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Although the Society has recommenced its bushwalking and other activities, a close eye is being kept on the pandemic. NSW Government Guidelines are being observed.

For further information about COVID‑19, please refer to the NSW and Australian Government websites -

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The 2019‑20 fires burnt over 65% (698,000 hectares) of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

Over 116 million animals, birds and reptiles were impacted.

Across Australia an unimaginable almost 3 billion native vertebrates were impacted (143 million mammals●2.46 billion reptiles●180 million birds ●51 million frogs)

Hear from National Parks and Wildlife Services Director for Blue Mountains, David Crust on what NPWS is doing to assist recovery in our national parks.

• What initiatives are underway to assist recovery of wildlife and forests, heaths, and swamps?
• We've seen the high profile rescue of the unique Wollemi Pines, the Kanangra koalas recovery at Taronga Zoo and feeding brush tail wallabies from helicopters. What else is happening?
• State and federal government have announced post fires assistance for recovery. What has Blue Mountains region received and is it enough?
• How can the public help?

NPWS are facing multiple challenges from the fires, the following heavy rains and preparing for future fire seasons.

• What is happening with prescribed burning since the fires? And what is expected in the current fire season?
• What changes are expected from the NSW and Commonwealth bushfires inquiries?

In this time of COVID the Society will hold a number of online talks.

When:  4pm Sunday 1 November (one hour)

Register here:  gos@bluemountains.org.au - You will receive a ZOOM Link before the day.

Please submit your questions by 30 October at: gos@bluemountains.org.au

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The Blue Mountains community is mourning the recent passing of well known local environmental advocate Lachlan Garland.

Lachlan was a passionate, committed and hardworking volunteer dedicated to defending and conserving the beautiful Blue Mountains environment, as well as actively campaigning on national environmental issues.

Lachlan was a long standing member of the Society and held various roles on our Management Committee, notably President (2011, 2012 and 2019), Membership Secretary and National Parks Officer, as well as being an active member of the Land Use Subcommittee.

Here's the Gazette article.

Here's the full version of our obituary.

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The Society was disturbed to read in an email from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE – Crown Lands) sent to a Blue Mountains resident in August this year, that it is intending to -

The reason given -

The review referred to above was requested by the Secretary of the DPIE after the lease proponent complained to the DPIE regarding the fairness of the community consultation in the decision to refuse their lease application. The Commissioner of Crown Lands was tasked with carrying out the review of the consultation process up to but not including the decision itself, with a view for possible improvements in future consultations and decision-making.

Here is the Commissioner's Report.

And in an email from Crown Lands to another resident –

This addendum document has now been published on the Crown Lands website and is provided here.

However, no indication of the department’s intention to reconsider the lease decision can be found on their website. Nor are the community being asked to comment further.

The proposed lease attracted 1,582 written submissions during the public consultation period ending 4th August 2019, with more than 85 per cent opposing it.

A petition with 12,200 signatures was presented to state parliament and was discussed in the Legislative Assembly on 1 August 2019. The petition asked -

This was the position of the Society in their submission to the DPIE – Crown Lands and has been the Society’s position since the 1990s.

In June 2020 the Society sent a letter to The Hon. Rob Stokes MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, echoing this petition and asking for the airfield to be incorporated into the surrounding national park. No reply has yet been received.

In early September 2020, the Society sent a letter to The Secretary of the DPIE, Mr Jim Betts, requesting clarification around reconsideration of the lease decision, with no response to date.

In a August 10 Gazette article, mention was made by the lease proponent that “the department had had the company’s business plan since January 2019”. However the plan has never been made public, especially the number of flights per day. Only the intended inbound and outbound flight paths were disclosed at the department’s drop-in community consultation sessions in June 2019. These flight paths indicated areas impacted would include the Megalong & Kanimbla Valleys, Shipley Plateau, Mt Blackheath, the upper Grose Valley including Fortress Ridge, Lockley’s Pylon and The Blue Gum Forest. A flight path over Lake Woodford would enter the Grose Valley and on to the airfield from the east.

A September 8 Gazette article quotes The Society’s President, Ms Tara Cameron stating “it appears that the future of Katoomba Airfield will now be decided on again, but this time unfairly without community input”.

The Society has very recently written to the Minister for the Environment, Matt Kean, requesting the opening of discussions between Crown Lands and NPWS for the incorporation of the airfield into the national park estate. We look forward to a positive response to our correspondence.

• The Hon. Rob Stokes, Minister for Planning & Public Spaces
  Postal: GPO Box 5341, SYDNEY NSW 2001
  Email: Minister Stokes' web-form

Please send a copy to our local State member of Parliament, Ms Trish Doyle, at bluemountains@parliament.nsw.gov.au or 5 Raymond Rd Springwood NSW 2777

It would also assist to send a copy to :

• The Hon. Melinda Pavey, Minister for Water, Property & Housing (Crown Lands)
  Postal: GPO Box 5341, SYDNEY NSW 2001
  Email: Minister Pavey's web-form

• The Hon. Matt Kean, Minister for the Environment (NPWS)
  Postal: GPO Box 5341, SYDNEY NSW 2001
  Email: Minister Kean's web-form

Some worthwhile points to make are:

• Object to the lack of TRANSPARENCY around the current review of the decision
• Object to any COMMERCIAL lease for this PUBLIC land
• This land should be PUT INTO THE surrounding NATIONAL PARK
• Maintain the airfield for emergency use only

More information will be provided as it comes to light.

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In June and July, the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA) hosted Australia’s first virtual bushfire and climate change summit to coordinate a national response to the Australian climate and bushfire crises.

The 2020 National Bushfire and Climate Summit brought together hundreds of participants from across the country and the world to share their experiences, and to formulate recommendations to address the worsening risk of devastating bushfires fuelled by climate change.

The Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan is the culmination of that effort.

The Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan provides a broad plan and practical ideas for governments, fire and land management agencies and communities to help us mitigate and adapt to worsening fire conditions.

The plan’s 165 recommendations include many measures that can be implemented right now, to ensure communities are better protected.

The experts agree: We must tackle climate change and worsening extreme weather by urgently phasing out fossil fuels.

The Blue Mountains Conservation Society participated in this summit and endorses this plan.

An ad for the plan appeared in The Australian on 1st August.

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Australia has the highest emissions per person of any OECD country.

Government and business action is crucial in addressing climate change, but our personal actions also make a difference.

The Society has prepared a Climate Action Now Flyer that details the changes you can make to -

• reduce energy use
• switch to ethical electricity
• go solar
• consider the impact of how you eat and shop
• consume less and reduce waste
• consider your travel options.

We also encourage you to Raise Your Voice On Climate Change by -

• joining a bush regeneration or Landcare group
• joining the Blue Mountains Conservation Society
• moving money out of fossil fuels
• helping stop more fossil fuel projects
• engaging politically
• communicating and advocate.

We acknowledge Katrina Shields, Zero Emissions Byron, who inspired production of this flyer.

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The NSW Government has commissioned an Independent Inquiry into the 2019-20 bushfire season to provide input to NSW ahead of the next bushfire season.

Here's the Society's submission to the inquiry.

Our submission includes twenty recommendations that range from

• the obvious (action on climate change, funding for NPWS, and increased resources for fire-fighting);
• to considerations on methods of hazard reduction and fire-fighting;
• to much needed research and surveys into biodiversity and threatened species and communities.

Contributors to the submission included Peter & Judy Smith, Ian Brown, Ian Baird, Margaret Baker and Madi Maclean.

Submissions closed on Friday 22 May 2020.

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Our Bushfires webpage contains a detailed analysis of the bushfires and their impact on the Greater Blue Mountains - including maps, an assessment of areas burnt and the loss of wildlife. This analysis was prepared by Peter Smith.

Initial information on recovery and What You Can Do is there, plus some articles on Firefighting written by Ian Brown.

We have also gathered credible articles and provide links to these.

All the bushfire information that was on the home page, is now on this webpage.

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