Huge support at Lawson rally for the national parks
More than 140 people attended a rally in Lawson on Sunday to protect the national parks.
Huge support at Lawson rally for the national parks
Joan Domicelj spoke at the rally, emphasising that the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is a gift to the world. Photo: Robert Linigen
Greens candidate Kingsley Liu addresses the crowd. Photo: Robert Linigen
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle and society president Madi Maclean sign the pledge to support the precious national parks. Photo: Robert Linigen
Photo: Robert Linigen
Greens candidate Kingsley Liu holds the pledge with society president Madi Maclean. Photo: Robert Linigen
Ross Coster from the Blue Mountains Conservation Society proudly holds the pledge. Photo: Robert Linigen
All the speakers on stage showing their support to protect the national parks. Photo: Robert Linigen
Photo: Robert Linigen
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle addressing the rally, reaffirming Labor’s commitment to buy Radiata Plateau and include it in the national park. Photo: Robert Linigen
Dharug man Chris Tobin giving the Welcome to Country. Photo: Robert Linigen
Society vice president Tara Cameron introducing Anne Dickson from the National Parks Association. Photo: Robert Linigen
Keith Muir from the Colong Foundation talks about inappropriate development in the national park. Photo: Robert Linigen
Blue Mountains Conservation Society president Madi Maclean speaks about the issues facing the Blue Mountains National Park. Photo: Robert Linigen
Carolyn Pettigrew from Parkwatch speaks passionately about funding cuts to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Photo: Robert Linigen
Organised by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, the rally heard from a range of speakers including Dharug man Chris Tobin; National Parks Association president Anne Dickson; Joan Domicelj, the former chair of Greater Blue Mountains and Australian World Heritage Committee and Parkwatch co-ordinator Carolyn Pettigrew.
“We wanted to show the candidates in the upcoming state election how much the Blue Mountains community cares about our national parks,” said society president Madi Maclean. “I think we achieved that loud and clear”.
The conservation society also asked NSW election candidates for the seats of Blue Mountains and Penrith to complete a questionnaire seeking their position on several environmental issues.
In the Blue Mountains, Labor sitting member Trish Doyle, Liberal Owen Laffin, the Greens' Kingsley Liu and Greg Keightley from the Animal Justice Party responded.
While Ms Doyle, Mr Liu and Mr Keightley provided a direct response to the questions, which made it easy to determine their support or not for an issue, Mr Laffin provided a "NSW government response from the Minister for the Environment (Gabrielle Upton, MP)".
On controversial issues such as raising the Warragamba Dam wall by 14 metres, Ms Doyle, Mr Liu and Mr Keightley were against. Mr Laffin said: "The Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley has the highest single flood exposure in Australia. The NSW Liberals and Nationals government supports the dam proposal in order to reduce the significant risk that exists now for downstream communities."
On the Western Sydney Airport, Mr Laffin said: "The NSW government supports the Commonwealth government’s investment in a new airport for western Sydney."
Ms Doyle said she would "continue to raise awareness of the ill-effects of this project and encourage decision makers to hear alternative proposals for jobs and transportation that are sustainable and not environmentally disastrous."
Mr Liu said the Greens are the only party with a no WSA policy, and Mr Keightley said he would "fight hard to encourage the government to abandon the airport construction in favour of less environmentally damaging infrastructure such as high speed rail."
View all responses at www.bluemountains.org.au.