The Gardens of Stone Alliance has hailed Saturday’s Catchment Futures Forum at Wallerawang as a strong success, bringing local residents, campaign supporters and environmental volunteers together to focus on the future of the region’s waterways.
Held in clear winter sunshine on the banks of Lake Wallace, the forum began with a practical demonstration of the water quality testing that local volunteers have undertaken across the Lithgow region for more than two decades.
The event highlighted the vital role of long-term community monitoring in documenting the impacts of mining on local waterways and building the evidence base for stronger catchment protections.
Participants also heard updates on the Gardens of Stone Alliance campaign, which is calling for stronger protections for waterways affected by coal mining, including a robust and durable Neutral or Beneficial Effect (NorBE) test for water quality, to ensure developments protect, rather than degrade, drinking water quality.
A highlight of the morning was the presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to Julie Favell and Chris Jonkers, recognising their extraordinary contribution to local conservation, water monitoring and the work of the Alliance over the past 21 years.
Gardens of Stone Alliance spokesperson Steph Lentz said the forum showed both the strength of the existing volunteer base and the need to bring new people into the work.
“Julie and Chris represent the very best of long-term community stewardship. Their work has helped protect local waterways, hold decision-makers to account and keep the health of this catchment in public view,” she said.
“But the work is not done. With coal expansions still on the table and waterways continuing to bear the brunt of damage caused by coal mining, we need more people involved, whether through water monitoring, letter-writing, other forms of advocacy.”
The Gardens of Stone Alliance thanked all attendees and encouraged anyone who could not attend but would like to contribute time, skills or ideas to get in touch via gardensofstone.org.au or the Protect Gardens of Stone Facebook page.
Julie Favell and Chris Jonkers received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Gardens of Stone Alliance.
Award Citation
The Gardens of Stone Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award 2026,
presented at the Catchment Future Forum held at Wallerawang, 13 June 2026.
Presented to: Chris Jonkers and Julie Favell
An inaugural award of the Gardens of Stone Alliance that honours dedicated and long-standing contributions to advance the mission of the Alliance.
In Recognition of decades of fierce advocacy, unmatched resilience and profound fact-finding of environmental damage to the Gardens of Stone region.
CITATION
Chris Jonkers
For decades, Chris has been the backbone of scientific and environmental advocacy for the Lithgow region's pagoda landscapes and catchments. As a co-founder of the Lithgow Environment Group (LEG), Chris combined rigorous field investigations in botany with detailed analyses of the geological and hydrologic impacts of coal mining and power generation. Despite facing intense local opposition and navigating highly complex industry dynamics, his meticulous documentation of mining impacts and dedication to conserving nature was pivotal in the historic 2022 reservation of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.
Chris was instrumental in setting up Streamwatch monitoring of local creeks and rivers in 2006, volunteering his time to regularly take water samples, record data, and ensure the program's continuation after it was dropped by authorities in 2012. Together with Julie, he has long been a strident voice calling for the restoration of Wangcol Creek, which runs behind their home at Blackmans Flat and remains heavily impacted by the upstream Mt Piper Power Station ash dump and Centennial Coal's Western Coal Services facilities.
This Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Chris’ lifetime of translating passion into permanent protection and a healthier local environment.
Julie Favell
Julie’s name is synonymous with fearless, grassroots conservation and community activism. For over 20 years, Julie has been a tireless voice for the Lithgow environment, standing up to powerful corporate interests and enduring severe community blowback with immense courage. As a co-founder of the Lithgow Environment Group (LEG), her hands-on activism kept the plight of the Gardens of Stone on the political agenda when others would have backed down. Julie also played a pivotal role in the historic 2022 reservation of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.
Her submissions to endless development proposals were famous for their rich and authoritative botanical detail. Julie was a fierce defender of the Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamp and the Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone endangered ecological communities, arguing consistently for their protection while sadly monitoring their destruction by underground coal mining. She has also been a strident member of the EnergyAustralia and Centennial Coal Community Consultative Committees.
Julie was a pioneering advocate for renewable energy when few took this important lifeline for the Lithgow community seriously, standing as a visionary advocate for Lithgow’s potential as a leader in ecological sustainability. In 2025, Julie was awarded the Environmental Contribution Award by Lithgow City Council in recognition of her tireless efforts to protect, improve and preserve the Lithgow natural environment.
This Lifetime Achievement Award honours Julie’s fierce resilience, her deep love for the land, and her refusal to let the spectacular Gardens of Stone region be lost.