A brief insight into ‘The Friends of Katoomba Falls Creek Valley Inc.’ and their efforts to protect a special place.

“Gain a short, little known insight into a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens who came together led by the late Neil Stuart to become guardians of a very special natural valley in the Upper Blue Mountains.  Learn about the wealth of stories, how over 26 years locals cared for the valley’s integrity, how volunteers committed to half a lifetime of unpaid bushcare, made and sold jam at street stalls to raise funds, and fought a council Goliath.  Be shocked by the truth of what really happened in 1957 and the lifetime trauma to what was once an harmonious yet socially marginalised community subsisting on Katoomba’s fringe.

This is of living contemporary social history.  This is a controversial expose into one group’s community volunteerism, activism, environmentalism and nimbyism and social justice – thousands of hours given up to save ‘Katoomba Falls Creek Valley’, known by some as ‘The Gully’, known by others as ‘Catalina Raceway’.

This is very much an Australian story, a microcosm of Australian history and pre-history – one locally as rich as it is beautiful yet very sad.  It has impacted upon dozens of locals, old families and their ancestors. It is a story about respecting the natural, anthropological and community values of one valley.  Recent history became complex, protracted and nasty – involving displacement, forced eviction, invasion, desecration, secret deals, politics, animosities, divide-and-conquer manipulation, empty political promises, conflicting interests, threats and designs by influential millions, the various meetings, many plans of development (some silly), token consultation, one of metaphorically trying to herd cats and twenty six years of community emotional snakes and ladders.

Katoomba Falls

This presentation was delivered by a former member of ‘The Friends’ yesterday at Hobby Reach, Wentworth Falls, the home of the Blue Mountains Historical Society Inc.

For those who attended and requested the reading of the poem…

Soliloquy of a Scribbly Gum

“In matters of principle, stand like a rock; 

in matters of taste, swim with the current.”

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TASMANIAN FORESTS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES TO

LEAD TO AN AGREEMENT

7th October 2010

[Signed by all ten Parties on 14th October 2010]

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“To resolve the conflict over forests in Tasmania, protect native forests, and develop a strong sustainable timber industry.”

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The Parties to these Principles:

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1. Timber Communities Australia Ltd   (TCA)
2. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union   (CFMEU)
3. The National Association of Forestry  (NAFI)
4. The Forest Industries Association of Tasmania  (FIAT)
5. The Australian Forest Contractor’s Association   (AFCA)
6. The Tasmanian Forest Contractors Association   (TFCA)
7. Environment Tasmania Inc. (ET)
8. The Wilderness Society   (TWS)
9. Australian Conservation Foundation  (ACF)
10. Tasmanian Country Sawmiller’s Foundation   (TCSF)

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Note:  Ratio of 7 to 3

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‘Objectives‘ of the Parties

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‘The parties to the Principles seek from State (Tasmanian) and Federal governments:

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1. Support for an delivery of all principles in full
2. Interim support for the development of a plan to deliver the Principles, including:
• Verification (1) of Resource Constraints
• High Conservation Value Boundaries
3. Implementation of the Principles through an agreed, fully-funded package and timeline that maximises benefits and reduces negative impacts
4. Immediate interim assistance for Tasmanian harvest, haulage and silvicultural contractors
5. To determine with industry, a guaranteed sustainable quantity and quality of wood supply within 3 months that is outside of the identified high conservation value forests, for the period of negotiations, in order to provide certainty for the industry, workers and communities.
6. A progressive implementation of a moratorium on the logging of high conservation value forests commencing within 30 days – ensuring that priority, (i.e. those in the most advanced stages of planning for harvesting) HCV coupes identified by ENGO’s (2) are the first to be addressed.  The full moratorium is to be completed within 3 months.  Any necessity for any proposed variation to this due to unavoidable planning constraints has to be independently verified.
7. To provide exit assistance for industry where required; and
8. Not to accept new entrants into the Tasmanian industry, nor enter into new contractual relationships with the state while the negotiations are underway unless by the mutual agreement of all parties (3).
9. Accept that delivery of these Principles will require joint agreement of the parties to timelines and funding.
10. To develop an agreed stakeholder-led implementation process with a finalised full agreement within 12 months.

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Notes:

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(1)   Draft verification process document under construction.

(2)  ENGO’s in this document means those environmental non-government organisations who are parties to this document  (i.e. ONLY  Environment Tasmania, The Wilderness Society, and the Australian Conservation Foundation)

(3)  No party shall be required to accept a Principle which would otherwise apply to it where to do so would cause a breach of an existing contract or statutory obligation.

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The Principles