Bob Brown and Bob Debus to speak at The Hub in Springwood

Mr Brown and past Blue Mountains MP Bob Debus have thrown their support behind The Colong Foundation for Wilderness push to save 65km of World Heritage Listed wild rivers from the proposed raising of the dam wall.

Harry Burkitt from the Colong Foundation said he was excited to have the two environmental greats at the launch of the campaign.

“The two Bobs have contributed huge amounts to the protection of Australia’s environment, and it will be a pleasure to have them both in conversation on saving Sydney’s wild rivers from this environmentally disastrous dam project,” he said.

“Bob Debus quashed the same proposal back in 1995 when he was Environment Minister, and Bob Brown led the national campaign to save the Franklin River in the in the early 1980s - we really couldn’t be in better company on the night.”

Mr Burkitt said the campaign aims to save the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area from destruction by NSW government plans to rise Warragamba Dam wall for flood mitigation.

“There would be over 65km of wild rivers and streams in the Blue Mountains National Park submerged under the equivalent of two Sydney Harbours if the dam wall was raised – that’s twice the length of the Franklin River that was under threat in the 1980s.

“The NSW government seem to think they can destroy Australia’s ancient World Heritage landscapes to justify squeezing masses of new urban-sprawl across western Sydney floodplains. It just doesn’t stack up.”

Mr Burkitt said the NSW government’s 700-million-dollar splurge on raising the dam wall flew in the face Australia’s world heritage obligations.

“If the dam raising were to go ahead it would be an international environmental disgrace to Australia. Thousands of hectares of declared World Heritage Area would be submerged, buried in mud and destroyed forever.”

The event will be held at the Blue Mountains Community Hub and Theatre in Springwood on March 26. Doors open at 6.15pm. Free admission.