Blue Mountains City Council has signed up for Earth Hour 2009.

At 8:30pm this Saturday, March 28, Council will ensure that all non-essential lights in the main Council administration building in Katoomba are switched off for one hour, in support of Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is a global climate change initiative organised by the global conservation organisation WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature).

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007 when approximately 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses took part. The Australian initiative is now a truly global effort to focus attention on the threat of climate change, with people in 62 countries already signing up to switch off their lights for one hour from 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March 2009.

Mayor Cr Adam Searle said, “Earth Hour is a worldwide campaign that aims to educate the community about the threats of climate change, informing individuals and businesses about the difference they can make by reducing their emissions at home and in the workplace.

Council is committed to reducing our corporate energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and is working hard towards the goals that have been set in our Energy and Water Strategy 2007 - 2010.

I am proud to say that Council has exceeded its GHG reduction targets ahead of time. We have reduced our GHG emissions by 15% of 2004 levels and yet the target is to reduce our GHG emissions by 10% of 2004 levels by 2012.”

If all Australian households simply turned off unused lights and appliances on standby at the power point, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by at least 5 million tonnes per annum - the equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road for a year.

“I encourage Blue Mountains residents to join with Council in undertaking this small but significant action and switch off their lights for Earth Hour on 28 March 2009 from 8:30pm - 9:30pm.

Earth Hour is a great way to take action in reducing the impacts of climate change but it is important to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, by undertaking small actions everyday to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Simple things like turning off appliances while not in use, turning out lights when you’re not in a room and switching your light globes to energy efficient bulbs, will all help. Switching to cleaner sources of electricity like accredited ‘green power’ can also make a big difference”, Cr Searle concluded.

To find out more or to sign-up to Earth Hour 2009 go to www.earthhour.org.

There are a number of prescribed burns taking place each day this week and also on the weekend.

The following prescribed burns are planned for this week:

Tuesday: Sublime Point, Leura. 25ha.

Wednesday: Winbourne Ave, Hazelbrook. 52ha

Thursday: Chester Road, Wentworth Falls. 47ha.

Friday: Terpeian Rock, Katoomba. 6ha.

These activities are taking place on National Parks and Wildlife Service managed land, with some small areas of private property included, and are approved activities under the Blue Mountains Bush Fire Management Committee’s Hazard Reduction Programme.

For more information and maps, visit http://www.bluemountains.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_more_info.cfm?CON_ID=6773&CAT_ID=76

Katoomba’s Dr Rosemary Dillion has been nominated for the 2009 Women of the West and Young Women of the West awards.
The Awards are an opportunity for the communities of Greater Western Sydney to join the University in recognising the contributions of women to the development of the Region.
Dr Rosemary Dillion was nominated by Phil Pinyon, General Manager of Blue Mountains City Council. Rosemary is the Manager of Corporate Planning and Community Outcomes with Blue Mountains City Council.
Rosemary has lived and worked in the Blue Mountains since 1991. With a strong sense of social justice and a focus on sustainable organisations and communities, Rosemary led the implementation of the Council’s community, corporate and sustainability key directions. This has led to the delivery of diverse outcomes for residents such as the establishment of the Blue Mountains Youth Council and Council’s energy and water targets and savings.
Rosemary has advised and addressed key community leaders, administrators and planners across Australia and overseas.
The winners of the Women of the West and Young Women of the West awards will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the UWS Parramatta Campus on Friday, March 13, at 4pm.
UWS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Janice Reid, says it was a great pleasure to mark International Women’s Day by showing our appreciation for women who make our community a better place to live.
“Each year the University is inspired by the stories of so many women who commit their time, energy and resources to the causes they believe in,” Professor Reid said.
“The nominees come from all walks of life, yet they all share a deep passion for the issues that are important to Greater Western Sydney and a selfless desire to make a difference.
“They show real leadership, and are role models for all to follow.”
Each year, nominees are drawn from a variety of backgrounds including education, health services, local industry, volunteering, environmental groups, government and non-government organisations.
Other nominees include Cranebrook’s Joyce Bellchambers, Picton’s Julie Bacon and Glenwood’s Anne Bryce, and Rouse Hill’s Sonya Phillips.
The winner will be announced at the Women of the West awards ceremony, to be held at Sir Ian and Nancy Turbott Auditorium, Building EE, UWS Parramatta Campus, corner James Ruse Drive and Victoria Road.
For further information about the Women of the West Award, visit:
http://www.uws.edu.au/womenofthewest

Come along and meet the Rural Fire Service; Blue Mountains City Council; NSW Fire Brigade; and the National Parks and Wildlife Service at an Open House to have your questions regarding fire management in the Blue Mountains answered.

Saturday 7 March 2009
11:00am - 2:00pm
Bushfire Control Centre
Corner Bathurst and Valley Road Katoomba

http://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/sustainableliving/bushfireandemergencies

The significance of The Gully in Katoomba, a declared Aboriginal Place, and the efforts of those to achieve that declaration, has been recognised with The Gully Traditional Owners recently winning a prestigious award for demonstrating leadership and excellence in indigenous community building.
On Monday 17 November 2008, representatives of The Gully Traditional Owners (GTO) received a Premier’s Excellence Award in the category of Building Leadership in Aboriginal Communities.
The Award recognises the efforts of The Gully Traditional Owners (GTO) in working collaboratively with Council to establish a co-management arrangement for The Gully.
GTO representatives, Merle Williams and Sharyn Halls received the award from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, The Hon Paul Lynch MP at the Award presentation in Sydney.
Merle Williams, a Gundungurra elder and member of The GTO, said, “This award is for the many people involved in the protection of The Gully, the new cooperative management arrangement and those that have made a valuable contribution to The Gully being declared as an Aboriginal Place.”
On 5 August 2008, Council resolved to form the Gully Cooperative Management Committee consisting of representatives of The Gully Traditional Owners and Council to manage the Gully on behalf of the whole community.
Sharyn Halls, a member of The GTO said, “The co-operative management of The Gully is a great outcome in recognising the significance of the place to the Aboriginal community.
The Gully Traditional Owners are delighted that Council has taken this step to formalise the involvement of Aboriginal people in the management of The Gully, including the decision-making relating to land management activities.”
The Gully Traditional Owners have been meeting with Blue Mountains City Council since 2006 to liaise on issues regarding the management of The Gully. In addition to the Aboriginal heritage values The Gully is valued because of its significant flora and fauna, its recreational, social and cultural values and it’s location in the headwaters of a drinking water catchment.
Councillor Terri Hamilton, who has had a long involvement of supporting The Gully Traditional Owners, said, “The community leadership and respect of the Aboriginal elders involved has led to the first formal management structure involving a local Aboriginal community and local government for an Aboriginal Place in NSW.
The GTO has provided a way forward in partnership with Council to ensure the land is managed consistent with being an Aboriginal Place.”
The Gully, an area of approximately 90 Hectares located adjacent to the residential and town centre of Katoomba, was declared an Aboriginal Place on the 17 November 2002, under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, in recognition of its special significance to Aboriginal culture. The Gully is culturally significant for its pre European contact Aboriginal archaeological sites, its physical remnants of post contact Aboriginal settlement 1894-1957.
The Gully Co-operative Management Committee is made up of representatives of the Aboriginal community and key Council staff. The Aboriginal committee members are former Gully residents, or descendants of Gully residents and drawn from The Gully Traditional Owners Inc.
The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Hon Paul Lynch MP launched the Premier’s Excellence Awards Recognising Leadership in Aboriginal Communities in 2008 recognising that Aboriginal community strength and commitment is key to making sustained improvements in health, education and social outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Mayor, Cr Adam Searle, said “The Gully is seen as an example of co-existence of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the past and therefore significant to the ongoing process of reconciliation in the local community.
Given the role of Blue Mountains City Council in the eviction of Gully people, to build a racetrack in 1957, the Gully Traditional Owners have brought the true spirit of reconciliation to the table in the interest of managing the Gully consistent with cultural values.
The co-operative management structure will ensure that the Aboriginal community has an on-going, formal and meaningful role in the management of the Gully and that all residents that have an interest in the Upper Kedumba River catchment, will be consulted on activities and future management of the community land in the catchment.”