The Gardens of Stone reserve is part of the Greater Blue
Mountains World Heritage Area – an area north of Lithgow including the current
Gardens of Stone National Park, Newnes Plateau and Ben Bullen and Wolgan State
Forests.
The area is of great ecological and geological significance,
containing many special rock formations and features giving it the evocative
name Gardens of Stone. It is a magnificent landscape of great
biodiversity and a habitat for many native plants - some like the Eucalyptus cannonii are listed as
vulnerable. It is also a haven for native animals and birds including the
Regent Honeyeater and Tiger Quoll which are listed as threatened.
The most striking feature of this area is the sandstone
pagoda rock formations – these impressive and unique structures emerge out of
the bushland and spread across the landscape. Layers of rock and sandstone form
these amazing towers with weathered crevices, ledges and turrets giving it its
unique look. This “Lost City is an amazing sight and one that is currently open
to the public to enjoy. The pagodas also provide a safe home for many native
animals, especially providing the lyrebird a place to nest and raise its young.
Moreover the Gardens of Stone area contains important Aboriginal sites and is
an area of significance to the Indigenous people.
Unfortunately most of the Gardens of Stone area is not
protected and now part of it is at serious risk. A mining company has put in a
proposal for open cut mining in a large section of Ben Bullen State Forest. Apart from the obvious devastation this would
cause for the unique landscape, the native plants and animals and for the
ecology and biodiversity of the area, there are many more reasons why this
proposal should be objected to.
Firstly the nearby town of Cullen Bullen, already affected
by current mining operations in the area, will face further negative impact.
Residents will be exposed to health risks and lower quality of life, and children
attending the nearby Cullen Bullen Public School will face serious health risks
due to airborne particles resulting from open cut mining. Blasting may damage
nearby homes while the town itself will become a dusty town surrounded by
degraded land.
Mining operations will impact upon the surrounding Gardens
of Stone area and could cause land subsidence, and irreparable damage and
destruction of the pagodas. Pollution and acid mine drainage could impact on
local streams, killing aquatic life and drying out the landscape as well as contributing
to climate change in Australia and globally.
There are many more reasons why this mine should be opposed
and why the Gardens of Stone area should be protected within the State’s
conservation reserve system. Currently
submissions are being accepted from the general public until 1st
June 2012. If you are moved to speak out to save this wonderful area I
encourage you to complete a submission via the Department of Planning &
Infrastructure’s website by going to:
For more information, you may like to see The Blue Mountains
Conservation Society’s website by going to:
DH
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