I believe climate change is real.

Yes!

Yes. There is overwhelming scientific evidence of human-induced climate change and the threats it imposes has a direct impact on the Blue Mountains environment, notably increasing the risk and intensity of fires.

I believe that human activity is a contributor to climate change.

Yes!

Yes. It is very likely that the increase in green house gases, in the more recent past, is induced by human activity and is affecting our climate. Each IPCC assessment report has emphasised the increased risk to our food, water and the economy because of climate change.

This is a fundamentally important question for humanity broadly. Examining it specifically in regard to NSW would risk ignoring external influences on a national and international level. The question of controlling population growth goes to the core of basic human rights issues and poses moral and ethical dilemmas.
Many contentious approaches have been tried or proposed, from closing borders to China’s population control measures.
Education, especially for women and girls, is a key to decreasing birth rates and increasing the standards of living. Until cultural norms change regarding reproduction and gender equality this problem will remain.

I concur with the view that unless we seriously invest in renewable energies then resource depletion issues will be incredibly problematic. Human behaviour must change and education is the key. It is widely expected that world GDP growth will continue to rise and with it energy consumption will continue to grow. Many predict (perhaps optimistically) that whilst oil supply will decline, it will occur slowly enough that other fuels can replace its loss. ‘Renewables’ are our future: planning, leadership, policy, legislation and lifestyle ‘choices’ must reflect this. Population growth, and that of the economy, with a limited or restricted food supply will continue to be debated alongside and because of the environmental imprint we leave. In short, an ‘ecological footprint analysis’ will always demonstrate our unsustainable ways of living. I wholeheartedly believe in BMCS’ aims & advocate the highlighted objectives (insofar as advocating a broad-brush model of growth/change where human behaviour is unpredictable): • Promote ecological sustainability as the basis for all human activities; • Preserve the natural environment: flora, fauna, habitat, water, land and air; and,• Actively oppose those human activities which degrade or destroy the natural environment.

First, a change is needed to a low-carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive NSW to address our impact on the environment. This will affect the way we view our population. We need to address our ecological footprint by looking at factors such as: consumption patterns and levels, distribution of resources, agricultural practices and level and types of industrial activity, urban design and transport options.

Growing up on a small farm with electricity being the only service, I learned at an early age the value of recycling and being careful with precious water resources. My family lived in an isolated area surrounded by bush. My love of the bush is why I chose to live in the Blue Mountains over 30 years ago.
These values of being careful with resources have stayed with me into my adult life. I am an avid recycler and have a rain water tank for use in the garden. I use a compost bin for organic kitchen waste and garden clippings. I also shop local whenever I can and catch public transport to the city.

My family takes the following steps to minimise our environmental footprint: Removing weeds and planting natives; recycling, re-using, re-purposing materials; where possible absorb or minimise the waste we create; and, create less emissions by walking/using public transport where possible. We compost and invest time in gardening to provide some of the food resources we need. We live in a small home and we live without certain appliances, eg: air-conditioner, dishwasher, dryer. We aim to save power, water and money. We love our natural bushland backyard, enjoy caring for it and learning about ways to live sustainably in our community so the household impact on our environment (run-off into local waterways for example) is non-existent or minimal.

My life is based on efficient resource use. Most resource impact comes from housing, food and transport. To consume less I have taken steps to live in a small dwelling that uses less energy to run, I use small appliances (fridge etc) with high energy efficient ratings, and I rely on passive solar to provide much of my warmth in winter. I recycle my grey water onto the vegetable garden, compost and buy bulk food to limit glass and plastic recycling. I eat a mostly an animal free diet and have focused on public transport and cycling as a way of transport.

See question 7. I have also belonged to a local Bushcare Group.

In the last decade I have worked as a Teacher with the Brewongle Environmental Education Centre’s team and with many other Schools across the Mountains and Hawkesbury to educate our young people about protecting the environment. I worked casually with Bob Debus (former Member for the Blue Mountains & Minister for the Environment) and managed Phil Koperberg’s office when he was Member. In this role I worked to ensure the voice of BMCS was always represented to Government. I am a member of groups such as LEAN (Labor Environment Activists Network) and BMCS in order to work collaboratively on environmental issues, to share views and actions with like-minded people and lobby/advocate/educate together on campaigns such as ‘Protect Gardens of Stone’, ‘Stop Hunting in National Parks’ and lobby against CSG, to name a few. I have worked hard over the past 4 years in holding the current NSW Government to account for its vandalism of the environment, collecting thousands of signatures on petitions, listening to our community about the issues that concern them and delivering these to Parliament to be tabled/debated.

I have worked in the environmental education field with NPWS and as an outdoor recreational guide. As an activist I have: organised a petition on climate change tabled in Parliament, actively supported campaigns opposing coal mining and CSG, and have advocated for the end of live export of animals. I volunteer with WIRES to save injured native animals and have participated in endangered native animals programs. I volunteer for the Blue Mountains Foods Rescue and Soul Kitchen who divert food from land fill to support people in need in our community. Most importantly, I joined the Greens to actively work to change legislation relating to clean energy, protection of the environment, health and education.

The Blue Mountains is unique, the city being surrounded by national park. The Local Environmental Plan needs to balance the future requirements of the community as well as the surrounding World Heritage National Park. There are many worthy aspects within the Plan and many aspects which could be improved upon.

Yes

Yes. I support the BMCC's attempts to protect the social and ecological environment of our area in the draft LEP.

Having personally attended the Planning NSW workshops pertaining to the draft metropolitan strategy, it was clear that the Lower Blue Mountains would not be included in the Urban Growth Area. I reinforced this by making further representations to the Minister and am pleased to report the revised maps in the Metropolitan Strategy make it clear that the towns and villages of the Blue Mountains are not part of Sydney’s metropolitan urban area.

Yes

Yes

There are a number of competitive grants programs run through the Office of Environment and Heritage that volunteer groups can apply for.

Yes

Yes

I support protection of the Gardens of Stone.

Yes!

Yes. I will work with Greens MLC, Mehreen Faruqi who has continually raised this issue in Parliament.

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has committed $4.8 Million to the new Saving Our Species program.

Yes!

Yes. Review of the funding for 'proactive management' of rare and threatened species and the suggested estimated 15% increase would be supported.

The NSW Government has put a hold on CSG activities in the special areas of the Sydney Water Catchment. As well, the Aquifer Interference Policy was developed to protect aquifers and groundwater by setting objective criteria to assess the potential impact of all activities.

Yes!

Yes. The Greens oppose coal seam gas exploration and production, and associated pipeline and export infrastructure developments.

I have previously written to the Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon Anthony Roberts MP, expressing my view that AGL’s exploration licence (PEL2) for any areas covering the Blue Mountains should be relinquished. I also presented to the Minister the petition from BMCS regarding this issue in order that he understood the strong community sentiment in the region.
It is worth noting I also strongly advocated against the petroleum exploration license application by CEEMAC Pty Ltd (PEL 158) which included parts of the Blue Mountains National Park. This application was rejected by The NSW Office of Coal Seam Gas.
In 2011 when the Liberals came to office there were two PELs over the Blue Mountains as a result of the previous Labor government’s lack of a coherent approach to mining. Liberal policy provided a two kilometre exclusion zone from communities and national parks.
As a result of listening to the community and strong advocacy, all previous PEL’s have been removed from the Blue Mountains. PEL 483 which was granted in 2010 was cancelled in Nov 2011 and PEL 2 was removed from the Blue Mountains.

Yes.
How will I do this? With passion, vigour, utilising scientific evidence to argue the case via Parliamentary bills and submissions, organising for BMCS and other interested activist groups to present to the Minister. Regardless of the Government of the day I will be advocating for the environment.

Yes. I will actively seek in Parliament an immediate cancellation of PEL2 and seek to have lands within the Greater Blue Mountains area regarded as off-limits in regard to future applications.

The NSW Government is committed to increasing recycling and diversion of valuable resources from landfill back into the economy. As a result of the Waste Less, Recycle More strategy the Liberal Government has allocated $465.7 million for important environmental initiatives.
Under Waste Less, Recycle More Blue Mountains City Council has benefited by receiving $65,627 as part of the Community Recycling Centre grant in 2013, and $53,350 for the Combating Illegal Dumping: Clean-up and Prevention Program in 2014. Council has also received a further $223,853.36 under the Better Waste and Recycling Fund for 2013/14 and $196,649.96 for 2014/15.

Yes. I will take advice from my Councillor colleagues and BMCS as to funding levels required for these activities. The initial suggested amount of $20m would be supported.

Yes. The primary aim of the Greens on waste is to achieve 'Zero Waste’ through zero waste generation and zero waste disposal. The strategy requires co-ordinated, not competitive action by government at a National, State and Local level, industry, and the community. The prime objections being consumption avoidance, product and packaging re-use, organic and non-organic material recycling and composting - in that order of priority.

I will be writing to the Minister to reinforce my strong view that Clarence Colliery is required to meet its conditions and ensure the future of the Wollangambe.
I am informed that the Blue Mountains Conservation Society met with the EPA in December to discuss its concerns.
The Clarence Colliery underground coal mine holds an environment protection licence (EPL No. 726) which includes conditions relating to the discharge of the mine water into the Wollangambe River. The location of this mine near the headwaters of the Wollangambe River, which drains into the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, is taken into account and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) requires that the company treat the mine water prior to discharging it into the environment.
The EPA is conducting a statutory review of the EPL held by Clarence Colliery under section 78 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.
I am also informed that sampling of the Wollangambe River by the University of Western Sydney has been provided by the Blue Mountains Conservation Society to the EPA. The EPA will take these findings into account in undertaking the licence review.

I will work to ensure that EPL 726 IS urgently reviewed, the anomalies contained therein are rectified and the regulatory system revised. The impacts of Clarence Colliery’s mine contamination must be acknowledged (data of Belmer et al 2014), further investigated by an adequately resourced EPA and illegal pollution addressed urgently. I will advocate for immediate steps to be taken to provide for serious environmental protection measures, such as improving water discharge standards and issuing CC with a clean-up notice (supported by substantial consequences for failure to comply). I would further argue that the state’s ‘protected waters’ definition of the Wollangambe Wild River must be reviewed so that protection measures can be strengthened.

I will work with Greens member Mehreen Faruqi, who has recently called for a strong independent and rigorous agency dedicated to the protection of the environment in the Inquiry into the performance of the NSW Environment Protection Authority. We will call on the EPA to request the Clarence Colliery cleans up contamination and implements a plan to ensure the receiving waters of the Wollangambe River do not carry chemical properties from the colliery.

As part of the delivery for A Plan for Growing Sydney, communities in the Blue Mountains will have the opportunity to shape their future by signing up and getting involved. Community consultation has already been a key factor in the development of the plan.
The Government has already started work on a number of planning improvements to make the system simpler and easier to access for the community.

I wholeheartedly support the Community Charter drawn up by the Better Planning Network. Labor’s Leader, Luke Foley and I have both personally signed the Charter.
Labor believes that a good planning system facilitates economic development while also protecting the environment and ensuring strong community participation. Planning in the interests of the society as a whole must be the overriding principle at the heart of our planning system.
The Community Charter Companion deals in detail with particular legislative planning processes and development control instruments. Labor will release policy in this area prior to the election.

Yes

Although it is challenging to capture the activities of all weeds managers across the State, NSW Department of Primary Industries is in the process of developing a 'real time' data capture system called the Biosecurity Information System' (BIS) which will soon be able to record all regulatory, extension activities performed by local Government weed officers across the state.

I have no objection if it helps us in the war against weed infestation. I am very worried about the spread of feral animals and plants in NSW. It is a perennially difficult problem. Feral animal and plants are one of the greatest threats to our unique biodiversity and controlling them is both costly and never ending. We must do everything we can to limit the spread (and the further introduction!) of invasive species.

Yes

I am aware of inaccurate Labor information about the NPWS budget. Budget paper 3 shows transfer or redirection of funds.

Yes. Labor is committed to building and resourcing the National Parks estate. That is our record from when last in Government. In government Labor added 3.07 million hectares of land to the national parks estate between 1995 and 2011. To date, the current Coalition Government has added only 51,490 hectares of land to the national parks estate since coming to office in March 2011. At this rate, it will take this government 228 years to match what Labor did in sixteen years!
The budget papers are intentionally hard to decipher so the extent and nature of the Coalition Government’s cuts to the National Parks and Wildlife Service are impossible for us to quantify. Labor will, however, ensure the Parks estate is not only expanded but cared for.

Yes

The NSW Government allocated an additional $11 million over five years from 2012-2013 to NPWS to implement and evaluate the trial supplementary pest program. In 2014-2015 the budget allocation is $2.3 million.

Yes. Labor will be making further announcements concerning this issue, including funding for Parks establishment before the election.

Yes

I have consistently stated that there is not and will not be any volunteer feral animal control in the Blue Mountains.

Yes. Both I personally and the NSW Labor Opposition are implacably opposed to recreational hunting in National Parks. Labor in the Blue Mountains campaigned hard to have the decision of the Coalition Government reversed. We are proud of the part we played in that campaign victory.

Labor believes that National Parks are there for the primary purpose of protection of our plants and animals with a secondary, but important role of providing nature based recreation for the people of the state. Recreational hunting will not contribute to effective feral animal control. It will threaten the lives and enjoyment of those using the Parks and will lead to collateral damage of our precious wildlife. Recreational hunting in National Parks should never be allowed.

Yes, and would also support the same in State Forests.

I support the NSW Government’s recently released response to the report by NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer, Professor Mary O’Kane. The NSW Gas Plan adopts all of the recommendations in the final report.
Our Gas Plan cuts the percentage of the State covered by CSG titles and applications to just 15 per cent. The previous Labor Government had left 60 per cent of the State covered by title when we came to office.
Large swathes of the Blue Mountains were covered by petroleum title and exploration areas as a legacy of the previous Labor government. I am proud to say these title and exploration areas have been completely removed under the Baird Government (see illustrative maps provided to BMCS as part of this response).

The NSW Gas Plan provides a strategy across five key areas:

• Better science and information to deliver world’s best practice regulation;
• Pause, reset and recommence-gas exploration on our terms;
• Strong and certain regulation;
• Sharing the benefits; and
• Securing NSW gas supply needs

Yes. Labor has been very strong on this recently. Whilst the previous Labor Government must take responsibility for getting ahead of both the scientific understanding and the community concern while in Government when we issued exploration licenses, Labor has heard both the concern of scientists and community on the lack of certainty and safety associated with this untested industry.

Labor believes a full moratorium on CSG in the state should be in place until we are sure (if ever) that CSG extraction can be done safely without impacting our environment, particularly our aquifers and water systems. The moratorium should remain in place until the industry has proven (if ever) that it is safe and all the Chief Scientist’s recommendations are fully implemented.

The Greens oppose coal seam gas exploration and production, and associated pipeline and export infrastructure developments. CSG pollutes ground and surface through the extraction of large volumes of saline water and the injection of chemicals into gas wells, reduces ground water supplies through the draw-down of fresh aquifers and destroys agricultural and environmentally significant areas due to the large surface infrastructure required to support an operating gas field.

Each mining application is considered on a case by case basis to ensure that prime agricultural land and environmentally significant area are preserved. With particular regard to the CSG industry, the NSW Gas Plan is a comprehensive plan to deliver world’s best practice on CSG to NSW. Labor’s disastrous and reckless approach to coal seam gas in NSW saw the majority of the state covered by CSG titles and applications.
The NSW Gas Plan adopts all of the recommendations in the final report by the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer.

Whilst Labor believes in a moratorium policy on all CSG in NSW, there are some places in the state where large scale industrialisation should never occur. Labor has already announced “no go zones” for our drinking water catchments, special areas of the Sydney Catchment Authority and in the Northern Rivers region.

Yes

In assessing all applications the triple bottom is assessed - is it of benefit to the community, the environment and the economy of the area.

Labor is appalled by the Coalition’s so called “Mining SEPP” that makes economic considerations the primary consideration in mining approvals. Labor voted with the cross benchers to remove this SEPP from the planning system, however the Government did not vote for its own planning legislation once amended by the Upper House, so it did not come into law.

Labor believes the same principles apply as with any planning decision. The economic issues should be considered alongside the environmental and social issues and be balanced appropriately.

Labor has also committed to implementing all 26 recommendations made by the Independent Commission against Corruption to ensure mining approvals are no longer open to corruption.

These include the idea that we should have a state wide plan on the various goals we are trying to achieve to inform how particular mining applications are considered against other priorities.

Yes. Coal mining and CSG exploration and extraction results in massive damage to: the social and economic viability of communities in the vicinity of coal mines; ecosystems, rivers, and the geological integrity of landscapes; other wealth and employment generating activities including farming and tourism; health of communities; and climate.

The NSW Government has a Renewable Energy Action Plan that guides renewable energy development in NSW. The Plan aims to increase the use of energy from renewable sources at minimum cost to the consumer. NSW is already progressing with 13% of energy production from renewable sources, well on the way to our 20% target.

Labor had in place a 20% renewable energy target for NSW when in Government and still stands by this. Labor believes that we must switch our energy use to renewable sources in order to protect our society from dangerous climate change.

As a member of Labor’s Environment Action Network (LEAN), I support our internal call for the ALP (and Australia) to commit to ensuring that 50% of our electricity comes from renewable energy and that our pollution levels drop by 50% by 2030.

Labor supports the full Federal RET at 41,000 GW and the investment this will bring to our state. For example, in October 2014 Labor announced a $14 million package to help ensure the Hunter is well placed to take advantage of the economic opportunities that the global shift to a low carbon future provides. This included $2 million to assist Hunter TAFE in training workers in the skills of low-carbon growth industries.

Labor will be making further announcements in relation to its commitment to renewable energy before the state election.

Yes. The Greens believe that by rapidly phasing out fossil fuel electricity generation and investing in wind power, solar technologies and energy efficiency, NSW can reap the benefits of being a world leader in the clean energy economy. The technology is ready and the time is right. The investment is available and the benefits are substantial. The environmental, health and economic costs of climate change are too high not to act now. The Greens want to; phase out all fossil fuel power stations by 2030, remove barriers to develop and expand renewable energy technologies, facilitate public and private investment, and reform the energy market to make it ready for renewables.

Educating and encouraging residents to use renewables is a much better way of ensuring uptake rather than mandating pricing levels which takes away any flexibility in the marketplace. The NSW Regional Clean Energy Program has been improved and expanded to support early and effective engagement in renewable projects and the development of community-owned NSW renewable energy projects.
A market led rollout of Smart Meters has been announced, allowing electricity retailers the opportunity to provide customers meters as part of energy deals.

When in Government Labor established a generous feed-in tariff for solar households. Since then the economics of the industry have shifted and solar is more cost competitive without such high levels of subsidy. I personally believe we need to address the environmental costs of fossil fuel produced power via regulatory change and will advocate for this.

Labor believes those putting solar on their roofs should be paid fairly for the electricity they export back to the grid, while limiting the subsidy other electricity customers are providing.

Labor will be making further announcements on this issue before the state election.

Yes. We support a mandatory gross feed-in tariff at the prevailing retail sale rate, less a few cents. This is part of our 100% renewable NSW bill.