I object to Bowdens proposal because there has been no assessment of possible aboriginal cultural sites in the area proposed for mining or in the immediate vicinity of it.

I strongly oppose the entire Bowdens Silver Project, it is not an environmentally or socially sound project.
The project is incompatible with Lue and surrounding property due to the close proximity of two kilometers The community has witnessed the demise of the Wollar . Cumbo valley and ulan communities due to mining. Please refer to the Lue Action Group social impact report in the EIS submission
It does not promote the sustainable management of Aboriginal cultural heritage. Removing artifacts to "keep in a safe place" dismisses the importance of place and song lines. Song lines are integral to aboriginal spirituality.
Song lines are deeply tied to the Australian landscape and provide important knowledge, cultural values and wisdom. Aboriginal sites must not be disturbed.
381ha of native vegetation will be cleared, including 180ha BC Act listed box gum woodland and 146ha classified under EPBC Act.
95% of box gum woodland has been cleared in NSW, surely there is a responsibility for remaining areas to be kept intact.
The assessment regarding koalas was insufficient. Recently, there was another koala sighting at Bingman Crossing, 2km from the proposed open pit.
A large proportion of biodiversity off sets are owned by the proponent. The close proximity of these off sets to the proposed mine site
may in fact be a problem if species are shy of the mine area .Lue action group provided a biodiversity report in their EIS submission.

Realignment of 500kv transmission line.
The concerns in relation to the realignment have not been mitigated by the proposed final alignment.
Visual impacts remain unchanged from the previous proposal and the character and quality of visual landscape is affected by the proposed line. Structure views have increased in the final proposal.
My property is one of the closest to the mine site and the present transmission line is not visible, however the visual analysis claims I can see two existing towers.
Images on pages 20,21,22 (appendix 8) are facing the wrong direction and there are no images taken from the Western side of the village.
Approximately 12 properties on the Western side would have good views of the proposed line. Bowdens have not communicated with me personally re the re alignment.
The NSW Stressed Rivers Assessment places Lawson Creek in the most stressed category with both high environmental stress and high extraction rate. Lawson Creek is on the North and Eastern boundary of my property so I am well aware of how the creek responds to weather events. The creek does not have the capability to withstand further water losses
Bowdens Silver announced that in order to maintain water supply, a pipeline was to take water from the Ulan coalfields in order that the project would not place additional demand on local and regional water resources.
The creek regularly ceases flow above Bara Creek and deteriorates to waterholes, fed by ground water flows.
The creek is an important source of water for wildlife and acts as a refuge in a predominantly agricultural area.
In the drought ending in 2020, the creek had dried out completely (see attached image) and multiple sections of the creek down to Mudgee
were also completely dry. Such semi arid conditions could be expected every 2 in 5 years.
Flow studies were not done on Lawson Creek but are instead, based on the Cudgegong River, upstream of Rylstone. Using studies from
the Cudgegong provides incorrect data as the Cudgegong is a totally different water catchment and stream flows are higher.
In response to the EIS submissions, Bowdens stated that "no occupants of residences within Lue or surrounds are predicted to experience a reduction to supply of groundwater or surface water due to the project"
In correspondence with Bowdens, I was informed that due to groundwater draw down induced by open pits and retention of water on site,
that "collectively these reductions would ultimately result in flows of Lawson Creek, adjacent to your property would be reduced by .5 megaliters per day".
It is clear, from the Bowdens Water Amendment, that water licenses are coming from the Sydney Basin Catchment and downstream in the Murray Darling Catchment. It is unacceptable to be transferring these licenses from other catchments and further down the Macquarie Catchment, to the Lawson valley, which is at the head of the Macquarie catchment.
Please refer to Water Amendment Analysis. Written by Shireen Baguley, attached to Lue Action Group submission.
Acid mine Drainage...Sixty four percent of the waste rock is potentially acid forming rock which is a very high percentage. The potential of acid mine drainage is a serious concern for this proposed mine. The devastating effects of acid mine drainage has been well documented Any risk of acid mine drainage occurring can not be accepted. The waste rock placement is within the Price creek floodplain. Please refer to Dr Haydyn Washingtons submission and attached power point presentation.
For technical analysis of issues raised, please refer to Lue Action Group submission.

The Amendment made by Bowdens Silver to allow 100% of water needed for mining operations taken from within the mine site is irrational, allowing for devastating adverse long term effects to the entire Lue area and surrounds. It is unjustifiable that no major effects will be made to all residents and landowners within the area. Lue area and surrounds does not have enough water to allow for a mining operation like Bowdens to operate alongside the already existing businesses.
Lawson Creek is already listed in the NSW Stressed Rivers assessment, in the most stressed Category (S1) with both high environmental stress and high extraction rate. It is already evident that Lawsons creek, more often that not, subsides to a series of small water holes during most summer months. A major operation like Bowdens will see Lawsons Creek empty for the foreseeable future.
All residents within the Lue Area rely on a secure water source through rain catchment and privately owned bores. With both jeopardised by Bowdens planned operations, no one would be able to survive in the area.
With regular blasting and mine operations so close to the township of Lue and surrounding residents, rain Catchment within the area will be subjected to lead contamination through Dust sediment within water catchment tanks and guttering. This lead contamination is proven to have a wide variety of negative medical impacts, especially in young children. Those of who will be attending the Local Primary school only 2km from the mine area.

220407. Bowdens Ammendment.Water

These are significant amendments for which there has been totally inadequate community consultation and the timeframe for comment – a mere two weeks – is far too short and places even more stress on the community.

There is not enough water for this mine. This was recognised at the beginning hence the original proposal to pipe water from the Ulan & Moolarben mines. The onsite water availability has not magically increased just because the pipeline cannot be built.

The independent review of the data used for the water modelling has found some serious mistakes such as:
• They have used an average of combined data from Mudgee and Rylstone when it is well known that Lue is in a rain shadow and has less rainfall than either of those two places
• They have conveniently left out the driest years in their data
• Australia’s climate variability is well recognised: in their modelling they allow for highs of 30% above average but only allow for lows of 14% below average. This is ludicrous. Any landholder who keeps rainfall records know that dry years can go as low as 50% below average.

The conclusion that there is negligible impact on downstream water users is wrong. Any loss of water in dry times is critical.

Bowdens original EIS, when water was going to be piped from elsewhere, had a table showing impact of the mine on downstream catchments. Despite this significant amendment of now sourcing all water on site, there has been no change to this table. One does not have to be an expert to realise this is plain incorrect and very misleading.

I am aware there will be an independent critique of the water assessment and water modelling submitted but the serious time constraints mean this critique is not yet available for the community to access and reference. Therefore I refer you to that submission for all the technical details that clearly demonstrate there is not enough water for this mining project.

This project cannot go ahead.

Lue does not have enough water to allow for a mining operation like Bowdens mine is planing to operate in its new amendment.

With regular blasting and mine operations so close to the township of Lue and surrounding, residents will be subjected to lead contamination through dust in the water.

This lead contamination is proven to have a wide variety of negative medical impacts, especially in young children.

I am a Mudgee resident and I write in support of Bowdens Silver SSD-5765 EXH-39437454. My reasons for supporting the proposed development are set out below.
1. The removal from the project description of the proposed water supply pipeline on the basis of the updated on-site water management and supply strategy will significantly reduce disturbance to land and minimise biodiversity and heritage impacts.
2. The proposed increased recycling of water through the process circuit and Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) management will support the proponent's commitment to "no competition for water with local agriculture and no impact on environmental flows" and its paramount commitment to protection of Lawson Creek from impacts associated with the proposed development.
3. The proposed development's water management and TSF design has been subject to extensive and rigorous technical scrutiny and peer reviews.
4. The proposed realignment of the 500kV power line, bringing it closer to the proposed mine site, will result in improved visual amenity for landholders to the west and southwest of the proposed mine site, and reduce the number of towers required.
5. Approval of the proposed development will be a significant diversification to the regional economy which is currently focussed on fossil fuels.
6. The silver and zinc produced by the proposed development will form an essential raw material critically required to ensure the viability and efficiency of renewable energy technologies leading to reducing global carbon emissions and global warming.
All of the above demonstrate the proponent's continuing commitment to protecting the environment to the greatest extent possible, and to ensuring that community values and amenity are protected to the greatest extent possible.

Transmission Line Relocation

This new proposal is not much different to the original proposal. Moving the line a mere 100metres from the original proposed route does not ameliorate any of the objections made previously some of which I have reproduced below

The power line will still have an enormous impact of the visual amenity of the region which is a major tourist destination. Bowden’s statement that only four landholders are affected is simply wrong. Many properties have wonderful views which will be impacted by the appearance of the powerline on the ridge. Moving the line 100m makes virtually no difference to the negative visual impact.

The realignment will result in the removal of Box Gum Woodland, a threatened ecological community of which only 5% remains in the Central West, thus making every hectare precious. We cannot afford to lose any more.

Once again cumulative impact on a range of issues has been ignored. These include the above mentioned endangered ecological community, aboriginal cultural heritage and loss of habitat (eg hollow bearing trees affecting Barking Owls and Greater Broad Nosed Bat, and koala habitat). Cumulative impact is a serious issue that is never addressed in each single application but results in continuing loss of habitat of a variety of endangered species. This must be properly addressed.

I am lodging this submission, as I strongly object to Bowden's development of a lead, zinc and silver mine and associated infrastructure.

I am a landholder and live downstream of the proposed lead, zinc and silver mine near Lue. Bowdens proposal to source all water for this mine directly from our catchment area is outrageous and cannot be approved. The detrimental effects of extracting water from our catchment area will negatively impact directly on the Lawson Creek - identified as already seriously stressed in the NSW Stressed River Assessments - and our environment downstream of this project, including Mudgee, NSW. The transfer of water licences from further down the Macquarie and Sydney Basin catchments is corrupt and is taking unfair advantage of a system designed to protect our waterways.

Furthermore, this mine which aims to extract ore from our environment in an open cut mine is exposing many local families to poisonous substances such as lead. All to benefit the greedy pockets of individuals. This must not be allowed to happen.