Agriculture, viticulture and tourism have long co-existed with coal mining in this region. Not always peacefully, but we rub along - and there is no doubt the mines bring money and viability to the town.

This new mine is different. Proposed for prime agricultural land in Lue, adjacent to profitable 3rd & 4th generation family farms. It's right on the doorstep of the best olive oil producer in NSW, a community school and preschool and a thriving koala population.

That lead is bad is not for debate. It's not in petrol anymore, not in paint. 

Any and all levels of lead are harmful. 

See Broken Hill for a contemporary example of the issues it can cause.

While the company offers assurances that the operation is entirely safe, what if that's not true? The risks are real. 

Lead contaminating the water, soil and air will be damaging to local children and wildlife, as well as agriculture and the tourism that relies on it.

One would assume that for this risk to be countenanced, the economic reward must be huge. Still not justified, but surely 'worth it' in the eyes of some. 

Well, no. The lead mine promises 221 jobs and $60M of royalties over 23 years, so $2.6M/year. When weighed and measured against the $199M of annual revenue and 12,500 jobs in agriculture and tourism, that have existed for generations and will continue long into the future unless someone stupid messes it up, it defies reason. The numbers don't add up. 

Also, interestingly, NSW is the only jurisdiction that classifies silver as a critical mineral. Its price per kg tells us that. 

What to do? We'd love it if you could sign an online petition to be found here:

https://www.change.org/p/help-stopbowden-s-toxic-lead-mine 

Because why risk it?