Hi Everyone,

We have now reached over 2,000 supporters and we continue to gather strength with every new joiner to the fight! Thank you so much for caring enough to join us!

Today, we want to ask you to share our fight by re-posting this update as widely as possible, as well as onto the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the Big Banks and their CEOs, as well as many other Investor and Media social media sites. 

To All Current and Potential Investors,

If you are thinking about investing, or have already done so, in Bowdens' proposed open-cut mine, we want to ensure that when making that investment, you consider all aspects of the proposal - not just those told to you by the proponent. 

We would like to draw your attention to the significant risks associated with this project, as well as the current lack of any detailed Management Plans to mitigate them. 

In particular, we want to highlight the dangers of lead exposure, the risks associated with the tailings dam, and the potential for acid mine drainage.

Bowdens plans to excavate 130,000 tonnes of lead at Lue, located just two kilometres from a primary school in the tourist region of Mudgee. Even minimal exposure to lead can have severe health impacts, particularly for children and pregnant women. Chronic exposure to lead has been linked to decreased IQ and cognitive function in children, as well as multiple adverse impacts in adults. Unfortunately, Bowdens’ modelling does not adequately account for lead exposure from dust carrying lead particles, which can easily leave the site and affect nearby communities. Furthermore, the company has not developed a suitable water management plan to suppress dust during dry seasons, which would exacerbate the problem especially given all indications are that climate change is making these much more likely in the future. 

Bowdens also plans to build a large tailings dam that will hold poisonous materials like cyanide, arsenic, and lead particles across a fault line at the headwaters of the Lawson Creek, which flows into the Cudgegong River at Mudgee. Unfortunately, Bowdens' own modelling predicts 1.6 megalitres of leakage every single day, even in the best-case scenario. This leakage could easily contaminate nearby waterways and put the health of nearby communities and agriculture at risk.

Finally, Bowdens' plans to stack 26 million tonnes of potentially acid-forming waste rock above the Lawson Creek water table in an area covering over 77 hectares. Unfortunately, this creates a significant acid mine drainage risk, which could threaten drinking water supplies and irrigation systems downstream from the mining site.

The likelihood of the above impacts vastly increases the risk of enforced stoppages due to breaches of poor management plans, class action lawsuits by impacted communities and large and ongoing costs of remediation.

In light of these risks, we strongly advise you to think very carefully before investing in Bowdens' proposed open-cut mine. The dangers associated with this project are significant and could have severe health and environmental impacts, long into the future, in what is today a vibrant tourist destination enjoyed by many thousands every year.

Please follow this link to access our Media Pack and the detailed analyses supporting the above statements.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Open Letter and please let us know if you have any questions at lag.mudgee@gmail.com