Mine owner convinced tiny town's lead poisoning concerns are unfounded

In short:

The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) held a three-day hearing into a proposed silver and lead mine near Mudgee this week.

A minerals expert told the IPC the nearby Lue Public School should be moved if the project was approved.

What's next?

The IPC is expected to hand down a determination by December 9.

The NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) has been told a public school should be moved if a proposed silver and lead mine is approved, amid fears it could poison children.

The IPC heard three days of evidence this week in Mudgee as it reassessed a proposal to extract 30 million tonnes of silver, lead and zinc over 23 years near Lue.

The project has divided the community, with advocates touting the economic benefits and others raising concerns about potential environmental and health impacts.

Proponent Silver Mines Limited's managing director Jo Battershill implored the panel to approve the development.

"The project would provide investment and economic diversification for the mid-western region," he said.

Community response

Almost 100 people spoke at the hearing, with the majority opposed to the mine.

Only a few who spoke in support were not employees.

On Wednesday, a group of farmers rode tractors and utes from Lue into Mudgee as part of their protest action.

Along with dozens of local residents, experts from around Australia also addressed the hearing.

Among them was University of Queensland professor and principal research fellow at the Sustainable Minerals Institute Barry Noller.

He told the hearing he believed the project's potential for lead exposure posed an unacceptable risk to children at Lue Public School, located two kilometres from the mine site.

"I recommend that the Lue school, being at the boundary of dust deposition of [the] Bowdens mining project, be moved," Professor Noller said.

"The management plan would be underestimating the true quantity of deposited lead that is relevant in terms of assessing the risk to adults and particularly children."

Mr Battershill told the IPC that while the concern was understandable, the project had undergone extensive independent review.

"Predicted health risks from the project, including from lead, are very low and are not expected to result in adverse human health impacts," he said.

"It has been carefully assessed, and multiple layers of monitoring and management would apply throughout the life of the project."

Lead exposure

Mudgee-based general practitioner Peter Bryant told the panel dust from the project would threaten residents across the district.

"There are no levels of lead exposure which are known to be without risk of harm," Dr Bryant said.

"I don't want to find myself frequently requesting blood tests for children who live in this area to check their lead levels.

"I really hope not to be talking with parents about the high levels of lead that have been found in their child's blood and discussing the long-term implications this could have on their blood development and ongoing health."

Water concerns

As part of the proposal, Silver Mines Limited would use approximately 2,000 megalitres of water a year for processing and dust suppression.

Mr Battershill said assessments found average water supply reliability to be approximately 99.4 per cent.

"The water balance monitoring found that except during extreme drought conditions, sufficient water would be available to meet operational demands," he said.

Martin Krogh worked for the NSW government as a scientist for more than 30 years, including at the former Sydney Catchment Authority.

"In my view, there are significant shortcomings in the Bowdens Environmental Impact Statement surface water assessment," he told the panel.

"During drought conditions and very dry years, it appears highly unlikely there will be sufficient water falling in the catchment to support the environment, basic stock and domestic use, and downstream irrigation.

"Conversely, during extreme wet periods, there is likely to be a need to discharge potentially contaminated water from the site."

The project was previously green-lit by the IPC in 2023, however a legal challenge by a local landcare group in the NSW Court of Appeal saw its approval overturned.

The Court of Appeal found the impact of a 13km transmission line had not been properly assessed and thus declared the development "null and void".

The IPC is due to hand down its determination on the project by December 9.