News and Events

Join the Gardens of Stone Alliance for a morning exploring the history, ecology and future of the Sydney drinking water catchment.

We’ll begin with a guided walk at Lake Wallace — where Charles Darwin first recorded seeing platypus in 1836 — followed by a demonstration of community water quality testing and discussion of the growing pressures facing local waterways from coal mining and development.

We’ll then gather at the Wallerawang Community and Sports Club for morning tea and a short forum on protecting the Gardens of Stone and strengthening community action for clean water and catchment protection.

The event is open to both new and existing supporters. We’ll also hear from long-time Lithgow Environment Group volunteers Julie Favell and Chris Jonkers, whose decades of local conservation work have helped protect this remarkable region.

To RSVP, contact Steph at campaigner@gardensofstone.org.au 

Further details, including meeting location and what to bring, will be provided closer to the day.

A Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) objection to a planning proposal by the Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort accuses the company of using a road closure crisis to lock in a permanent 256% surge in flight volumes.

In its submission, BMCC alleges that the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure was misled into treating a permanent expansion as a temporary emergency fix. The Council contends that transforming a conventional, vehicle-dependent eco-resort into a ‘fly-in, fly-out’ (FIFO) aviation hub means the project is no longer ‘substantially the same development’, bypassing proper planning pathways and mandatory public notification requirements.

Wilderness Australia Honorary Projects Officer Keith Muir said the justification for a massive escalation in helicopter use has completely evaporated following a sudden u-turn by Lithgow City Council.

‘Thanks to relentless pressure from the Wolgan Valley community, Lithgow Council has abandoned its proposal for an entirely new road costing hundreds of millions of dollars,’ Mr Muir said. ‘The existing Wolgan Road will now be repaired at a moderate cost of $50 million and is scheduled to reopen as a single-lane road with traffic lights in the third quarter of this year. The crisis is ending, yet the resort is trying to slip a permanent flight expansion through the back door.’

The controversial State Significant Development (SSD) modification proposal (MP06-0310-Mod 4) seeks up to 210 helicopter movements per week over the Blue Mountains, before permanently entrenching 100 weekly movements after the road reopens.

Mr Muir also warned that the resulting constant aviation noise from helicopters flying over the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area roughly every 22 minutes threatens to turn the glamping resorts proposed as well as the park’s visitor facilities within the park into ‘stranded assets’.

‘The Gardens of Stone region risks gaining a reputation for constant helicopter noise,’ Mr Muir said. ‘This noise directly threatens the aesthetic appeal and financial viability of proposed nearby glamping resorts. It raises serious corporate drama over the recent deal between Experience Co and Intrepid Travel. Did Experience Co sell Intrepid a "pup", or does Intrepid still have room to back out before these eco-investments are ruined by helicopter noise?’

Meanwhile, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has quietly shifted its stance regarding the proposed glamping sites following recent reporting by the Herald. NPWS now supports revising the site character assessment of ‘Bush Camp 2’ to ‘largely unmodified’, and is looking to relocate other resort infrastructure onto existing dirt tracks for Sites 1 and 3.

However, the NPWS refuses to accept that the localities of all three resorts are essentially pristine sites, claiming historical human impacts. Mr Muir said the three resort sites are the most intact left on the Newnes Plateau and should not be developed under the NPWS’s own guidelines.

‘NPWS appears poised to recommend approval for a project that faces being completely undermined by helicopter noise, while Environment Minister Penny Sharpe is left holding the political bag,’ Mr Muir warned.

‘With the road reopening ahead of schedule and Council fiercely fighting the increase in helicopter flights, the optics for both the resort and the NSW Government are getting incredibly messy. The Department of Planning must reject this misleading modification and protect the acoustic amenity of our World Heritage-listed national parks and the Gardens of Stone region.’

ENDS

Media contact Keith Muir, Honorary Projects Officer, Wilderness Australia

Mobile: 0412 791 404

The Blue Mountains City Council objection to the helicopter increases (SSD MOD MP06-0310-Mod 4) is available to media upon request.

Imagine hiking in one of Australia’s most spectacular regions, only to have the peace shattered by constant helicopter noise. This is the reality facing the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area if a new proposal is approved, potentially wasting $50 million in government investment for visitor facilities.

‘Wolgan resort’s helicopter traffic will ruin the peace and quiet visitors expect,’ said Keith Muir. ‘This will lead to a net economic loss for the region’s tourism industry, as the majority of park visitors will stay away once the Gardens of Stone gains a reputation for constant noise.’

‘The Department of Planning must not permit Emirates to create what is effectively a private, high-traffic heliport at the Wolgan resort.’

‘The proposal is unjustified and will cause constant noise pollution across the region. Emirates justifies the plan for 30 helicopter movements every day based on the closure of Wolgan Road. However, the road is scheduled to reopen to two-wheel-drive traffic by August 2026,’ (Lithgow Mercury, 7 May 2026).

‘This proposal is a “try-on”,’ Mr Muir said. ‘It is unlikely that Emirates will dial back flight frequencies once the road is reopened.’

Noise concentration in the lower Blue Mountains

The noise footprint of 30 daily helicopter movements will be further intensified in the lower Blue Mountains due to the Western Sydney Airport airspace design.

‘The rising terrain between Glenbrook and Springwood will force helicopters to fly near legal minimum altitudes to avoid commercial flight paths,’ Mr Muir said. ‘This will concentrate helicopter noise over townships and the World Heritage-listed national park, significantly degrading the acoustic amenity.’

Glamping resorts already ‘stranded assets’

According to Mr Muir, the noise also threatens ‘Experience Co’s plans to sell its controversial glamping resort proposals among pagoda landscapes to Intrepid. The Wolgan resort already has permission for up to 10 helicopter flights a day. Nobody is going pay $1,000 a day to put up with that level of noise.’

‘Should a constant stream of choppers going to a six-star resort be allowed to ruin the enjoyment of the Gardens of Stone for everyone else? This nonsense must be stopped,’ Mr Muir said.

Media contact: Keith Muir, Hon. Projects Officer, Wilderness Australia, mob. 0412 791 404

Further information: The Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort - Modification 4 page on the Department of Planning’s website contains the helicopter proposal, which is on exhibition until 18 May.

Submission on the helicopter proposal from Wilderness Australia is attached below.

Key points of objection:

• Unjustified frequency: 30 movements per day is excessive given the imminent reopening of Wolgan Road.
• Environmental impact: Significant degradation of the acoustic environment for hikers and wildlife.
• Economic risk: Threatens the broader tourism appeal of the $50 million Gardens of Stone investment.
• Flight path issues: Concentration of noise over lower Blue Mountains townships due to Western Sydney Airport flight corridors.

Take Action: submission guide - protect the peace in the Gardens of Stone SCA

The Gardens of Stone Alliance is calling for bold action to protect Sydney’s drinking water, as a clean up notice imposed on Centennial Coal has failed to bring down high levels of toxic pollution in the Coxs River. 

New readings show pollution in the catchment remains severe, despite intervention by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Water monitoring by Lithgow Environment Group this week recorded salinity levels of 1448 µS/cm in the Coxs River downstream of Centennial Coal’s Springvale mine operations near Wangcol Creek, compared with an environmentally healthy level of 38.5 µS/cm upstream of mining impacts.

The EPA’s January Clean Up Notice stated that saline discharges from the mine were exceeding Australian water quality guideline values and ordered the coal mine to address contaminated water management at the site. 

Quotes attributed to Jacqui Mills, Senior Climate and Energy Campaigner at Nature Conservation Council of NSW:

“Time is up for Centennial Coal. They need to stop treating the headwaters of Sydney’s drinking water catchment as a dumping ground and find solutions to the large volumes of polluted wastewater generated by their coal operations.”.

“What’s worse, Centennial Coal wants to expand its coal mines. This would mean even greater pollution discharges and is completely unacceptable”.

“The NSW Government promised before the election to strengthen water quality protections for the Sydney catchment. It is time to deliver on that commitment.”

Quotes attributed to Steph Lentz, Campaigner at the Gardens of Stone Alliance:

“The EPA intervened because pollution levels were already deeply concerning. Months later, we are still seeing extremely high salinity levels downstream of the mine.”

“The question now is what happens next. The community cannot accept this becoming normalised.”

“It’s outrageous that there remains no enforceable salinity limits for discharges from Centennial Coal licensed discharge point 1 despite the EPA previously indicating limits would be considered.”

Western Sydney University water pollution expert Dr Ian Wright has described this discharge point into Wangcol Creek (LDP001) as “the most poorly regulated waste discharge point in the whole of the Sydney Basin”. 

Media contact:
Ellie Chamberlain
E:  echamberlain@nature.org.au
T: (02) 9516 0135

Spokespeople available on request. 

Pagodas Over Profits: Katoomba Public Meeting Unanimously Calls for NSW Government to reject Commercial Glamping Proposals for Gardens of Stone

A crowd of over fifty concerned citizens last night sent a clear message to the NSW Government: that conservation areas are not resort development zones. At a public meeting held in Katoomba, attendees voted unanimously to demand an immediate halt to the proposed "glamping" resorts within the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.

The meeting, organised by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society  in response to growing fears for the region’s unique "platy pagoda" rock formations, brought together scientists, legislators, and conservationists who argue that the shift toward commercial accommodation threatens the very integrity of the park system.

Annette Cam, President of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, opened the proceedings by reaffirming the Society’s fierce opposition to the developments. "These are not just 'tents'; they are commercial operations in one of the world's most fragile landscapes," Ms. Cam said.

Scientific and Environmental Risks

Veteran conservationist Keith Muir provided a sobering technical analysis of the three proposed sites, which sit within essentially pristine landscapes. He warned that the developers' plans to manage waste are fundamentally flawed.

"Building large artificial soil mounds to dispose of grey water on bare rock and stone simply won't work," Mr. Muir explained. "Instead of luxury, we are looking at a guaranteed source of invasive weeds and devastating plant pathogens being introduced into sensitive ecosystems."

Associate Professor Ali Chauvenet, a senior scientist with extensive research in park management, highlighted the vital mental health benefits derived from visiting undeveloped national parks. She noted that while commercial development in protected areas are becoming a central pillar of the global tourism agenda, the intrinsic value of these spaces remains tied to their natural state.

Political support

The meeting took a dramatic turn when Local Member Trish Doyle presented the NSW Government’s official position. Ms. Doyle stated she personally objected to the proposals and ultimately voted in favour of the meeting's resolution to oppose the developments, making the resolution unanimous.

Sue Higginson, NSW Greens MLC, echoed the sentiment of betrayal felt by many long-term conservation activists. "For decades, citizens have made immense sacrifices to protect our rainforests, koala habitats and build our protected area network," Ms. Higginson said. "They didn't do that so the government could hand over these treasures to be privatised as resort development zones."

The "Katoomba Resolution"

The meeting concluded with the unanimous passing of a resolution calling on the NSW Government to:

•       Refuse approval and lease issue for construction of new commercial accommodation facilities at the three proposed sites that would damage conservation values and impact essentially pristine internationally significant and rare platy pagoda landscapes.

•       Legislate protection for areas of rare or significant geodiversity and for areas of outstanding natural beauty at a level equal to that afforded threatened species;

•       Ban construction of new commercial accommodation facilities in Parks as it damages conservation values, as demonstrated by the potential impacts of glamping resorts on internationally significant and rare platy pagoda landscapes;

•       Ban free handouts of park facilities to and secret reserve management negotiations with developers as these encourage development on park before development on private land.

"The line has been drawn," said Ms. Cam. "The community has spoken with one voice: our parks are for nature and the public, not for private profit."

Media Contact: Keith Muir - mobile 0412 791 404; email keith.muir6@bigpond.com

Website: www.gardensofstone.org.au

A united front: Concerned citizens, scientists, and Parliamentarians gather behind the unanimous resolution passed last night in Katoomba, demanding the NSW Government protect the rare pagoda landscapes of the Gardens of Stone from commercial development.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wilderness Australia warned today that the Minns Government’s role in a proposed resort program will set a dangerous precedent. If approved, then no site in the NSW National Park estate will be safe from resort development.

“The Minns Government is handing over some of the most globally iconic and rare natural landscapes to a resort developer,” said Keith Muir, Wilderness Australia spokesperson.

“The message is clear: the ‘best of the best’ of our natural world is for sale in our parks,” Muir said. 

“Approval of these resorts will degrade precious pagoda landscapes of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow.”

Nearly every resident in NSW would agree that internationally rare and nationally significant heritage in a NPWS managed park should be absolutely protected.

To make matters worse, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is acting as both the proponent and the decision-maker for three resort proposals. 

Decision-making should be removed from NPWS and given to an independent body, just like almost all other development. NPWS behaviour in advancing this development and its misleading statements regarding the proposed development sites mean that NPWS can no longer be trusted. 

For example, the NPWS mislabels essentially pristine sites as "degraded," to justify development. The NPWS also wrongly defined of "pagoda landscapes" to exclude the surrounding sandstone rockplate and essential shrubland ecosystems that are part of these landforms. Pagoda landscapes are more than pagoda rock formations. The NPWS has even called the proposed resorts, bush camps, as if they are camp grounds.

The resort plans are proposed on the behalf of Intrepid Travel, a recognised leader in sustainable and responsible travel. While the NPWS has shielded Intrepid from criticism, the company should be worried about its reputation.

The physical incompatibility of the resort project with pagoda landscapes is demonstrated by the requirement to build 60m² foreign soil mounds on top of pristine sandstone rockplates to enable greywater waste disposal. To build resorts will ruin beautiful pagoda landscapes and require clearing of important native vegetation, including nationally endangered plants.

The sites are totally unsuitable.  Tourist developments should occur in Lithgow, using existing infrastructure to generate local jobs and economic opportunities. 

NPWS must stick to what it has done for decades – protect our precious ecosystems and landscapes in our parks, and provide visitors with walking tracks and low-impact camping.

Further information: A slideshow of images reveals the pristine locations for these resort proposals, associated issues and threats.

The proposed activity includes three separate resorts on pagoda sites - each consisting of six two-person glamping cabins, communal house with lounge and kitchen, roads and supporting infrastructure.  

The Gardens of Stone SCA plan of management - ‘platy’ pagodas are considered rare on a global scale and pagoda landscapes are nationally significant (pg 3).

NSW Governments resort plans for pagoda resorts

CALL TO ACTION

The public has until 5:00 PM this Thursday, February 26, 2026, to lodge an objection to the three glamping resort proposals.

Wilderness Australia has issued an urgent plea to stop these controversial resort proposals as the public exhibition draws to a close. Three internationally significant “platy pagoda” landscapes of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area should not be sacrificed to development.

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Muir
Wilderness Australia, 
mob. 0412791404; e keith.muir6@bigpond.com

LITHGOW, NSW – Wilderness Australia has hit out at the New South Wales Government’s plans to allow private resort developments within the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, labelling the proposal a betrayal of the region’s internationally significant geoheritage.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) late Thursday released a draft Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for three resorts to be built amongst the rare pagoda landforms. The projects are slated to be operated by Wild Bush Luxury, which is currently being transitioned to the global travel giant, Intrepid Travel.

Keith Muir, spokesperson for Wilderness Australia, says the proposal makes a mockery of the area’s conservation status.

"If reservation of a conservation area—effectively a national park in waiting—does not prevent resort development in sites of international heritage significance, then the reservation is meaningless," Mr. Muir said. "The NPWS is acting as both the proponent and the approval authority. They are effectively marking their own homework, and it is the environment that will pay the price."

"Hair-Splitting" Science and Dangerous Precedents

The NPWS claims the resorts are in degraded areas, a claim Wilderness Australia flatly rejects. The selected sites were chosen specifically because they are essentially untouched by past logging, coal mining or off-road vehicles.

"The NPWS is using hair-splitting reasoning to suggest that building three glamping beside these ancient formations won't impact them. You cannot build a glamping resort in a pagoda landscape without blighting that landscape forever," said Mr. Muir. "If these resorts go ahead, it sets a gold-plated precedent for damaging development in every high-quality scenic location across our national park system. It stinks."

Concerns over "Developer Firewall" and Corporate Transparency

Wilderness Australia is raising the alarm over the lack of transparency regarding the commercial arrangements. The lease proposal remains hidden from public view, despite the impending takeover of Wild Bush Luxury assets by Intrepid Travel for $5.1 million.

"The NPWS is doing the dirty work for these private companies, shielding them from the brunt of the consent process so their green credentials remain unsullied," Mr. Muir said. "Intrepid Travel has a strong reputation, but they are stepping into a project that has already seen thousands of objections. We urge Intrepid to reconsider whether they want their brand linked to the blighting of pristine pagoda landscapes."

Call to Action

Wilderness Australia is calling on the public to lodge formal objections before the exhibition period closes.

"Environment Minister Penny Sharpe needs to decide if her legacy will be the protection of our national parks or the damaging privatisation of them," Mr. Muir concluded.

The draft Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is on exhibition until 5:00 PM, Thursday 26 February, 2026.

### ENDS ###

Media Contact: Keith Muir, O.A.M., spokesperson, Wilderness Australia 
mobile 0412791404; email keith.muir6@bigpond.com

About Wilderness Australia: Wilderness Australia is a leading advocacy group dedicated to the protection and restoration of Australia’s wild places and the integrity of its national park system.

MEDIA RELEASE 
Toxic pollution in Sydney’s drinking water catchment surges far beyond approved limits 
11th December 2025 

The Gardens of Stone Alliance is raising the alarm after extreme pollution levels were recorded yesterday morning in waterways feeding Sydney’s drinking water supply. 

WaterNSW real-time monitoring shows that salinity levels in Wangcol Creek and the Coxs River are now up to ten times higher than the maximum levels set for treated mine water and far exceed national water quality guidelines. 

Just a month after warnings about dangerous salinity spikes in the Coxs River, new data shows pollution levels have more than doubled, with no meaningful action taken. 

Such readings indicate the presence of dissolved toxicants – including heavy metals – at concentrations that are acutely dangerous to aquatic life and pose a growing risk to downstream drinking water supplies. 

These spikes follow years of community complaints and formal reports about illegal, unlicensed and excessive discharges from EnergyAustralia’s Mount Piper Power Station and Centennial Coal’s mines near Lithgow – yet the NSW Government has failed to halt the deterioration.  

Jacqui Mills from the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, on behalf of the Gardens of Stone Alliance, said:  

“This is the latest in a long line of warnings. The system is failing to protect Sydney’s drinking water catchment, and the government cannot keep looking the other way.” 

“Every complaint, every dataset, every spike tells the same story: coal operations in Lithgow are polluting Sydney’s drinking water catchment, and government agencies are failing to stop it.” 

Background 

How the 10 December salinity readings compare to Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council (ANZECC) guidelines: 

Both readings exceed the ANZECC guideline of 350 μS/cm for slightly disturbed ecosystems: 

·                 Wangcol Creek recorded 3,298 μS/cm, over nine times higher  

·                 On 10 November Wangcol Creek recorded 1,378 µS/cm (as noted in the 17 November NCC media release) 

·                 Coxs River recorded 1,389 μS/cm, nearly four times higher  

·                 On 10 November Coxs River recorded 963 uS/cm (as noted in the 17 November NCC media release) 

What high salinity means 

Salinity is not ‘just salt’ but reflects the total dissolved load of ions and contaminants, which could include: 

·                 Sulphates and chlorides 

·                 Heavy metals  

·                 Other mine-derived toxins harmful to wildlife and water infrastructure 

Extreme salinity causes 

·                 Osmotic shock in fish and aquatic invertebrates 

·                 Immediate toxicity at higher levels 

·                 Long-term ecosystem collapse due to the elimination of sensitive species 

History of community concerns and complaints 

·                 Local volunteers have monitored creeks for 20 years, documenting repeated extreme pollution events. 

·                 Multiple complaints have been submitted to the EPA and concerns raised with WaterNSW and the Department of Planning regarding unlicensed and non-compliant discharges.  

·                 Today’s high salinity levels were confirmed by readings taken by Lithgow Environment Group and reported to the EPA for action. 

Government agencies have repeatedly: 

·                 Declined to impose salinity limits on key discharge points 

·                 Allowed industry claims that contaminated releases count as acceptable ‘environmental flows’ 

·                 Failed to act on long-known water quality exceedances 

·                 Allowed strict water quality rules for Sydney’s drinking water to be sidestepped 

Image: Water from licensed discharge point LDP001, which flows into Wangcol Creek, photographed on 2 December 2025 when salinity measured 4,250 μS/cm.  

Supplied by Lithgow Environment Group and used with permission. 

ENDS 

Media contact: Madeline Hayman-Reber  
E: mhaymanreber@nature.org.au M: 0404 935 157 

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE – GARDENS OF STONE ALLIANCE

Unity ticket calls to halt Blue Mountains coal destruction

11 August 2025

At the Rise Against Coal public meeting on the weekend, four prominent speakers revealed the true cost of coal mining in the Blue Mountains and ended with a unanimous resolution calling for an end to the damage and to establish a parliamentary inquiry.

‘Today the community and public meeting speakers joined a unity ticket for action to stop coal destroying the Blue Mountains and polluting Sydney’s drinking water, including Labor local member Trish Doyle and Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill’, said Gardens of Stone Alliance spokesperson Andrew Cox.

The Katoomba meeting heard how dozens of rare swamps have been destroyed and Sydney’s drinking water supply polluted by vast volumes of mine wastewater. 

Mine water required to be contained in Thompsons Creek Reservoir is instead being discharged without consent into the Coxs River.

Western Sydney Uni Assoc. Prof. and water pollution expert Dr Ian Wright said, ‘high levels of pollution leaking from the primary waste dump at Mt Piper Power Station and mixed with coal mine drainage are flowing into a Coxs River tributary.’ 

‘This is the worst water pollution site in Sydney’s drinking water catchment that I've seen in 30 years in my science’, said Dr Wright.

NSW Upper House Greens Member, Sue Higginson, told the meeting that ‘Centennial Coal are polluting Sydney’s water supply and that legacy of filth is building.’

The 125 participants unanimously passed a 4-point motion at the end of the meeting calling for a halt to the damage caused by the coal industry in the Gardens of Stone region.

Parliamentary secretary for the environment and state member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, told the meeting that she ‘absolutely support[s] the motion today’ and agreed to present it to the Minns government.

Speaker and Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill, also backed the motion and agreed to ‘bring a Mayoral minute to council, supporting your resolution here today and supporting a parliamentary inquiry as you ask us to do.’

‘How did we allow Sydney’s drinking water supply to become polluted and Blue Mountains heritage to be destroyed without effective controls?’ asked Jacqui Mumford, Nature Conservation Council of NSW CEO.

‘It is astounding that Centennial Coal, Energy Australia or the NSW government have no long-term plan to treat and limit the vast amounts of mine waste that will flood out of the mines under Newnes Plateau once these mines start closing from next year.

‘Only a parliamentary inquiry can get to the bottom of this debacle, protect the Gardens of Stone and safeguard Sydney’s drinking water supply’, said Ms Mumford.

Media contact: Andrew Cox

E: andrew@4nature.org M: 0438 588 040

Note: Spokespeople are available for comment on request

Meeting resolution

At the Rise Against Coal community meeting held on Saturday 9 August in Katoomba, 125 citizens on a wet wintry day unanimously supported the following resolution:

To stop the damage caused by the coal industry in the Gardens of Stone region, this public meeting calls for the NSW government to deliver:

• An immediate halt to water pollution and nature and heritage destruction;
• A NSW Parliamentary Inquiry to correct regulatory failures and prevent further damage caused to this sensitive region by the coal industry;
• Protection of Sydney’s drinking water catchment through Labor’s promised river health laws;
• A coal phase-out and rehabilitation plan that secures the health of rivers, nature and the community.

Meeting speakers

Speaking at the Rise Against Coal community meeting were:

• Dr Ian Wright, Associate Professor, environmental science, Western Sydney University
• Trish Doyle, NSW MP for Blue Mountains and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Energy and Environment
• Mark Greenhill, Mayor, Blue Mountains City Council
• Sue Higginson, Greens member of the NSW Legislative Council

About the meeting organisers

The Rise Against Coal community meeting on Saturday 9 August was held at Katoomba Civic Centre and organised by the Gardens of Stone Alliance and Young Nerve. It was followed by the Hardcore for a Cause Protest Concert later that day.

Gardens of Stone Alliance works to protect the Gardens of Stone region north of Lithgow. Its streams, rare and threatened plants and animals, towering cliffs, spectacular pagoda landscape and nationally listed swamps are being damaged by coal mining. Alliance members are Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Lithgow Environment Group, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Wilderness Australia, 4nature, National Parks Association of NSW and Bushwalking NSW.

Young Nerve is a Blue Mountains music event business and donated 100% of the protest concert profits to the Gardens of Stone Alliance.

ENDS

Briefing on the problems associated with Springvale's water treatment plant

“A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) report has dismissed thousands of objections to three clusters of cabins proposed in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow by claiming the resorts are low impact and not in pagoda landscapes[i]”, Keith Muir of the Gardens of Stone Alliance* said.

He said that “The NPWS prejudiced its future determination on the proposed resorts by stating they are of low impact prior to the environmental assessment process. Yet the report, an analysis of submissions on the resort lease proposal, passed over environmental impact concerns of objectors, stating these matters would be examined in a later assessment. The NPWS stated eight times in its submissions analysis that the proposed resorts are low impact. The NPWS can’t now objectively assess environmental impacts for these resort proposals as they have made up their mind. 

“This apparent bias comes after the NPWS was unable to accurately describe the location of these developments, twice, requiring the lease notice proposal to be readvertised twice. 

The NPWS analysis also claims the resorts are not in pagoda landscapes. So sure of this view, the NPWS analysis of submissions report repeats it and underlines the word ‘not’; even though there has not been an environmental assessment.

Based on this advice, Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, allowed the proposal to progress, yet the pagoda landscape claim doesn’t pass the pub test. Of course, the resorts proposals will be in pagoda landscapes so future patrons can view them.

“The pagoda landscape issue has now become a definitional debate, like that during 1970’s rainforest protests at Terania Creek, where Forestry claimed the existence of just one eucalypt tree meant an area wasn’t rainforest. In the coming environmental assessment for the proposed three resorts the NPWS will no doubt draw the pagoda landscapes tightly around the pagodas. The surrounding heath, forests, cliffs and gullies will be excluded. This semantic nonsense fills me with deep sadness.” 

“When published, this NPWS environmental assessment might open the way for coal miners to wreck internationally significant pagoda landscapes. The NPWS is set to redefine and downgrade a pagoda landscape determination by a former Independent Planning Commission that rejected opencut coal mining and ruled that pagoda landscapes must be protected at the highest level. And wouldn’t that be just great!” an exasperated Mr Muir said.

For more info. contact Keith Muir 0412791404; e keith.muir6@bigpond.com 

*The Gardens of Stone Alliance consists of Wilderness Australia, Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Lithgow Environment Group, National Parks Association of NSW, Bushwalking NSW and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
 

[i] NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Public consultation regarding proposed grant of lease in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, CONFIDENTIAL - summary of submissions, September 2024. Obtained by a Freedom of Information request. 

• 1,773 submissions opposed the proposed grant of lease and 32 submissions in support.
• An earlier exhibition of the lease notice received 1393 submissions but does not record how many were objections. Perhaps the submissions were all objections. 

The first public consultation of the lease notice was published in Sydney Morning Herald (21 December 2022) and the NPWS agreed to republish to correct lease notice errors. The second public consultation of the lease notice was published in Sydney Morning Herald (1 May 2024) and the GPS co-ordinates provided did not correspond with the three resort zones, and the NPWS then re-published the lease notice with corrected the GPS positions in Sydney Morning Herald (29 May 2024).

Washington, H and Wray, R, Chapter 1, page 27, in Values for a New Generation, Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, 2015 published by Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Advisory Committee. “the development of banding in platy pagodas forms a geomorphic landscape type that can be recognized as distinct and significant even by world standards…No other areas in Australia (or indeed the world) contain platy pagodas, making them unique internationally…Smooth pagodas do have equivalents elsewhere in Australia, though they are still of national significance.” 

Images of other so-called “bush camp” zones are available on request.