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Blue Mountains World Heritage Forever! C o a l , Australia's worst environmental pollutant, and alternatives The guest speaker at our general meeting on Friday 31 October will be Dr Mark Diesendorf, Director of Sustainability Centre Pty Ltd, a Sydney- based company that does applied research, consulting, training and business facilitation on various aspects of ecologically sustainable and socially The proposed 27 million tonne sand Park is too small. If approved the quarry just development. quarry at Newnes Junction will test would be a visually intrusive, polluting, Mark is also Adjunct Professor of whether World Heritage listing has noisy, dusty blight on the wild Sustainability Policy at Murdoch strengthened environment protection in Wollangambe River Valley. University; co-editor and principal the Blue Mountains. The site is not just any bit of author of the book "Human Ecology, A previous proposal for a sand and bushland; it has two high conservation Human Economy: Ideas for an clay quarry on the site was refused in value Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps. Ecologically Sustainable Future"; and 1996 because of ‘its degrading effect and These plant communities have been vice-president of the Australia New possible damage to the National Park nominated for listing as either an endan- Zealand Society for Ecological and the water quality of the gered or vulnerable plant community Economics. He was formerly co-founder Wollangambe River’. The national park under the Federal Government’s and president of the Australasian Wind is now World Heritage listed and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Energy Association; and co-founder and scale of the environmental impacts Conservation Act, 1999. In 2000, the vice-president of the Sustainable Energy arising from the development is no less environment consultant for the sand Industries Council of Australia. than before, as evidenced by the quarry recognised the high conservation Mark will first discuss the developer’s offer to buy up the entire value of these kinds of swamps and environmental and health impacts of Newnes Junction village that adjoins the proposed protection zones for all the coal, Australia's principal fuel for site. If approved, the Wollangambe swamps located within the nearby generating electricity. He will then offer River could become known locally as Clarence Colliery lease extension a critique of the notion that coal can be ‘red creek,’ with sediment pollution proposal. transformed from a dirty into a clean fuel issuing from the quarry. P & J Smith Ecological Consultants, by burying its greenhouse gas emissions Surely, the very last place to establish in an independent botanical investig- underground. Finally he will discuss a huge sand mine is next to the World ation, have confirmed the presence of prospects for a genuinely sustainable Heritage listed Blue Mountains National these swamps on the quarry site, and energy future. Park. The 50 metre buffer proposed to found 123 plant species on the site—87 The general meeting will be held at separate the quarry from the National species more than listed in the the Conservation Hut starting at 7.30 pm. environmental impact statement. Haydn Visitors are very welcome. If World Heritage is to mean anything, Washington and other researchers from this quarry proposal must be stopped! the Colo Committee have discovered the rare plant Acacia asparagoides on site, BMCS NATIVE PLANT SALE COME TO THE PUBLIC MEETING as well as a new species of Greenhood Thursday, 23 October, 7-9 pm orchid (Pterostylis sp. nova). Saturday, 18 October Uniting Church Hall 9 am to 1 pm Main Street, Katoomba Approval of this proposal would Speakers: undermine the protection purpose of Outside the Conservation Hut Ian Cohen (Greens MLC); Andrew World Heritage listing. There is Fletcher Street, Wentworth Falls Cox (National Parks Assn); Haydn currently no law against proposing a major intrusive development in high Tubestock (50x50x120mm) $3 each Washington (Colo Committee); or 4 for $10 Penny Figgis (ACF); and a member conservation value bushland next to the of Newnes Junction Action Group World Heritage area. To remedy this Supertubes (70x70x160mm) $5 each situation, the World Heritage Area needs Supported by: Tree Ferns in larger pots a buffer zone that provides adequate $15 each (limited number) The Colong Foundation for Wilder- protection from inappropriate ness; Total Environment Centre; Blue Tell your friends and bring them along! Mountains Conservation Society; Colo development. Committee; National Parks Assn of Write a letter to Premier Carr If you can’t get there on the day NSW; Nature Conservation Council of (Parliament House, Sydney); come to remember that we are open for retail NSW; The Wilderness Society the public meeting; lend a hand to stop sales at our Blackheath Nursery every this quarry. With your help Colong Tuesday, 9am to 12 noon, in the Organised by: Foundation and the Conservation Society workshop compound of NPWS, behind The Colong Foundation for Wilderness, can ensure that the World Heritage area the Heritage Centre on Govetts Leap Rd. 2/362 Kent Street, Sydney, 2000. is properly protected. Keith Muir, David Coleby, Nursery Manager Tel: 9299 7341; Fax: 92995713; email: Colong Foundation for Wilderness. [email protected] Phone/fax 4784 1395 Hut News, No. 195, October 2003 — Page 1. “Hut News”, the newsletter of Blue Mountains Conservation Society Inc. Sydney's Water - How Does it Work? P.O. Box 29, Wentworth Falls, 2782 Sydney Water Corporation draws those big concrete tanks in each of the Phone47571872 Fax47571753 water from 16 dams, reservoirs and Blue Mountains towns. Email: [email protected] pondages including Warragamba Dam Water supply in the Blue Mountains on the Wollondilly River, Nepean, Avon, is small-scale compared to Sydney, but Web page: www.bluemountains.org.au Cordeaux and Cataract Dams on the President: Kevin Bell complex. The lower Mountains towns Upper Nepean River, Woronora Dam on from Lapstone up to Faulconbridge are 4787.6436 (ph/fx), [email protected] the Woronara River, Tallowa Dam on Senior Vice President: Heather Hull supplied with Warragamba water via the the Shoalhaven River (via Bendeela Orchard Hills WTP near Penrith. The 4739.1493, [email protected] Pondage, Fitzroy Falls Reservoir and Second Vice President: Tony Towers mid Mountains towns from Katoomba Wingecarribee Reservoir), Medlow, down to Linden are supplied with water 4757.1321(ph/fx) Greaves Creek and Cascades Dams on [email protected] from Cascades Dams (three of them) at the Upper Grose River, Fish River near Katoomba, and the Cascades WTP. As Treasurer: Bart Beech Oberon. 4739.9947, [email protected] the Cascades Dams have a very small Administration Officer: Joy McDonald The dams are not owned and run by catchment they are topped up with water 4757 2725, [email protected] Sydney Water Corporation but mostly by pumped from the Fish River Dam at Membership: Elizabeth van Reyswoud the Sydney Catchment Authority, a Oberon and from Lake Greaves at 4757.2694, 0418206899 (mobile) separate authority established after the Medlow Bath when it is full. The upper [email protected] 1998 water quality crisis. The Fish Mountains towns of Blackheath, Meetings Secretary: Rosemary Lathouris River system is owned and run by Medlow Bath and Mt Victoria are Oberon Council. supplied with water from Lakes Medlow 4757.2511, [email protected] and Greaves at Medlow Bath via the Meetings Convenor: Jim Wallace Water from Warragamba supplies 4784.3305, [email protected] 80% of Sydney's Water. Water from the Greaves Creek WTP. Education Officer: Richard Phillipps dams is transported through pipelines, In the medium term future Sydney 4739.2568, [email protected] canals, tunnels and natural river beds, Water Corporation intends to run a Plant Nursery Manager: David Coleby mostly by gravity but sometimes by pipeline from Cascades WTP to Medlow 4784.1395 (ph/fax) [email protected] pumping, to a series of Water Treatment Bath, Blackheath and Mt Victoria, and Land Use Officer: Lyndal Sullivan Plants (WTP). The largest WTP is at decommission Greaves Creek WTP. 4782.1635, [email protected] Prospect Reservoir and is capable of When this happens all towns from Bushcare Officer: Clive Heywood-Barker treating three billion litres (three Linden to Mt Victoria will share the 4787.5574, [email protected] gigalitres) per day, although it usually Cascades WTP, drawing water from Publicity Officer:: Samantha Stevens treats about one gigalitre per day. Cascades Dams, Lakes Greaves and 0425316953, [email protected] Prospect Reservoir is no longer used as Medlow, and the Fish River. Walks Convenor: Bob van Reyswoud part of the water supply system, although Sydney Water Corporation is also 4757.2694 (ph/fax) it may be used in an emergency. able to draw water from Lake Woodford [email protected] Water Treatment consists of: (near Bull's Camp Reserve), via a Bushfire Officer: Hugh Paterson screening to remove large solids (like pumping station at Linden, to Linden 4751.2303, [email protected] fish and leaves); chemical dosing with Reservoir for supply to the lower National Parks Officer: Jenny Rich Potassium Permanganate, Ferric Mountains. In practice this no longer 4787.6243, [email protected] Chloride and Liquid Polymers to settle happens as Lake Woodford is too Web Site Manager: Margaret Sleath and coagulate solids; filtration through polluted and there are moves afoot to 4759.3350, [email protected]