Centennial Coal’s plans to expand mining under the Gardens of Stone puts threatened species, cultural heritage and Sydney’s drinking water at risk.
Read this new briefing note on the issue.
When the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area was announced on November 13, 2021, the NSW Government also announced an adventure theme park at Lost City and exclusive accommodation in association with a Great Walk.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is seeking public comments on its intention to grant 20 year leases for these two proposals in parts of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. The period for comments is in the holiday period closing on 18 January. The parent company involved with these proposals is Experience Co (this is the same company that has plans to develop the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area).
Object to these leases that will privatise parts of this conservation reserve before the public has an opportunity to comment on the details of these developments.
The proposed locations and extent of the accommodation are only approximate and not clearly defined on the simple map provided. Likewise the location of “ziplines, via ferrata and suspension bridges” and other requirements for the Lost City Adventure Precinct. This means that the possible environmental impacts of the proposed lease are hard to identify, let alone avoid them and protect the area.
The 'Lost City' (Henry Gold)Ticking the consultation box without information is a sham process. Very limited information is available in the public exhibition of the notice to grant leases.
ACTION: Express your concerns about the development threat to this important Blue Mountains reserve before close of business, 18 January 2023.
For more information and assistance with making a submission, go to the gardensofstone.org.au website
Gardens of Stone Banner Drop
Protect the Gardens of Stone - a wonderland, not a theme park
Sunday 28 August 2022
More information in Events
Lithgow’s iconic 'Lost City' in the Gardens of Stone SCA is set to be blighted with an adventure tourism theme park - what a waste of such a fantastic view!
Protest! Come to the banner drop event. You can help by forwarding this message to like-minded supporters. Protect 'Lost City' so everyone can enjoy its spectacular beauty.
Event organised by the Gardens of Stone Alliance.
The decision transfers into the national park estate the 31,500 hectare Newnes, Ben Bullen and Wolgan state forests, an area of spectacular pagoda landscapes, cliffs, waterfalls, woodlands and flowering swamps.
The Society acknowledges this as Aboriginal land, Wiradjuri country. and pays respects to the traditional custodians of this land.
This has been a long journey going back to Myles Dunphy’s vision for the Greater Blue Mountains. The name, “Gardens of Stone”, was first used by renowned environmentalist, Haydn Washington.
The Society has been involved in the campaign for over twenty years. The Gardens of Stone Alliance, made up of founding members Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Lithgow Environment Group and Blue Mountains Conservation Society, has been the organising force of the campaign since 2006.
Here's the NSW Government's media release.
Gardens of Stone Rally in 2017 (Henry Gold)The Society wishes to thank all our members and supporters. You have helped make this happen through raising awareness, signing petitions, submissions, letters to government and supporting our public events.
We would like to recognise some key Society members: Brian Marshall, Ian Brown, Karen McLaughlin, Peter Green, Janine Kitson, Yuri Bolotin, Joel Robinson, Thomas Ebersoll, Tara Cameron and Madi Maclean.
And our Gardens of Stone Alliance partners: Keith Muir of Colong Foundation; Julie Favell, Chris Jonkers and Richard Stiles from Lithgow Environment Group.
We acknowledge the long-term support of National Parks Association and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, now an Alliance member.
We would like to thank the parliamentarians who drove this proposal:
- Environment Minister, Matt Kean, for getting it over the line;
- Trish Doyle, our local member, for her long term support and for ensuring the Labor Party added protection of the Gardens of Stone into its platform at the last state election;
- Cate Faehrmann, Greens MLC
- Catherine Cusack, Liberal MLC.
Gardens of Stone State Conservation AreaMadi Maclean, Julie Favell, Chris Jonkers and Keith Muir
(photo courtesy of Dean Sewell/The Guardian)
It has been a roller coaster ride!
In 2012 the Planning Assessment Commission for the Coalpac open cut mine recognised that: “the highest and best use of the area is for conservation purposes”. Nearly ten years later we’ve got there!
The next step is the establishment of the new SCA which brings with it professional park management of the area and consultation on the proposals.
The Society looks forward to the establishment of what will be an exciting new conservation area for the Greater Blue Mountains centred on Lithgow.
The Society will continue its work protecting and defending our natural environment with your support.
The issue of protecting the Gardens of Stone has been highlighted in State Parliament recently. In late September the NSW Government introduced legislation to add 4,500 ha of “unproductive’ state forests to the national parks estate mostly for koala protection. more...
Newnes State Forest is a 21,000 hectares plateau north of Lithgow with windswept montane heathlands, nationally endangered upland swamps, unique snowgum-snowgrass woodlands and 67 listed rare plant and animal species. Yet it is unprotected because of coal mining. more...
The independent Planning and Assessment Commission (PAC) has decided that Invincible Mine can restart open cut mining in the Gardens of Stone area and in the former Coalpac proposal area. The area is beside the Castlereagh Highway (the main road to Mudgee) and will extend the Invincible’s devastated moonscape. more...
The Society will be making a presentation today to the Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) meeting on the Invincible mine in the former Coalpac area. We will be strongly opposing any open-cut mining restarting in the Gardens of Stone area.
To make your voice heard and lodge an objection to open-cut mining, you can use our letter (currently disabled) and add your own comments.
Points you could include:
- The Gardens of Stone area is home to internationally significant pagoda rock formations that are at risk if any mining takes place
- Any mining will have a drastic impact on the numerous threatened species in the area
- The area is rich in flora and fauna that will be severely impacted by any mining
You need to get your letter in before 5pm Tuesday 5 December, 2017.
Blue Mountains Conservation Society is a part of the Gardens of Stone Alliance along with Colong Foundation and Lithgow Environment Group.
Gardens of Stone (Henry Gold)
Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the Gardens of Stone Alliance Banner event.
We had a terrific turnout and, as well as the banner, used the gathering to host several Wild Cafes which enabled participants to learn more about current campaigns.
– the Darug and Gundungurra people –
and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.