Reassessment of billion-dollar silver mine sparks tractor protest
Opponents of a proposed billion-dollar silver and lead mine drive tractors through Mudgee as the Independent Planning Commission begins reassessing the project.
The Independent Planning Commission (IPC) is currently reassessing the proposed $1 billion Bowdens silver mine near Mudgee, New South Wales, following its voidance by the NSW Court of Appeal in August 2024. The mine, which would have extracted 30 million tonnes of silver, lead, and zinc over a 23-year period, was initially approved by the IPC in April 2023 but was overturned when the court ruled that the potential environmental impacts of the project's transmission line had not been adequately examined.
Protesters have taken to the streets of Mudgee, driving tractors through the town to express their opposition to the development. The IPC has now initiated three days of hearings to reassess the project, with Silver Mines Limited managing director Jo Batershill stating that the merits of the project are now stronger than when it was originally approved.
The strategic rationale for the project remains strong, with additional assessments showing that the project aligns with the local and regional economy, the state's strategic minerals goals, and the nation's contribution to the global renewable energy transition.
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