Radiata Plateau Rally - 30th July 2017 (Nathan)
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At any point in time, the Blue Mountains Conservation Society has several campaigns on the go. Some are short term - like an Election Campaign; others span many years - like Protect the Gardens of Stone.
The submissions and letters that we've made to governments - local, state and federal - are shown on our Submissions webpage. Our past campaigns are shown on our Past Campaigns webpages.
Details about members of the BMCS management committee are on our Society Office Holders webpage.
Plans for the Great Western Highway are forging ahead with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 11km tunnel from Blackheath to Little Hartley, now on display. Submissions to the EIS must be made by 1 March 2023.
Despite Federal funding being withheld, Transport for NSW is forging ahead and expects work to begin early next year.
The Society is particularly concerned about the impact the proposed tunnel and its construction might have on the World Heritage Area and is determined to ensure this is minimised, and that matters of national environmental significance are addressed.
Aquifers supplying groundwater to groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and their dependent species, along both sides of the tunnel corridor, are at significant risk as changes to water flow is expected. A reduction in groundwater to the Commonwealth-listed Peat Swamps, particularly those near Blackheath, poses a real threat to their populations of Giant Dragonfly and Blue Mountains Water Skink, which are both endangered.
The NSW and Federal governments should strenuously avoid the impacts of the proposed tunnel and its construction on the Greater Blue Mountains World heritage Area and on matters of national environmental significance.
The current piecemeal approach, dividing the upgrade into sections for review, is totally inadequate as it won’t provide a true understanding of the cumulative impact and long-term consequences for the World Heritage Area.
The GWH tunnel EIS can be viewed here.
Submissions can be made until Wednesday 1st March 2023.
In October 2018, the NSW Government passed legislation to allow the flooding of World Heritage listed national parks by raising the wall of Warragamba Dam.
If the dam wall is raised, 4,700 hectares of World Heritage listed National Parks and 1,800 hectares of declared Wilderness Areas will be forever scarred from sedimentation, erosion and invasion of exotic plants.
Raising Warragamba Dam will inundate 65 kilometres of the Greater Blue Mountains' wild rivers.
For more information, go to our Don't Raise Warragamba Dam campaign webpage
Lost City (Henry Gold)
Huge plant diversity, including more than 1,000 species and 33 different vegetation communities (15 of which are threatened or poorly conserved), ancient montane heathlands; nationally endangered upland swamps and a unique species of snow gum.
Learn about the amazing Gardens of Stone, why it needs protecting and how you can help our campaign.
Visit our Gardens of Stone webpages.
Jamison Valley (A Penhallurick)
Blue Mountains City Council was the third Council in NSW to declare a climate emergency, recognising the need for urgent climate action. However, much more needs to be done.
Join the Blue Mountains Conservation Society in calling on the Blue Mountains City Council to power up and take up the Ready for Renewables challenge to make positive changes that benefit your home, local small business and the planet.
Go to our Climate Change webpage to find out more and what you can do.
Katoomba Airfield is still at risk of development into a commercial airfield for heli-charters.
The proposed lease, that was initially rejected, is now being reconsidered.
Go to our Katoomba Airfield Lease webpages to find out more and what you can do.
Land Cleared (courtesy Blue Mountains Gazette)
The Society (again) questions the appropriateness of this proposed development on such an environmentally sensitive site in an area designated as a bushland buffer between the towns of Bullaburra and Wentworth Falls.
Highway traffic and safety and animal welfare are still also major concerns, as they were for the original ‘croc park’ development.
Visit our Blue Mountains Wildlife Park webpages..
Katoomba Creek (Lyndal Sullivan)
The Society is proposing additions to the Blue Mountains National Park. This would require an assessment by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to determine whether to acquire them and add them to the Blue Mountains National Park.
It is important to note that acquisition by the NPWS of privately held land to add to the national park system is via negotiation. Privately held land is not compulsorily acquired for addition to the national park system.
The inclusion of these areas into the Blue Mountains National Park will protect areas of conservation significance which have threatened species, geological features and/or aboriginal heritage.
Visit our Proposed Strategic Additions webpage.
Planning and development in the Blue Mountains is determined by its Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and its Development Control Plan (DCP).
The LEP is a statutory instrument to which all new development must comply. While the DCP is a policy document that the Council uses when considering whether to grant development consent. The Society has been heavily involved for decades in reviews and discussions on new and amended LEPs.
We make submissions on development applications which are large and complex and which we believe will have a significant negative environmental impact.
The Society has developed a Planning and Development Resource Kit to help residents take appropriate action on environment-related matters.
Visit our Planning and Development webpage.
The Wollangambe River (Ian Brown)
The Society has campaigned to stop Clarence Colliery's impacts on the Wollangambe River and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area for many years.
The Wollangambe, a designated wild river for most of its length, flows eastward from the Newnes Plateau through the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area until it joins the Colo River.
Visit our Protect The Wollangambe webpages.
– the Darug and Gundungurra people –
and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.