Media Releases

“The recent approval to mine coal under the fragile gravity fed Upper Canal[1] places this critical water supply infrastructure at risk of damage and being shut down,” said Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The Upper Canal provides 20 per cent of Sydney's water and connects Broughtons Pass Weir on the Cataract River with Prospect Reservoir 64 kilometers away. When completed in 1888 it was considered an engineering marvel because it can supply 680 megalitres of water a day using the force of gravity alone”, Mr Muir said.

“The Upper Canal went off line for some months to repair damage due to longwall mining within the tunnel connecting it with the Broughton's Pass Weir. More interruptions to this water supply can be expected when the open canal section is mined,” he said.

“Closing down this key artery limits the flexibility of the entire system to cope with other problems, such as blue-green algae outbreaks, or mechanical failures elsewhere” he said.

“As you can imagine, when the canal drops by over one metre due to coal mining directly underneath it, the slope of the canal bed will be altered. The metal aqueduct over Simpsons Creek and the nearby sandstone culvert will be damaged by the surface subsidence, said Mr Muir.

“Water flows in the canal will need to be suspended while the canal is rebuilt to its original grade, if that is possible. The promises by miners to repair damage are often not adequately delivered but this time failure and delays in repairs are more serious”, he said.

“BHP-Billiton received approval to mine last month and has put the security of Sydney's water supplies for its coal supply. If something goes wrong while the Upper Canal is off line, then Sydney will learn in a drastic way why it is always better to avoid risk when the potential consequences of damage are high”, said Mr Muir.

[1] BHP Billition media release Illawarra Coal's longwall 409 approved 23 November 2007

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

National Parks must curb feral horse population growth

12 December 2007

From what I heard this morning (ABC South East, 8.45 am) National Parks and Wildlife are about ready to cave in to the BUGs (Bush Users Group) vision of a managed herd of feral horses for Kosciuszko National Park. For national parks to concede to such an extreme demand during a public exhibition process would be a poor practice,” said Mr Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“If National Parks and Wildlife are prepared to throw its draft horse management plan in the rubbish basket to stop BUGs from attacking them, then they must now quickly pull it out again to retain any credibility”, Mr Muir urged.

“National Parks and Wildlife stand to lose their credibility if they can't stand up for their own science-based management proposals”, Mr Muir said.

“It they do not fight hard for the park, they will lose the battle. Kossie will become rapidly degraded through the spoiling effects of increased feral horse numbers. This mathematical certainty you can't put way in a file drawer and forget. Horse numbers will grow and grow till the problem gets so big it will require more than the park's entire budget to fix. Then you will find, when it is forever too late, that stronger measures were necessary all along”, Mr Muir said.

“I was, frankly, stunned to hear National Parks agree with BUGs regarding a managed herd of feral horses for Kosciuszko National Park”, Mr Muir said.

“BUG's views are an extreme position because a managed herd of feral horses will cost more money and do more damage to the park”, Mr Muir warned.

Mr Muir believes that “Farmers all over Australia aggressively control feral animals on their farms. Parks are no different, except that National Parks and Wildlife manages for wildlife instead of stock. There are 300,000 feral horses in Australia and land managers struggle to contain these numbers all the time. They do not muck about, they shoot horses”.

“It is one thing for National Parks to say that feral horses will be hard to eradicate. It is quite another to say they will manage feral horse numbers in the park. National Parks must persevere with science-based management to reduce horse populations on the park by the quickest and most humane method”, he said.

“National Parks and Wildlife must manage the national park primarily for the benefit of wildlife and to start managing for feral horses is to lose the plot”, said Mr Muir.

For more info contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

“Recent efforts to maintain horses in Kosciuszko National Park by the Bush Users Group, (BUGs for short), are completely over the top. BUGs have produced a form letter that claims National Parks' use environmental degradation as a ‘lame excuse' to justify its new draft horse management plan”, said Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The BUGs form letter states that National Parks and Wildlife ‘have had to resort to the lame excuse of environmental impacts in an attempt to justify their proposed [horse management] actions. … Surely any alleged brumby impact could not be considered to be of a serious or irreversible detrimental nature.'

“Encouraging the public to support these aspersions as a form of submission on the draft horse plan is hitting below the belt. Public servants cannot adequately defend themselves against such attacks”, Mr Muir said.

“The well researched National Parks and Wildlife draft horse management plan presents strong evidence that uncontrolled horse populations do degrade the park”, he said.

“BUGs have offered little evidence that feral horse populations do only minor and temporary damage to the park. The group's agenda seeks to put an exotic animal, horses, before the needs of the park's native flora and fauna. Their vision makes as much sense as calling on farmers to breed up rabbits instead of stock”, he said.

“BUGs vision of sustained levels of feral horses would make Kosciuszko National Park a glorified horse farm. More horses on park would also increase the risk of vehicle to horse collisions”, Mr Muir said.

For more info contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

“Last night the NSW Government passed legislation[1] that removed protection from a ten kilometre reach of the Nepean River at a time when BHP-Billiton has started coal mining in the same area ,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The loss of the Devines Weir Special Area removes responsibility from Sydney Catchment Authority for anything that would happen to the Nepean River following coal mining at Douglas Park[2]”, he said.

“The reach of the Nepean that lost its protection passes under the Twin Bridges on the Hume Highway at Douglas Park. This is the same bridge that has been strengthened, hopefully so that it can withstand any earth movements associated with coal mining”, Mr Muir said.

“The Government is not, however, strengthening protection for the affected reach of the Nepean River. The river stands to be subject to cliff falls, river bed cracking, water loss and pollution by the emission of toxic water and methane gasses”, he said.

“Loss of Special Area Catchment protection also could see housing popping up along the cliff tops of the scenic Nepean, along that wonderful gorge that everyone can see from the Hume Highway at Douglas Park. This will be especially the case if Planning Minister Frank Sartor's further de-regulation schemes to weaken our planning laws proceed”, he said.

Almost 1000 hectares of Crown lands at Devines Weir and the environmentally sensitive O'Hares Creek catchment also could be privatised now that the protection has gone. The Department of Lands is converting Crown lands to freehold land right across the state at a great rate, including pristine wilderness. In advancing the legislation, Environment Minister Koperberg did not give any assurances that the Crown lands in these former water supply catchments would not be sold off,” he said.

“Over 900 hectares of Crown land that the Department of Environment and Climate Change propose for addition to the Dharawal State Conservation Area have lost interim protection. It will be a lot harder to protect these lands as supervision of the underground coal mining and other land uses will not be subjected to Sydney Catchment Authority oversight”, said Mr Muir.

This decision is another example of the windback in environment protection over high conservation value public land in NSW, Mr Muir said.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

[1] Sydney Water Catchment Management Amendment Bill 2007, schedule 7

[2] Douglas Area 7, Appin West Colliery longwall panels 702-704 by BHP-Billiton

“Dr Nikki Williams, the NSW Minerals Council Chief Executive says “there's been no loss of water quality[i]” but the Sydney Catchment Authority[ii] disagrees. Her mining company experts say that there's no loss of water but the EPA Board says ‘there is significant evidence of the impacts resulting from current operations in the Southern Coalfields … that has been well documented[iii].' It seems that there are more than a few cracks in Dr Williams argument,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The Department of Environment and Climate Change has reported ‘nine sites of known impact damage'[iv], including four destroyed swamps in the water supply catchments,” Mr Muir said. “How much site-specific damage is needed for action to be taken?”, Mr Muir asked.

“It is a certainty that the destruction of swamps and damage to near-surface groundwater aquifers are causing losses to stream base flows during dry weather in the water supply catchment,” he said.

“Current mine regulation is failing to protect our irreplaceable drinking water catchments that supply five key dams with water. Catchment protection is not taking precedence over coal production. Instead, the mining industry regulation has been weakened over recent years so as to increase coal production using increasingly intense longwall mining methods”, he said.

“There is so much talk about sustainability these days but reality has come home to roost right in Sydney's backyard. It is hard to accept that the coal mining industry could be allowed damage the security of the State by damaging water supply catchments, but it is true. The coal miners must take less coal, so that Wollongong and Sydney can have enough to drink,” Mr Muir said.

[i] ABC Radio 5 Nov 2007

[ii] Sydney Catchment Authority, Submission to the Inquiry into the NSW Southern Coalfield, July 2007

[iii] NSW Environment Protection Authority Board, Submission to the Southern Coalfield Inquiry, 1 August, 2007

[iv] NSW Department of Environment and Climate Chage Submission to the Southern Coalfield Inquiry, page 37, 30 July.

“Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly, has become a real estate agent for the disposal of important high conservation lands protected from development and sale since the days of the Greiner Government. Unless the Premier intervenes at least 162 parcels of wilderness across the State will be sold for a pittance. The planned conversion of leasehold land to freehold title would compromise over 100,000 hectares of wilderness,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“On conversion to freehold title, these back country overflow grazing areas will be developed. The flimsy protection offered in covenants will not stop this damage. The Department of Lands privatisation agenda is an outmoded 1980s ideology that Premier Iemma should block before it's too late", Mr Muir said.

“Mr Kelly instead should be our custodian for all Crown lands, particularly protecting those lands with conservation values. The uncertainty of climate change brings with it a need for the Government to fully use its residual rights in Crown leases. These powers have protected the native vegetation and wild streams of intact headwater catchments for over 100 years. After sale, there will be no chance of protecting wild rivers, such as the Timbarra River in the Washpool Wilderness. The planned protection measures over freehold won't be half as good, and our survival in these increasingly arid times ahead will depend on how well we secure these areas,” he said.

“The vision of large intact wild parks is at risk from Kelly's land disposal program. National parks will become further fragmented with enclaves of private development and exclusive hideaways. Increased park and environmental maintenance will cost his Government much more than any short term benefit from a fire sale. In 1989 Nick Greiner intervened to stop the sale of high conservation value areas. Morris Iemma should follow Greiner's example and say "NO" to the bean counters in the Department of Lands whose inflexible fire sale agenda now threatens his Government's green credibility,” Mr Muir said

“Governments of all persuasions have acquired the rugged escarpment country along the Great Divide. Piece by piece iconic parks such as Washpool, Oxley and Guy Fawkes were built up through voluntary acquisition of Crown leasehold land,” he said.

“Wilderness has not been protected in any way under regional vegetation plans, private land logging codes or under logging approvals. Now a 20 year moratorium of the disposal of wilderness leases is to be broken. This is a pretty crummy way to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Mr Iemma,“ said Mr Muir.

For more information contact Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

28 September 2007

“Tuesday's Court approval of a helipad for joy flights at Capertee west of the Blue Mountains has placed strong restrictions on this noisy operation. Despite these restrictions, wilderness and national parks will be subjected to the greatest impacts,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The failure to protect wilderness areas and national parks from aircraft noise requires a legislative remedy to preserve the natural quiet in these precious areas,” Mr Muir said.

“We are, however, pleased with the efforts by the Lithgow City Council and the Capertee Environmental Protection Group that reduced the potential noise impacts from the helicopter joy flight proposal. The proposal was reduced from a heliport to a helipad,” he said.

“The Court restricted the joy flights to one operator using a fairly small helicopter. A maximum of 20 flights per day are permitted and only 7 flights a day on the one flight route. In addition, consent operates for only five years,” said Mr Muir

“Unfortunately the Court failed to address the topographic issues associated with flying in the Capertee Valley,” he said.

“The Court order that the joy flights operate at 1,500 feet means the joy flights can operate below the cliffs of the Airly-Genowlan mesa in the middle of the Valley. Flights at 2,000 feet above a national park translate to flying at cliff top height along the escarpments of the Capertee Valley. This is a bad and unintended outcome,” he said.

“The Colong Foundation does not accept the Court finding that noise impact levels in wilderness areas are acceptable given these topographic circumstances,“ said Mr Muir.

“Wilderness, national parks and other remote natural areas of high scenic quality are most at risk because these are areas of peace and quiet. It is precisely these areas that will be subjected to the greatest noise impacts from the joy flight operations,” he said.

For more information contact Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

“The Iemma Government needs to be held directly accountable for mining in the Southern Coalfield, which is in Sydney's most productive water supply catchments. Evidence released yesterday from the Southern Coalfield Inquiry reveals that Government agencies are reluctant to impose stronger mining regulation to protect these catchments,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“It will be impossible to stop damage to water supplies if the five mining proposals now in the pipeline are approved without mandatory protection for catchment areas. The Government agencies proposal for a more flexible regulatory framework will enable the coal miners to operate in a business as usual manner,” he said.

“Government accountability for the catchment damage has been somehow lacking, despite Sydney's water security being of paramount importance,” Mr Muir said.

“The visible damage to the catchment is bad enough to make protection of our water supply catchments and infrastructure mandatory, today,” he said.

“The Inquiry evidence reveals a Departmental joint position of adaptive management, which will give their political masters wriggle room. Adaptive management, however, is not going to protect water supplies in a climate changing world. Catchments have to be preserved at the cost of coal production. It isn't a question of costs to the economy, Sydney just can't drink coal,” Mr Muir said.

“It is alarming that the Sydney Catchment Authority has specifically rejected mandatory protection of streams and swamps after all the damage to its catchment. The Authority seems incapable of monitoring or regulating coal mining. It has relied on environment groups to find its damaged creeks,” Mr Muir said.

“The Environment Protection Authority Board, on the other hand, has called strong mandatory protection for catchments. The Board recognises that water supplies are an essential public asset,“ Mr Muir said.

“The cracks in dry river beds and dead, eroded swamps are there to see. This evidence is on the Department of Planning's website. There is enough evidence to justify the call for mandatory protection controls to preserve water supply catchments. We must forego a bit of coal production to ensure the security of water supply,” Mr Muir said.

For more information contact Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 0412 791 404 (mob)

“The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) Action Plan released today outlines how the tourist industry plans to exploit national parks, despite its stated concern for climate change,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The TTF Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy for the tourist industry to re-write park management for its own benefit,” Mr Muir said.

“TTF call for a review of legislative and regulatory barriers to tourism in national parks is very worrying. They might as well say “let us rewrite national park legislation so that we can exploit the last remaining protected wilderness areas””, said Mr Muir.

“The elimination of wilderness will only benefit the tourist industry. A multitude of motor vehicles, resorts and park facilities will simply build a barrier between the visitor and the wilderness”, Mr Muir said.

“Building resorts in national parks and developing wilderness can never be design with nature. It is the best way to ensure that our most scenic and environmentally sensitive areas are modified by clearing, buildings, roads, electricity power poles and sewage waste”, he said.

Visitor accommodation should be located off park in the adjoining settlements and rural hamlets where they can benefit the local community, as illustrated by the townships of Jindabyne and Coonabarabran in NSW”, said Mr Muir.

“The devil is always in the detail with park planning. For example, the low-scale adaptive re-use of certain outback homesteads may be appropriate and add value and richness to a park visit, but it would be quite another thing to commercialise the huts of the High Country. I suspect the latter could be cause a revolution”, he said.

“The recently released fifth plan of management for Kakadu National Park has removed a protection zone from a 475,000 hectare wilderness over Kakadu's ‘Stone Country'”, said Mr Keith Muir, Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The new plan of management removes all the previous zoning controls, including those over the park's extensive wilderness area. The plan provides no explanation for these changes,” Mr Muir said.

“Kakadu's new plan of management does not prevent development of sensitive park areas. Without a planning map that regulates park use, the eyes could be cut out of Kakadu. Its beauty spots and sensitive areas could be developed. For example, the slopes around Kakadu's Stone Country escarpment could be targeted for development through the yet to be released tourism plan for the park.,” said Mr Muir.

“Under the new plan, development control is based on ‘trust us management' as the limits to development have been removed,” he said.

“Further commercial tourism in the park would be almost as damaging as more mining. Concentrations of people mean sewage effluent, garbage, roads, clearing, and infrastructure for electricity and telephones, Mr Muir said.

“The Kakadu wilderness zone was established by the Kakadu Board of Management in 1986. It was a good idea to set aside a third of Kakadu National Park in a wilderness zone then. Nothing has changed, except that visitor pressures on the park have increased over the last twenty years.

“The many values of beautiful Kakadu National Park inspire a sense of wonder and the park's Stone Country represents a bastion for nature. Elsewhere it is in retreat, but wilderness precludes all forms of development and sets these areas aside for nature”, he said.

“Wilderness protection in Federally managed parks should be greatly expanded to curb increasing development pressures that come with increase park use and to protect the natural condition of these rare areas. Minister Turnbull should establish a Wilderness Unit in his Department of Environment and Water to ensure the large intact areas inside our national parks remain that way and are properly managed throughout Australia,” Mr Muir said.

8 June 2007

Following final approval being granted yesterday for the controversial Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort near Lithgow, environment groups cautiously praised final conditions placed on the development and undertakings made by the Emirates.

“The result of negotiations over the last two weeks between environment groups, Emirates and the NSW Government has reduced the impact on the national parks, improved expert oversight of the proposal wildlife sanctuary and protected bushland on resort lands,” said Andrew Cox, Executive Officer, National Parks Association of NSW.

“Emirates showed a genuine openness and willingness to address our concerns. Environment Minister, Phil Koperberg, also played an important role to help broker a way forward and improve conservation outcomes.

“A number of conditions were imposed by the State and Federal Governments and undertakings made by Emirates to protect the environment. The following agreements were secured:

“While we opposed the Emirates resort, we believe that we have safeguarded Wollemi and Gardens of Stone national parks and cleared the way to advance Stage 2 of the Gardens of Stone National Park proposal. We also welcome Emirates as a partner in our continuing campaign to secure the park extensions, said Keith Muir, Director, Colong Foundation for Wilderness.”

This Thursday, the Minister for Environment, Phil Koperberg, signed an Agreement for Lease with Emirates Hotels that allowed construction of part of the resort in Wollemi National Park. Last week the Federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, gave approval under the Federal environmental legislation. NSW planning approval under Part 3A was granted earlier in the year.

“The controversial Emirates five-star Wolgan Resort was originally approved on private land in the Wolgan Valley, than later moved onto part of the World Heritage listed Wollemi National Park in 2006. NPWS described the arrangement as ‘an extra-ordinary circumstance which is unlikely to be repeated in other national parks in NSW',” said Mr Muir.

“It was extremely disappointing that the NSW planning process under Part 3A failed to address most of these issues.”

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk); 0412 791 404 (mob)

29 May 2007

“A number of conditions were imposed by the State and Federal Governments and undertakings made by Emirates to protect the environment. The following agreements were secured:,” Mr Muir said.

“The Colong Foundation for Wilderness congratulates the Iemma Government rejection of $20 million detailed study of the Bells Line Superhighway. Two expert studies have already determined that this proposal is very environmentally damaging and totally uneconomic # . The amount of money proposed certainly would have taken the road scheme to the development application stage, which would have been very worrying,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“Last week Prime Minister John Howard's offered to contribute $10 million dollars towards the road study. If accepted, the offer would have played wedge politics with Bob Debus, Candidate for Macquarie. As former NSW Environment Minister Mr Debus could not, and would not, perform the backflip of supporting this detrimental road scheme. He would lose all credibility as the Federal seat that covers large areas with a high green vote,” Mr Muir said.

“John Howard may not have lost his magic political touch, but he sure has played a bad hand this time. But then, the environment was never Mr Howard's strong suit”, said Mr Muir.

“Caustral, Rayon, Bowen and Thunder are the iconic canyons just off Bells Line of Road. The prospect of filling up these wonderful green cathedrals with millions of tonnes of sediment from superhighway construction is totally abhorrent. The proposal would trigger a level of protest not seen in the Mountains for decades. Many people from all walks of life are totally passionate about these majestic places”, he said.

“If the RTA, John Howard or anyone else for one minute think they're up for a protest of Franklin Dam intensity over this super-road proposal that professional civil engineers repeatedly say is uneconomic and environmentally damaging, then the Colong Foundation suggest they take a reality check”, Mr Muir said.

“Approval of the Bells superhighway would put at risk the most loved bits of a World Heritage listed national park. Proceeding with the scheme would prove to be costly political mistake for the governments involved,” he said.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

“Former Environment Minister and Federal candidate for Macquarie Bob Debus should not criticise environment groups for defending national parks (Lithgow Merc 8-5-07). T he Colong Foundation for Wilderness and the National Parks Association of NSW oppose the precedent of the Emirates resort development in a Blue Mountains' World Heritage listed national park. If built, it will be the first Australian resort to be moved into a national park after its initial approval. I won't stand silent witness as such an unreasonable ‘two card trick' is played out ,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“Debus said that our stance was “ not reasonable in the real world ” but the Colong Foundation did not object in principle to the original resort's approval on private land. We are happy for jobs in Lithgow but are now disenchanted with the Emirate's subsequent park grab”, he said.

“The Emirates assured Blue Mountains environment groups that none of its original 2005 proposal would be on national park land, but now it is. When environment groups first heard of the land swap, the Emirates did not say why they wanted a piece of the park. Environment groups only found out it was for development, just before Christmas last year, when the modified concept plan came out”, Mr Muir said.

“Sam Haddad, Director General of the Department of Planning slammed Colong over our claims that the feral proof fence restricted park visitors (Lithgow Merc 8-5-07). But to quote Planning Minister Frank Sartor's media release of April 22 “ The resort will be surrounded by a 10-kilmetre security fence to keep out feral animals, celebrity seekers and the paparazzi .” So, I see, Mr Haddad's fence regulation will allow for park visitors, but not others?”

“Mr Haddad's department needs to lift its game. The main reason for the resort's modified approval last month was to allow for its relocation into the Wollemi National Park. Any credible Planning Department would insist that a developer provide very detailed reasons to justify its demand for the relocation into a World Heritage Area. Yet the Emirates modified concept report did not provide any reasons, but promoted the land swap instead.”

“The pyrrhic victory of a published map locating the resort facilities in the national park with the Minister's approval is too late. As I requested, the NSW Dept of Planning should have required public circulation of that map for comment before approval. Yes, Sam, the modification report under NSW planning laws did say that the resort was going into the national park, but it explained very little about this critical issue of moving the resort into the park,” he said.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

“By the end of this week citizens of NSW will see either a greener government with natural resources regulation retained by the Environment Minister Phil Koperberg or a reversal of Premier Iemma's original departmental arrangements in favour of Resources Minister, Ian Macdonald,” said Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

While Premier Iemma has been away, resource interests have been manoeuvring for a return of resource regulation to the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald MP,” said Mr Muir.

“It is more logical to align the environmental regulation of water, native vegetation, private forests and marine parks with the environment minister, rather than the resource minister. The farmers, loggers, fishers would, however, prefer a more partisan approach where the minister for promoting their interests is also responsible for regulation”, he said.

“The deferral of the implementation of new departmental arrangements till the end of this week has resulted in continued squabbling, with Mark Aarons, a key player in the Premier's Office, a victim of these heightened tensions”, Mr Muir said.

“A reversal to the previous arrangements would see a continuation of unsuccessful natural resource management strategies, where increasingly scarce resources become degraded rather than conserved,” he said.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

“Frank Sartor is doing a poor job by approving the Emirates’ resort without first requiring the developer to produce a document showing its location in the World Heritage listed Wollemi National Park,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The general public does not know that the resort was proposed within the national park,” Mr Muir said.

“If the Wolgan Valley resort is built, it will be the first resort in a Blue Mountains National Park,” Mr Muir said.

“A map showing the resort development within the national park has only just come to light from Cumberland Ecology, a consultant group working for the Emirates on World Heritage issues. The fact that their consultant has produced this map is positive proof that the exhibited proposal was deficient, as the Colong Foundation has repeatedly claimed,” he said.

“The parkland swap is a smoke screen to make the development look better for conservation. The Government has accepted the deal, but the reality is that the resort area will annex large areas of national park with a huge fence” he said.

“Sartor’s development approval will see 600 hectares of national park land fenced off within the resort”, said Mr Muir.
“About 1200 hectares of Crown leasehold land, which should be added to the national park estate, has instead found its way into the Emirates possession. If the Emirates were fair dinkum about conservation they would gift these Crown lands to the national park. So much for the great land swap deal; thanks a lot Frank Sartor,” said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

The responses to an environment group questionnaire reveal that the NSW Labor remains committed to wilderness protection, while the Liberal and National Parties are no longer interested in the issue.

“Labor's responses to our questionnaire outline an on-going commitment to further protection for our remaining large, intact natural areas (wilderness). The Coalition, on the other hand, didn't bother to reply,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“The Greens and Democrat responses were outstanding in their understanding of wilderness issues and policy. The Greens and Democrats will fight any weakening of wilderness protection in this State and support further protection for threatened wilderness within state forests”, Mr Muir said.

“Labor has agreed to develop cross border wilderness management with other states, but it no longer supports the Dunphy Wilderness Fund nor will it reinstate the Wilderness Unit. Our 1.9 million hectare wilderness estate deserves more sympathetic and consistent management to ensure survival of wildlife in the long term ”, he said.

“We remain concerned with the Coalition's plan to open up wilderness areas to horse riding and grazing, as these core parts of the reserve system should remain fully protected. We hope that the National and Liberal parties will have a change of heart and respond positively to our questions,” he said.

“We are pleased that Labor will not abolish any national park, or log or mine them. Labor also will finalise the reserve outcomes from the Goulburn sub-regional forest assessment,” he said.

“The NSW Labor party is, unfortunately, not offering any better protection for water supply catchments from the damaging effects of coal mining (although they say it is a top priority). But Labor does support enhanced world heritage protection for the Blue Mountains and a World Heritage nomination over the Australian Alps”, said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

“Centennial Coal is sucking the lifeblood out of Newnes Plateau. Everyday 37,250,000 litres are pumped from the Clarence, Angus Place and Springvale mines that operate under the Plateau # . Over then next few years I predict that the Nationally Endangered Shrub Swamps on the Plateau will die back due to loss of groundwater,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“To pump the equivalent of more than 20 Olympic swimming pools of water a day from under Newnes Plateau must have an effect on the delicate ecology of Plateau. Centennial Coal claims that this vast amount of water comes from underground aquifers unconnected with the surface, or if connected, then not connected with the Newnes Plateau. Its claim is without any evidence to support it,” Mr Muir said.

“Last year Centennial Co al won a Green Globe Award for its “Springvale-Delta Water Transfer Scheme”, which is designed to pump 30 million litres per day, but has averaged a transfer rate of 15.55 million litres per day”, he said.

“Centennial claims a “symbiotic relationship which now exists between the mine and the power stations will ensure that the reliability of supply of each commodity is enhanced.” Yet the project did not require any public comment and review”, Mr Muir said.

“For this Transfer Scheme, the forests on Newnes Plateau were cut asunder for the water transfer scheme creating ugly gashes through forest and heathland. Pipelines, powerlines, pumps and water tanks were installed without an environmental impact statement. Yet, incredibly, all this abuse and secret deal making won a Green Globe Award,” said Mr Muir.

“At current production levels, at least 6,000,000,000 litres of water per annum, enough to supply a population of 30,000 people is pumped under the Springvale-Delta Water Transfer Scheme , but these levels are projected to double during the life of the project. These large volumes of water are expensive to pump, and the lack of a thorough environmental impact assessment could well backfire on Centennial Coal,” he said.

In addition to the Transfer Scheme, the Clarence Colliery pumps another 15 million litres a day of polluted water into the World Heritage Area and Angus Place a further 6.7 million litres a day to the Coxs River,” said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

Morris Iemma and Peter Debnam's environment policies have been analysed by environment groups before the state election this weekend and both have lacked the vision and leadership required to confront major issues like climate change and water shortages.

The Greens and Democrats scored strongly, while the major parties' showing was very poor.

“We are at a time in history where we need leadership to solve very serious environmental issues that will impact on our quality of life the type of world we leave for our children,” Cate Faehrmann, Executive Director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW said today.

“Morris Iemma and Peter Debnam have failed to show the leadership on issues like climate change, water shortages, land clearing, loss of biodiversity and urban sustainability,” Ms Faehrmann said.

“The recently released State of the Environment Report outlined major environmental challenges facing NSW. Neither the Labor Party nor the Coalition have showed a coherent vision for turning around problems like severe urban water shortages or achieving sustainable cities,” Jeff Angel, Director of the Total Environment Centre said.

“In the last term of Government Labor demonstrated environmental leadership by banning broadscale land clearing. That kind of thinking now needs to be applied to stopping illegal clearing and solving other problems like massive loss of biodiversity. On the other hand the Coalition has vowed to wind-back the ban on land clearing,” Reece Turner, Land Clearing Campaigner for the Wilderness Society said.

“It's very disappointing that neither the Labor nor Liberal Party have made a promise to reduce greenhouse pollution by 30 per cent by 2020 - the minimum required to prevent the most dangerous impacts of global warming. In fact neither major party has committed to any overall reduction in greenhouse pollution in the next decade.” Mark Wakeham, Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace said.

“Neither major party would commit to protecting high value conservation land from development, sell-offs and logging” Andrew Cox, Executive Officer of National Parks Association of NSW said.

*Parties were asked to answer 5 questions in each policy area, and marked out of five for each.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

“ All major political parties support an expanded Gardens of Stone Reserve in the western Blue Mountains, giving a significant boost to the push toward protecting this outstanding natural area. This support is great news for the people of the Blue Mountains and Lithgow regions who will benefit from enhanced tourism and recreation,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“Mr Michael Richardson's office yesterday advised that the Coalition would definitely consider a state conservation area extension to the Gardens of Stone National Park, which they established in November 1994. The Coalition would make the Gardens of Stone one of their priority areas for consideration if they were elected on March 24 th . Mr Michael Paag, the Liberal Candidate for the Mountains goes further, he expressed his total support for the proposal at a public meeting held earlier this month”, Mr Muir said.

“The Greens and the Democrats are both strongly supportive of the proposal and both will continue to campaign for it, along with Ms Clover Moore, the independent member for Bligh”, said Mr Muir.

“The Labor Party, being in Government, has more detailed plans for the conservation of the area, based on advice from the Department of Environment and Conservation,” he said.

Mr Phil Koperberg, Labor candidate for the Blue Mountains, has advised that the “Government intends to continue to pursue reservation over the Mt Airly crown land in consultation with the Department of Primary Industries (Minerals) (DPI Minerals) and Centennial Coal, and to resolve the longer term management of the Western Escarpment as part of the Blue Mountains Public Lands Rationalisation process. Arrangements are already in place to secure the Canyon Colliery site for addition to the Blue Mountains National Park once remediation works are complete.

Department of Environment and Conservation will also consult with NSW State Forests and DPI Minerals to explore the possibility of reserving Ben Bullen and Wolgan State Forests as State Conservation Areas (SCAs) in the medium term. SCAs permit the co-existence of well-managed mining activities with the achievement of conservation objectives”.

“Labor also recognises that there are difficulties, and that there is still a lot of discussion needed with interest groups, particularly regarding the Newnes Plateau,” Mr Muir said.

“I believe that with this level of support the future of the Gardens of Stone area now looks much brighter”, said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

Coalition Parties environment policy offers a glimmer of hope for the future

The Colong Foundation for Wilderness welcomes the Coalition Parties new plans for environment protection.

“Today’s new announcements of further funding of wildlife linkages, pest species control in national parks, residential smart metres to reduce energy use, a solar power station for Outback NSW, and the encouragement of LPG and hybrid vehicles are all good news. But as the funding comes from the sale of the NSW Waste Service, a government asset, this enhanced support for the environment will not be on-going,” said Keith Muir, director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“Without recurrent funding, enhanced control of weeds and feral animals in parks could not be a long term benefit. You must maintain pest control measures, otherwise money can be wasted when pests recolonise the controlled area,” he said.

“The Coalition’s environment policy also does not offer any money for reserve acquisition, even in western NSW, where there are very few parks. Tourism is about the best thing that happened to the Outback, but the Coalition does not see the conservation opportunities out there,” he said.

Even with today’s policy, however, the net result of all Coalition policy is still negative for the environment. The Coalition’s plans to abolish national parks and marine parks, scrap land clearing lands, water down wilderness protection and sack many government workers engaged in conservation are very negative policies”, Mr Muir said.

“In March 1988 Nick Greiner promised not to revoke national parks or mine or log them. We need a similar assurance from Peter Debnam that national parks and marine parks will not be reviewed, or wilderness areas compromised if the Coalition secures office on March 24th,” Mr Muir said.

“Its no surprise that today’s environment policy announcement makes no mention of wilderness. The Coalition plans open wilderness up to horse riding and grazing. Wilderness is the core of the reserve system and without it protected, the whole conservation system will fall apart”, said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

There is no doubt that nature conservation is the Iemma Government's strongest suit. The Government has moved forward on broad agenda, which would surely become significantly narrowed if the Coalition Parties under Peter Debnam were to gain office on March 24 th . That said, the hard issues, like fixing the planning laws to give certainty for threatened species, outlining future plans for wilderness protection and further winding back of carbon emissions did not feature in Mr Iemma's environmental announcements today,” said Mr Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“It is great news that the Iemma Government has secured 2 millionth hectare of precious wilderness with the reservation of the Mummel Wilderness and North Ettrema areas. While not wishing to detract from this achievement, much more wilderness remains unprotected in NSW and it is not appropriate to rest on past achievements,” Mr Muir said.

“The Dunphy Wilderness Fund remains unfunded, and many precious wilderness areas are incomplete and fragmented. Integrity of these areas is essential to the maintenance of biodiversity. The Conservation links vision will only work if the large intact natural areas (wilderness) stay that way. The loss of any of these conservation jewels will seriously weaken the Conservation links plan” said Mr Muir.

“While Iemma will move slowly ahead on wilderness, the Peter Debnam led Coalition will be effectively getting rid of it. Allowing grazing and horse riding in these areas is very regrettable. We still hope that the Coalition Parties will reconsider and find our precious wilderness worthy of preservation. I would not like to start the Gorilla of a Wilderness Campaign on March 25 th as a welcome for a new Coalition administration”, he said.

“Mr Iemma has to go all out to save that part of the planet that is NSW, to provide the water security we need, establish planning laws that will keep the developers honest, make the further cuts in greenhouse emissions necessary, as well as save the wilderness. It's a tall order, but it's the road we're on”, said Mr Muir.

“The cracking of water supply catchments due to longwall coal mining, as it is not a matter that should be debated, as the damage must stop. The major parties policy of an inquiry into this issue is not sufficient. The pristine Southern Metropolitan catchments must be protected as they, and like wilderness, are irreplaceable and essential”, he said.

Coal mining inquiry could be a licence to crack the drinking water catchments

“Both the Labor Government and Coalition Parties have proposed an inquiry to address the impacts of coal mining in our water supply catchments. This is despite the fact that these damaging mining operations were approved by previous Planning Inquiries,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

The last major inquiry into coal mining legitimised very serious damage to our water supply catchments and set the current environmental standards for mining in these areas under subsidence management plans,” Mr Muir said.

“In 2001 Planning Inquiry into the Dendrobium coal mine approved coal mining that would cause surface cracking up to 250 mm wide, drainage of streams and upland swamps, landslides and rock falls affecting 10 per cent of cliffs, methane gas emissions and water pollution. These catchment spoiling impacts were all outlined by BHP-Billiton’s own experts in their environmental impact statement for the mine,” Mr Muir revealed.

“Neither inquiry proposed by Labor Government or the Coalition Parties will stop serious surface cracking. Instead, these proposed inquiries would focus on the economic and social impacts of further environmental protection, and come to the same poor conclusions as achieved in 2001,” he said.

“In the 2001 Dendrobium Inquiry BHP-Billiton claimed that providing protection for all creeks and swamps would prevent the mine from going ahead. The Commissioners of Inquiry caved in to this pressure fearing its potential impact on the Illawarra and the domestic steel industry,” Mr Muir said.

“Either a high powered Inquiry, with the powers of a Royal Commission is needed, or, preferably, regulatory responsibility must pass to the Minister for the Environment as well as the Minister for Primary Industries to make catchment preservation the primary consideration for mining in these areas”, he said.

Our irreplaceable catchments will continue to be subject to on-going abuse, and on-going experiments at repairing cracks, until Government stops the damage. Some of the cracks associated with the Dendrobium mine are larger than 250 mm wide. The new subsidence management planning approach has also failed because of the hard line mining industry set the bar way too low”, Mr Muir said.

“The coal industry is destroying our water supply catchment. A much stronger hand is need to stop the damage, and the ball is squarely in the politicians court,” he said.

The first longwall panel at BHP Billiton’s Appin 3 mine started in October last year but has already cracked the bed of the Upper Cataract River. The river carries an average 7% of Sydney’s water supply. The river from the Cataract Dam to the Broughton’s Pass Weir operates as an open canal conducting water from the dam on its way to the Prospect water treatment plant.

“The Colong Foundation for Wilderness calls on both Labor and the Coalition Parties to stop the damage to this essential artery for the city. The Department of Primary Industries approved an offset distance from the Cataract River of just 80 metres, little changed from BHP-B’s proposal. The advice from Sydney Catchment Authority consultant’s was for a setback of 350 metres. The Authority has been proved right, and we seek a statement from the major parties supporting a setback for the Upper Cataract of at least 350 metres, and preferably 1 kilometre, to stop further damage,” said Mr Keith Muir the Foundation’s director.

“Any further cracking damage to streams in our drinking water supplies is unacceptable. A condition of approval for Appin 3 requires that any bad cracking damage would mean that the two other approved longwalls would have to be moved back. BHP-Bs experts will say the damage is minimal, and so this abuse will continue to fall beneath the political radar unless action is taken now,” Mr Muir said.

“Four streams in our water supply catchments have suffered cracking damaged, how many more need to be wrecked before the politicians act? The coal inquiries offered by the major parties are a guarantee inaction. The major parties must also offer a moratorium on new mining to protect our essential water supplies and infrastructure while the inquiry proceeds,” said Mr Muir.

“The Colong Foundation is pleased that the Coalition has called for an “independent inquiry” (Mr Michael Richardson’s MR, March 5th). But such an inquiry will not stop this damage as it will tend to focus on the economic costs of environment protection, rather than preserving essential water supplies. An entrenched mining industry that continues to damage the sources of our drinking water supply with impunity needs a stronger hand,” he said.

“The inquiry process is a David and Goliath struggle at best. Conservationists would be overwhelmed by well-paid pro-mining experts and their evidence. Inquiries must also rely on public documents that contain no controversial information. Inquiries lack the legal teeth to access key mining company and government documents that reveal the necessary details,” Mr Muir said.

“We welcome the Coalition’s call for protection of rivers. Any inquiry also should focus on further protection for drinking water catchments and supply infrastructure. Rivers are important, but so to are the catchments for these rivers. If catchments are damaged, the rivers have little water to transmit. The fact that the Scientific Committee listed longwall coal mining as a threatening activity for upland swamps means that coal mining can damage the sources of water supply, as well as rivers”, said Mr Muir.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9261 2400 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

Superhighway plan demonstrates no leadership for protection of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Wilderness

Last week Opposition Leader, Peter Debnam announced the Coalition’s support for priority construction of the Bell Line superhighway proposal. This announcement greatly increases the risk that this damaging and expensive proposal could be built.

“Labor should now show leadership and commonsense by rejecting the Bells superhighway proposal. Its finger pointing at unfunded promises is just quibbling on the sideline,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“I am amazed that the Coalition Parties persists in supporting the superhighway scheme. This proposed 94 kilometre proposal would be actually make the economics of Sydney’s cross-city tunnel look good! It would be a $3.3 billion financial black hole that encourages unsustainable urban sprawl at the expense of taxpayers and the environment”, Mr Muir said.

“The proposed new expressway would adversely impact on the local Hawkesbury and Kurrajong community. The charming scenic drive on a forest lined road with spectacular vistas of unspoilt wilderness and its pleasant wayside stops to buy local produce would be lost under cement”, Mr Muir said.

“Like latter-day pharaohs, today’s politicians seem happiest when pouring our money into these concrete monuments, while we have to slave away to support this wasted common wealth.

“Doesn’t Debnam realise that the vast majority of the vehicle movements in the Mountains are local, not through traffic? This proposed superhighway wouldn’t serve any current need,” said Mr Muir.

“The detailed June 2000, Maunsell McIntyre report damned the Bells superhighway proposal as grossly uneconomic. No amount of urban sprawl west of the Mountains and development boosterism could make the project economically viable. But then, unlike any other development, roads don’t need to be viable to be funded,” he said.

“There are many arguments against this proposed road, apart from dry economics. It would not only damage the World Heritage listed Grose and Wollemi Wilderness areas, but also impact on tourism, bulldoze cultural heritage, clear endangered shale forest communities and require the acquisition of national park land. Where the proposed superhighway passes over the Newnes Plateau it would impact upon nationally endangered shrub swamps, cut through Lithgow’s water supply and the outstanding scenery in the western Blue Mountains”, Mr Muir said.
“Its time for all major political parties to drop this Bells superhighway nonsense for the benefit of a few trucks and commuters. The current Bells Line of Road should remain a delightful alternative to the Western Highway”, Mr Muir said.

For more information contact: Keith Muir, (02) 9299 7341 (wk) or 9550 3615 (ah)

Both Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, and Federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, have allowed the Emirates to promote and exhibit their 6-star Wolgan Valley resort proposal without explaining that it is now located in the World Heritage listed Wollemi National Park.

“Emirates plan to take advantage of Ministerial discretion, judging that for Sartor and Turnbull this resort development will be more important than the World Heritage park, or the public's right to know. In both cases, official departmental directions on the proposal have been ignored ,” said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

“But the public can't properly form an opinion on this major resort proposal, without details about its relocation onto the park,” believes Mr Muir.

“The Federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull should not be taken in. The Emirates have ignored directions from his Environment Department to specify all parts of the development in the World Heritage Area. If Federal environmental laws and World Heritage listing are to be worth anything, then the Malcolm Turnbull should throw the Emirates' proposal out,” he said.

“The Colong Foundation has also discovered that directions by the NSW Planning Department regarding the ‘incorporation of National Park land to accommodate the relocation of the resort facilities and buildings' were also totally ignored. So the Emirates have twice not told the whole truth about their development.

“If this development is approved, both Frank Sartor and Malcolm Turnbull are telling us that money matters, but World Heritage listing and public accountability doesn't“.

“Even a red-necked, development-crazy Government that hates conservation should still believe in public accountability. But it appears that both Sartor and Turnbull believe democratic processes should not extend into radical ideas like explanation and justification of resort development now relocated onto a national park”, Mr Muir said.