Aerial view over Katoomba, BMCC
What makes the Blue Mountains special is understood - it's been captured in decades of community consultation, local planning and shared experiences. People choose to live here because of the unique balance between nature, heritage and lifestyle.
Cultural values
The Blue Mountains has a unique atmosphere, shaped by its World Heritage-listed environment, forested escarpments, natural bushland setting, views and the distinct character of its towns and villages. Together these create a valued way of life - quiet streets, a slower pace of life, low-scale housing and vibrant communities.
This sense of place is deeply tied to stewardship. Locals care for both the natural environment and the character of our towns. Development here has always been guided by appropriateness - protecting the bushland setting and ensuring our built environment reflets our heritage environment.
The proposed high-density development at Narrow Neck Road threatens these values. It risks changing not only how our towns look but how they feel - the very qualities that make the Blue Mountains a place people are proud to call home.
Aesthetic values
Each town and village in the Blue Mountains has its own distinctive character - its own look and charm. Houses, gardens, trees and streetscapes all contribute to this local identity, as does the bushland setting and the way people interact with their neighbours.
The region's awe-inspiring scenery - spectacular cliff lines and deep forested valleys - is central to its character. Development on the southern escarpment is designed to blend with its bushland setting and remain invisible from the surrounding National Park. Protecting these views is not just about beauty; it’s about preserving the integrity of a World Heritage landscape.
Over decades, the community has fought to ensure that planning rules protect both the unique landscapes and the distinctive characters of our towns. Local planning frameworks balance housing needs with of the environmental and scenic protection. This proposed development, because of its scale, height and prominent location, would be inconsistent with these values and the community’s vision for the area.
Economic Values
Visitors come to the Blue Mountains for the same reasons locals live here - the unique atmosphere, the spectacular environment and character that defines every town and village. Tourism is vital to the local economy of the Blue Mountains, particularly Katoomba, and the success of that economy depends on protecting what makes the place distinctive.
As Blue Mountains City Council noted “Protecting character underpins the success of our local tourism” (BMCC, 2020a). The proposed development site sits close to seven major lookouts and visitor sites on the southern escarpment, meaning that its visual impact would be felt widely (See map below). Any development that intrudes on these views risks eroding the scenic values that attract visitors - and the livelihoods that depend on them.
The Blue Mountains is still not another suburb of Sydney - and our road network should never be treated as if it were.
Map: Southern Escarpment Masterplan. The proposed development site is in the vicinity of Sites 1 to 7 . Source: Blue Mountains City Council (2019)Threats
This development proposal represents one of the most serious threats to the cultural, aesthetic and economic fabric of the Blue Mountains. It signals a shift toward a Sydney-style urban density that is incompatible with the area's scale, environment and identity of this World Heritage region. With increased density comes the loss of vegetation, higher noise and pollution levels, more traffic, and the erosion of local heritage, character and community wellbeing.
The Blue Mountains is still not another suburb of Sydney. Our region's identity is grounded in its difference - in its natural landscape, character villages and slower way of life. Development must respect those values, not override them. The focus here is not on expansion but on protection - ensuring the Blue Mountains remains a place defined by its environment, not by urban sprawl.
Sources
Blue Mountains City Council. (2019). Southern Escarpment Masterplan Map.
Southern Escarpment Masterplan Map
Blue Mountains City Council. (2020a). Blue Mountains Character Study.
https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/Blue%20Mountains%20Local%20Character%20Study_March%202020_0.pdf
Blue Mountains City Council. (2020b). Blue Mountains Local Housing Strategy.
https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/Blue%20Mountains%20Local%20Housing%20Strategy_March%202020.pdf
Blue Mountains City Council. (2020c). Blue Mountains 2040 Living Sustainably: Local Strategic Planning Statement.
https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/Blue%20Mountains%20Local%20Planning%20Statement%2031%20March%202020%20.pdf
Blue Mountains City Council. (2020d). Blue Mountains Local Character Statement.
https://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/Blue%20Mountains%20Local%20Character%20Statement_March%202020_0.pdf
You'll receive regular information and updates on the Society campaign to oppose this development, and its many other activities.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land
the Darug and Gundungurra people
and pay respect to their Elders past and present.