The group fighting for Lue's future as mine project approaches

The community will get a rare chance to have its voice heard when a public hearing on the Bowdens Silver project at Lue will be held in the Main Pavillion at the Mudgee Showground from February 15-17.

The hearing comes after an announcement released before Christmas in 2022 that said the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) assessed the project as being in the public interest and approvable subject to conditions of consent.

"On balance, the Department considers that the benefits of the project outweigh its residual costs and that the project is in the public interest and is approvable, subject to strict conditions of consent," the DPE wrote.

The Lue Action Group (LAG) has been fighting to inform the community about what they say are some of the biggest dangers to Lue and the region if the mine is approved including potentially toxic runoff from the mine into the region's water.

Tom Combes, President of the LAG said a scrapped pipeline means the risk of contaminated water is as high as ever.

Since the first Environmental Impact Statement was published in July 2020, there have been two amendments with one being a plan to move a transmission line that would run through Lue and the other to scrap the planned water pipeline.

"That got a lot of people very fired up because what that meant was all of the water for the project would come from the Lawson Creek valley, so it would come from rainfall runoff - it's about 50/50 - 50 per cent runoff and 50 per cent from groundwater and that really got everyone pretty fired up..," Mr Combes said.

"The main risks are of course letting people know about the lead quantities that will come out of the project, the water that's going to be used and the contamination of the water and what really is in store for the community and for how long."

Previously:

Lue Action Group (LAG) secretary and landowner Sarah Inglis said dust and runoff would not only impact her business but the tourism potential of Lue and the greater Mid-Western Region.

"I'm very worried for the people left in Lue, because they won't be able to live there. It will be noisy, dusty and dangerous. I'm very worried for the future of Lue, which is very sad because it's a wonderful little village," she said.

"I'm a person who is affected and also very worried and I just - I'm a little bit frustrated that people don't realise the extent of it because the consequences of having a mine like this and what it will mean for the tourist industry."

"It's a lead mine... it's a heavy metal mine which is susceptible to acid mine drainage."

Hunter-based mining consultant Michael White recently raised concerns about the potential of acid mine runoff from a proposed silver mine to pollute the surrounding catchment in a report created for the LAG.

A Bowdens Silver spokesman said the issues raised in Mr White's 2020 report were addressed and responded to in the submissions report.

"Both Mr White's review and the submissions report were considered by the Department of Planning and Environment during its assessment of the project."

The Mudgee event being a public hearing means all appeal rights from the IPC's ultimate decision are removed.

"Once it's over, it's over, we're not going any further," Tom Combes said.

"We didn't even get two months to get ready for the IPC's public hearing.

"What we [Lue Action Group] have been doing for years and years is trying to inform the community of another point of view. We're trying to get some correct information out within the community, and highlighting the risks with the project."

If you wish to speak at the Public Hearing (in person or via video link), you must pre-register before 12pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, using the IPC's Speaker Registration Form.

Written submissions can still be lodged via the IPC website until 5pm on Friday, February 24.