Country towns need jobs, and large projects like this are so critical for providing employment opportunities for our young people. The flow-on effects of increased employment are extremely important, not just economically, but also socially and for health reasons

I support the project because major employers like this help keep country towns alive. We need more investment into regional areas and this project is the perfect example of something that will stimulate parts of regional NSW

I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this mining proposal, & wish to support the Lue action group in requesting that it be rejected. We have friends who are landholders 2 kms from the proposed mine site, who despair that their efforts to produce in this valley will become worthless if the mine proceeds.
The village of Lue is 2 kms from the proposed mine site, & it’s Aboriginal meaning of “chain of waterholes” describes the presence of groundwater in this long-standing farming area.
Bowdens propose using 2050 megalitres of water each year, 780 to be taken from the Lawson creek valley, equivilant to more than 1 Olympic swimming pool per day. They admit they will reduce the water table by 25 metres on site, apparently scrapping ideas for water storage. Farmers are rightly concerned that with increasing droughts water will dry up.
There are already recent examples of this happening in the Werris creek area, & the Hunter valley, where the Hunter river water supply has diminished dramatically from the high water usage of coal mines & power stations upstream.
My major concern is that mining & agriculture cannot co- exist.
The Hunter valley also experiences fine dust pollution, now known to damage lungs. The Bowdens mine will produce 83,000 tons of lead, only 2 kms from Lue school. The risk of lead contamination of water sources in the surrounding area is not worth the risk, when there are known examples of environmental damage in the Boolaroo area of Lake Macquarie where the Pasminco Sulphide lead smelter contaminated land which is still being remediated & lead to unacceptable lead levels in children.
The Lue community cannot be confident that Bowdens will be responsible in managing the environment. There are no plans for rejuvenation of the site, the main pit & tailings dam will remain forever & pollution will be ongoing. There are too many examples of irreversible damage to the environment from mining companies such as Ok Tedi in New Guinea.
In the Mudgee area, residents are acutely aware of the impact of existing & proposed mining ventures on established communities like Wollar & Bylong, where mining companies bought up most of the properties, destroying the fabric of those communities & the productivity of the land.
In February 1919, the Independent Planning Commission rejected the Rocky Hill mine application on the basis of proposed Greenhouse emissions. It found “the environmental impacts , particularly on groundwater & productive agricultural land, would last long after the mine is decommissioned.” It has become urgent that we take action on climate change & the costs to future generations.
This is mining proposal is dangerous, with long term risks far outweighing any short term employment benefits. We ask you to seriously reject it.

Firstly in these current times the jobs created for local population would be great.
Bowdens Silver is a Australian company.
Silver is a valuable resource used in medical and renewable applications.

Royalty Revenue that the government collects will be a good source of revenue for the state especially during such uncertain times. Mining locally also adds to Australia's self-sustainability in a period where global times are being restricted.

I support the project

Not only does this project create jobs through mining operations, it also benefits local businesses in the area who benefit from workers coming and staying in the Greater Mudgee area as a result of mining operations. I also support the mining operations to ensure that NSW stays a valuable partner in Australian resource and mineral exports.

The project is great for NSW Job creation especially following recovery from COVID-19. It also brings in solid royalty revenue to the government which can be used to government spending on the state.

The project will deliver significant job opportunities for NSW and Australia during the tough economic situation. I fully support this development and urge the decision makers to favorably consider this application.

I support the project because of the very material positive economic outcomes for this regional community. With the world and in particular the Asian region suffering severe economic uncertainty because of the Covid 19 pandemic plus geo-political tensions between Aust and China, it is important to support domestic projects which can support the future of our population for years to come. This project has also addressed all the potential environmental and indigenous heritage issues in a very thorough and adequate way in the EIS.