To whom it may concern,
I have lived and worked in the Blue Mountains since 1995, first in Winmalee and since 2001 in Bullaburra. I love the area and consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to live within the boundaries of a National Park. I have a Master of Education (Social Ecology) degree. I have come to understand and greatly appreciate the wisdoms of our First Nations People in caring for the land.
I totally oppose the raising of the dam wall for the following reasons:
1. After the 2019/20 bushfires devastated 81% of the Blue Mountains heritage area, we cannot afford to cause more harm to the area. The flooding caused by raising the dam wall will cause untold destruction to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. This would be a clear breach of Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention.
2. The Commonwealth Government has estimated that at least 1,500 Indigenous cultural heritage sites would be inundated by a raised dam wall. This is culturally unacceptable to all Australians trying to share our stories and all learn to live together, no matter where we are from.
3. I am not satisfied that the assessments for Aboriginal cultural heritage or the environmental impact have been carried out thoroughly enough nor with due diligence.
4. No modelling of the stated flood and economic benefits of the dam wall raising are outlined in the assessment.
5. The NSW Government intention to build new residences on the Hawkesbury-Nepean floodplain goes against legal trends and case law. I refer you to (England, 2019) which highlights cases where development was refused outright, despite affordable risk management measures. It goes against objectives outlined as best practice in: Commonwealth of Australia, Managing the Floodplain: A Guide to Best Practice in Flood Risk Management in Australia (AEM Handbook No 7, Commonwealth of Australia 2017).
6. Many alternatives to raising the dam wall exist, including building flood evacuation roads, lowering the full supply of the present dam and reducing floodplain development.

England, P. (2019). Trends in the Evolution of Floodplain Management in Australia: Risk Assessment, Precautionary and Robust Decision-Making. Journal of Environmental Law, 31(2), 315-341. https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqz012

Regarding the Warragamba Dam Raising Project,
I am adamantly opposed to the raising of the Dam wall as I have seen the beauty and heritage of this area and its importance in the ecosystem. I am concerned about the poor evaluation of the site and cultural sites and the inadequate consultation with the Traditional Owners.

There are obvious alternatives to raising the 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 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.
Floodplains play an important role in the ecosystem and should not be developed further. Climate change will further seriously challenge any development plans.

To whom it may concern,
I write to express my dismay and confusion that the NSW Government is still forging ahead with its reckless and unnecessary Plan to raise the height of Warragamba Dam, thus flooding World Heritage sites within the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
Even your own Governement departments are opposed to this plan.
Admit that this is a seriously flawed scheme that is not needed.

Dear Major Projects Reviewer,
I don't profess to know any of the scientific problems which have been raised so well by other organisations, such as the Colong Foundation, but I can read both this EIS and the objector's documents and be dismayed. It would appear that this project is yet another small part of the destruction of our much needed wilderness areas which we seem to take for granted. These wilderness areas, now signified by the World Heritage label, are so important to us all and yet it would appear that the thrust of this project will overpower the silent environment. The bush can never be as vocal as people who are hungry for money, power or sheer selfishness.
I am a long time bushwalker who has for many years walked and camped along the Kowmung River and followed the pioneering pathways of our father of National Parks, Miles Dunphy. He would rightly have been shocked and disgusted by these plans to destroy his beloved bush, even if it is only during inundation periods. The benefits of this proposal, in my view, do not in any way match our need to preserve such areas so close to Sydney.
I can just imagine what it will be like to be walking in one of the areas which have suffered after a major flood and the inundation has destroyed swathes of the bushland; the loss of endangered species, the loss of our first nation's (and our) heritage and the scarring effect of such a flood will be very hard to bear. What am I going to tell the next generation of our young who want to explore these areas and be in touch with nature? That we wanted to stop flooding of our own built environment on the plains of Sydney so we destroyed our naturally built environment to do this!
We all agreed in the 50's and 60's to flood the beautiful Burragorang Valley for the sake of Sydney's water needs. At the time we all believed in such projects and hailed our governments for planning so wisely. But we didn't understand the cost of this to our lives. Our spiritual lives were damaged forever but we, on balance, accepted such destruction for our immediate needs. This development does not have such a balance; the protection of houses already built on floodplains is not a good enough reason to be the killer of nature that we will be if this goes ahead. It is not all about us! We must look after this for now and well into the future. The First Nations of this country knew much more than we did about the need to protect our land because doing this also protects us.
Let us finally learn from one of the oldest surviving peoples in the world and not do this to ourselves and 'our backyard'.
I object passionately to this proposal.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you to express my particular concern about the impact of raising the Warragamba Dam wall on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
Over 1541 identified cultural heritage sites would be inundated by the Dam proposal.
The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report has been severely and repeatedly criticised by both the Australian Department of Environment and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) for not appropriately assessing cultural heritage in meaningful consultation with Gundungurra community members.
The Gundungurra Traditional Owners have not given free, prior and informed consent for the Dam proposal to proceed.
The engineering firm (SMEC Engineering) who undertook the environmental and cultural assessments for the project have an established history abusing Indigenous rights, recently being barred from the world bank.
Given that:
• 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 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.
I urge you to reconsider raising the Warragamba Dam and instead investigate the alternative options proposed in order to preserve priceless Aboriginal Cultural Heritage for future generations to experience.

To whom it may concern,
The NSW Governfment's proposed scheme to raise the Warragamba Dam wall so developers can build more houses on western Sydney floodplains is very alarming.

Damage to natural and cultural values caused by the project would be a clear breach of Australia's obligations under the World Heritage Convention.

There are so many things wrong with this project I don't know where to begin, but I'm sure the Dept and the Minister have already been advised from experts as to the reckless endangerment of the wilderness rivers, 5,700 hectares of National Parks and 1,300 heactares of the Greater Blue Mountains World heritage Area would be inundated by the short sighted project.

The assessment undermines the legislation which is the foundation of environmental protection in NSW. Approval of the project would set a dangerious precedent for Australia's World Heritage and National Park protections.

The engineering firm (SMEC Engineering) who undertook the environmental and cultural assessments for the project has an extremely poor record of working with Indigenous people. It has previously been banned from working on World Bank projects in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. So why on Earth would the Berejilklian/Perrottet governments consider this company suitable to assess such a drastic environmental impact statement, unless they are seeking a desirable outcome for their developer mates?

No modelling of the stated flood and economic benefits of the dam wall raising are outlined in the assessment. The Former NSW SES Dep. Commissioner and flood expert, Chas Keys, has said the project is "flawed and should not be proceed with".

As a Blue Mountains resident I am extremely saddened by the prospect of this unique and beautiful heritage listed area being destroyed for short term gain. A devastating bushfire went through Blackheath less than 2 years ago after a prolonged drought which no post-bushfire field surveys for threatened species have been undertaken which is outrageous. Governments are supposed to seek solutions to devastating environmental events like fires and flood, its your job.

On the eve of the COP26 in Glasgow, I would have thought the State Government would have made it a priority to protect the nation's precious natural bushlands, wildlife and waterways for future generations.

I strongly oppose the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall for all the reasons stated (and more) and urge the Minister to reconsider such a drastic plan as no good will come of it, except to devastate our pristine wilderness, which belongs to future generations, not the LNP and their developer supporters.

To whom it may concern,
Our environment is more important than ever. Please preserve it and find more sustainable solutions to solve the issues at hand.

Please reassure me that no individual, company or business will benefit from raising the dam level.
Will you do the right thing by the people of NSW?

To whom it may concern,
I wish to express my opposition and concern with the NSW Government's plan to raise the Warragamba Dam wall.

I personally have been fortunate enough to have bushwalked, camped, swum and fished through areas that would be flooded and am distressed at the damage this flooding would cause.

Raising the dam wall will flood wild rivers and other important bushwalking areas. Indigenous sites of immense cultural, national and historical significance in the Burragorang Valley including cave art, occupation and burial sites, will drown beneath silty waters.

Raising the dam wall would also inundate the Lower sections of Kowmung River, a NSW state declared Wild River with pristine ecological values, 6,000 hectares of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Parks, and further endanger already threatened species.

The NSW Government says this scheme will protect houses in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valley from flooding. Yet, almost half of the flooding in the valley comes from waters that are not controlled by the Warragamba Dam.

The proposed raising of the dam wall will not mitigate flood damage. It may increase government revenue from inappropriate development. But this potential development is not viable, insurable or sustainable.

Numerous NSW government agencies including the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Heritage NSW said it failed to address the way raising the dam wall will impact on species and ecological communities affected and that it did not properly consider cultural heritage values of the surveyed area, nor was there sufficient consultation with traditional owners.
The Commonwealth Environment Department said the evaluation failed to consider how raising the dam wall would impact on iconic species like the platypus.
I think it is important to understand that raising the dam wall and flooding vast areas of magnificent bushland is not like letting fresh bathwater out of a bath, rather what is left behind is a silt and debris covered landscape that will never recover when the waters recede.

To whom it may concern,
I am opposed to raising the wall of Warragamba Dam.
This will affect, by flooding, 6000 hectares of forest and habitat near the Kowmung River. We do not have enough pristine ecosytems in the Sydney basin to be able to destroy such valuable habitat.

To whom it may concern,
I oppose the proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam wall since it will irrevocably damage the environment. I have enjoyed walking in the Blue Mountains since the 1970s and want the area to remain as it is for my son and future generations to enjoy.