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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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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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After close to a decade of resistance, the final push to protect the Pilliga and keep North West NSW gasfield free is soon to be determined.

The Independent Planning Commission has received a referral from the NSW Department of Planning to review the Narrabri gas project.

This is the last step before approval for Santos’ plan to plunder 850 coal seam gas wells through the recharge zone of the Great Artesian Basin in the precious Pilliga forest and surrounding farmland - all on the sacred land of the Gamilaraay people.

This will be the first of Santos’ 7 planned gas fields from Dubbo to Moree. It will also be a test case for the federal government’s plan to dramatically expand the coal seam gas industry throughout Australia.

The Stop CSG BM website has a lot of information on the Narrabri project.

What you can do

Write and lodge a submission objecting to the Narrabri Gas Project by Monday 10 August (date extended).

Guidelines on how to write and send a submission can be found on the CSG Free North West website.

Register to speak at the online Public Hearing. Registrations close at 5pm on Friday 10 July.

The public hearings are on from Monday 20 July to Friday 24 July. You can participate by video-conference, telephone or by attending a studio at Narrabri, where you can present to the panel via the Commission's video link. This will indicate to the commission that the long standing community opposition to this project remains very strong and that people from all over NSW want to have their say on this "state significant" project.

Spread the word!

Using email or social media please encourage friends, family and colleagues to make a submission.

More information is available on the CSG Free North West website

This is a crucial moment in this nationally significant campaign, you can be part of keeping gas in the ground.

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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 first 54 newsletters (1970-1983) of the Katoomba And District Wildlife Conservation Society are now online.

The Katoomba And District Wildlife Conservation Society became the Upper Blue Mountains Conservation Society in 1983 and merged with the Lower Blue Mountains Conservation Society in 1996 to form the Blue Mountains Conservation Society.

Articles in these newsletters show that the conservation challenges are not dissimilar to today's and their campaigns were largely successful.

The newsletters also include fauna and flora observations, encounters and accounts.

We have a history of which we are proud.

Here's our newsletter archive.

The Lower Blue Mountains Conservation Society newsletters and remaining Upper Blue Mountains Conservation Society's newsletters are being progressively added.

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The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) will be upgrading -

• the Grand Cliff Top Walk between Wentworth Falls and Katoomba, and
• the Gordon Falls Lookout to provide accessible access and include a new lookout platform and an elevated boardwalk.

Here's the Community Information Letter and Concept Diagrams that was received in April.

The project was due to commence construction in June but was delayed so that concerns expressed by local residents could be considered.

The Society is strongly in favour of the concept of the Grand Cliff Top Walk. Existing sections of the Walk are in poor condition. As are its side tracks (such as to Lyrebird Dell), and we've asked for these to be included in the upgrade.

Our comments and concerns are contained in this letter.

Friends of Gordon Falls and Leura (FOGFAL) have proposed changes to the design of the proposed Gordon Falls Lookout Accessibility Upgrade in order to get an outcome that better serves the purpose of the upgrade - namely, accessibility for families, seniors and those with mobility issues.

These changes have been positively received by NPWS, Blue Mountains City Council and its Ward 1 Councillors, Aunty Carol Cooper and many residents.

NPWS has agreed to go over the design concepts and will have an adjusted design ready to view in early August. Council, FOGFAL and NPWS are working together on this - which is a positive way for any community project.

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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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