Save Our Blue Mountains!

Picture yourself standing in the bush in the majestic Blue Mountains. Imagine your favourite place there. You can hear the birds singing, the trees rustling in the breeze, the water running from the nearby creek or waterfall. You’re astonished by the beauty and tranquillity of your surroundings. Now imagine a jet engine screaming at you from anywhere between 7 and 20 thousand feet above you! You can no longer hear the birds, the trees or even the waterfall. You can barely hear yourself muttering in complaint about the noise!

Birds Not Boeings – Obtained with permission from birdsnotboeings.com

This will be the sad reality a few years from now if the new Western Sydney Airport goes ahead.

The Australian Government is proposing to build a new airport in Western Sydney. The airport is to be located in Badgerys Creek, which is essentially at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Not only will this impact the surrounding residents and visitors, but it will also greatly impact the wildlife which inhabit the Blue Mountains.

Why do you visit (or want to visit) the Blue Mountains? For me it is all about escaping the hustle and bustle of normal everyday life, enjoying the peace and quiet of the bush and becoming one with nature. Now before you make an incorrect judgement of me, I’m not a “tree huggin’ Greeny” (as we in Australia like to call environmental enthusiasts/lobbyists who generally support the Greens Party). I’m just someone who loves spending time in the bush.

Now answer me this: would you visit the Blue Mountains if there was a commercial passenger jet roaring overhead every few minutes? No, neither would I!

Western Sydney Airport proposed Flight Paths – Obtained with permission from birdsnotboeings.com

Our UNESCO World Heritage listed Blue Mountains is one of the biggest tourism attractions in the country. The airport that the Government proposes is going to absolutely ruin that. That same airport, by the end of it’s completion, will be as busy as the airport in Dubai! When you consider that Dubai airport is one of the busiest in the world, it becomes clear that Western Sydney Airport would be detrimental to the Blue Mountains that we love and enjoy.

I guess I’ve made my point about the noise, but that barely scratches the surface of the issues that will arise with the new airport. I’m not going to go into great detail about it either, I will list a few other major concerns I have below:

– The rushed, inaccurate Environmental Impact Statement

– The flight paths are mainly over catchment area that supplies most of Sydney’s water supply

– Impact on wildlife from both noise and pollutants

– Western Sydney is a basin which traps fogs and pollutants

– Loss of UNESCO World Heritage Listing

– Loss of the income (for both the Government and local businesses) from tourism in the area

– Loss of jobs for local businesses in the Blue Mountains

– There will be no noise curfew as there is in Sydney

– The current Sydney Airport is not even operating at capacity

– There are better alternatives (such as high speed rail) that are not being properly considered

With the election looming, I really want to create awareness of this issue. I don’t know how many people have heard about the plans of this new airport, or if people truly understand the impacts the airport will have to the community and the wildlife. So get informed and make up your own mind about the issue.

If you want to learn more please use the following links:

Residents Against Western Sydney Airport (RAWSA)

Blue Mountains Conservation Society

Like I said before, I have barely scratched the surface of the implications this airport will bring. Please share you opinion or concerns by commenting below.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

The information contained within this post was largely gathered whilst attending information sessions regarding the issue – as such it is difficult for me to correctly identify and credit the persons who provided this information. I have provided links above to other websites that I obtained information from.