have an impact on downstream water availability and quality.

Murong Gialinga Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation object to the Bowdens project .The area where the mine is situated is Culturally important to the local Wiradjuri people past/present . Aboriginal Culture is the oldest in the world but it continues to be destroyed daily.There are concerns for the Koala which is sighted in the area and had been put on the endangered list there are also the wedged tailed eagle,echidna,yellow tail black cockatoo which are important to our people culturally.The amount of ground water that the mine wants to take is potential for reduced frequency and depth of remnant pools during extended dry spells as a result of ground water being drawn.The feasibility study shows that during mining they plan to store a pile 40 million tonnes of waste rock above the Lawson Creek water table.Analysis shows that 54% of this waste rock is potentially acid forming meaning it can create toxic Sulfuric acid when disturbed.Sulfuric acid is toxic to aquatic life.It could also run into Lawson Creek which flows into the Cudgegong River at Mudgee before flowing into Burrendong Dam.If this project is approved it will be a huge impact on Aboriginal Culture, Wild life and the residents of the village of Lue and surrounding farming land with noise,vibration,dust,traffic it could also see a decrease on residents properties.We hope the department looks and addresses our concerns and not approve this mine.Kind Regards Debbie Foley on behalf of Murong Gialinga.

See attached letter

Powerline realignment proposed will remain a visual impediment to the rural ambience of this district. The area is frequently on the route of a large number of economically very significant tourist traffic. Any degradation of tourist appeal will lead to regionally significant reductions in economic activity and consequent employment opportunities. The powerline proposal, along with all other aspects of this mining project, must consequently be dismissed as an approved activity.

Re: Bowdens Silver Project (SSD 5765) – Request for Water Supply Amendment
Lacking Appropriate Community Notification & Consultation
It is very convenient for Bowdens to put this significant project change through as an amendment. It was this very aspect of the project that caused Mid-Western Regional Council to originally reject this project based on the high volume of water needed. This is far from an amendment, but rather a completely different application and as such requires much greater attention. Using the amendment process lacks transparency and rigor.

To take this water from ground and surface water in this region will have immense and far-reaching impact. With such impact, there needs to be appropriate community consultation with ALL the immediate stakeholders and broader community, who will also become impacted stakeholders, due to the knock-on effects.

The inadequate community consultation suggests improper measures are being taken by Bowdens to expediently attain the approval by the DPIE. By their own admission in the document titled Re: Bowdens Silver Project (SSD 5765) – Request for Water Supply Amendment, Nick Warren, Principal Environmental Consultant, says “Bowdens Silver appreciates that this further amendment is a change to the Project as it was presented to the community,” and goes onto to say that they are in the process of undertaking community consultation.
Thus, if still in the process of undertaking community consultation ………clearly the appropriate consultation has not been done. This being the case, this submission close date of 7th April 2022 is woefully inadequate and has NOT allowed the community to be notified with an appropriate response time.
There have been no public meetings, no meetings for discussion and no appropriate community and stakeholder notification. This is completely unacceptable and not in line with the ICAC recommendations.
Some of the directly impacted landholders only received communication early April.
To be fair and reasonable more time is needed for this community and appropriate notification and consultation needs to occur. To be reasonable, the NSW Planning Department need to re-open and extend the submission time and allow for adequate and appropriate community consultation.

It concerns me re the Acid Mine Discharge "AMD"; It would be impossible to guarantee any barriers for permanent retention of any liquid waste. Toxic heavy metals can travel far down stream. Pollution of this kind in a food producing area and in the waterways would have an effect for many years to come. Aquatic life will be affected. There is no sign of the pollution ceasing down stream of the Sunny Corner Silver Mine after 98 years. This project should not be approved.

I am a local land owner and my family have owned property within Lue for 0ver 20 years. I am sickened that both the naturalistic beauty and the livelihood's of those farmers who call the Lue region home could be hindered by the introduction of Bowden's Silver. The recent amendment would mean that our family farm would lose its water and most likely become worthless. The tranquility and landscape is what brought my family to the region 20 years ago, I hope in my lifetime that more generations are able to see this beautiful part of the Country remain untouched by the silver mine. I ask that you refuse the project on this basis.

I OBJECT TO THE AMENDMENT AND PLEASE REFER ATTACHMENT FOR DETAIL.