Bowdens Silver Pty Ltd (Bowdens) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Silver Mines Limited. The Bowdens Silver Project (Project) is a State Significant Development (SSD 5765) and currently in the assessment phase with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). Further details on the project are available on the Bowdens and Silver Mines websites and also the DPHI Major Projects portal.
The Project is for an open cut Silver, Lead and Zinc mine near the village of Lue, NSW. The 2022 amended Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) included a comprehensive range of environmental assessments such as human health, surface water, groundwater, air quality, agriculture and biodiversity. These assessments were subject to internal peer review, external review by NSW government agencies and technical specialists, and, in some cases, formal independent peer review by specialists engaged by DPHI. DHPI’s original assessment of the Project in 2022 stated “..Bowdens Silver has designed the project in a way that would achieve a practicable balance between maximising resource recovery and minimising associated impacts on the surrounding landholders and the environment through best practice contemporary practices and mitigation measures.” For context, the Project’s Ore Reserve (as per the EIS) is estimated at 29.9 million tonnes at 69 g/t silver, 0.44% zinc and 0.32% lead.
Unrelated to the EIS or assessment process, Bowdens has committed to advancing industry standards, by funding an independently conducted Natural Background Study (Study). The purpose of the Study is to ensure the community can be confident that an accurate independent determination of the pre-mining state of the natural environment (in relation to soils and waters), over a wide area in and around the Project, has been collected. This information will allow independent, scientific and definitive measurement of potential impacts once mining commences. To achieve this outcome, an independent research project will be delivered by the University of New South Wales’ (UNSW) School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences. The Study will have a particular focus on understanding the background lead and other metals concentrations in soils, surface water and groundwater. The Study will also measure and determine the isotopic “fingerprints” of the various forms of lead and the mineralogical fingerprints of the soil and waters.
It is important to note that the research consortium led by UNSW and involving Tibicen Consulting and Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), has worked independently of Bowdens to design the Study, conduct investigations, interpret data and report on findings.
UNSW designed the Study to be delivered in three stages:
Stage 1: An orientation study to establish the form and distribution of key elements in waters and soils from various lithologies (rock types) and regolith (soil, weathered rocks, dust) and determine the most appropriate analytical methods;
Stage 2: Design, documentation and implementation of a waters and soil baseline survey methodology, to monitor long-term changes in the geochemical characteristics within the Project site and surrounding areas; and
Stage 3: On-going monitoring of waters and soil geochemistry based on those protocols.
Stage 1 of the study has been completed with the following key outcomes:
A geochemical baseline study of the rocks, soils, surface waters and groundwaters at the site and surrounding areas was undertaken.
Publicly available data from previous exploration programs indicates a number of zones in the region with highly elevated lead (Pb), arsenic (As), copper (Cu) and other metals in soils overlying those mineral deposits (including at Bowdens).
The lead associated with the Bowdens deposit has a unique distinguishable isotopic fingerprint that will be identifiable in future monitoring programs.
Next Steps:
Stage 2 of the project will establish the network of sites that will form the basis for on-going monitoring of waters and soils within and surrounding the Project. The sampling and analysis will increase the size of the data set from Stage 1.
Stage 2 will also provide opportunity for further development and testing of the sampling and analytical procedures, and production of protocols and standards to be utilised during a long-term monitoring program (Stage 3).
Copies of the Stage 1 – Orientation Surveys published by UNSW can be found via the links below.
Bowdens regional Pb in rocks and soils study final report December 2025:
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/106928
Surface and groundwater hydrochemistry around the proposed Bowdens silver mine:
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.4/107837
