Current Issues facing BMCC

MODULE 10

Key Challenge - fostering social and economic well being while protecting and enhancing the Blue Mountains World Heritage environment.

City for Visitors - challenges

Managing the impact of visitation to the Blue Mountains on natural areas and local communities;
Reducing increased traffic congestion from tourism on the Great Western Highway and in towns and villages;
Meeting World Heritage Listing requirements that all people have an opportunity to learn about the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage values through experience, interpretation and education;
Addressing over reliance of the local economy on the tourism industry; and
Expanding Blue Mountains tourism beyond a nature based industry.

City on the Edge - challenges

Retaining a Blue Mountains identity and not being subsumed by Sydney;
Reducing the pressure of suburbanisation from Western Sydney's sprawling urban growth;
Reducing the social and environmental impacts of large numbers of people commuting to work in Sydney;
Protecting catchments in the Blue Mountains area that provide Sydney's drinking water; and
Addressing impacts from large numbers of Sydney based visitors attracted to their adjacent World Heritage Area.

City in a World Heritage National Park - challenges

Increasing our understanding and knowledge of the Blue Mountains World Heritage environment and its natural assets and what it means to live sustainably in it;
Managing the extensive urban / bushland interface to minimise urban impacts;
Encouraging appropriate settlement patterns and urban forms which accommodate some population growth while minimising impact on the World Heritage environment;
Working out how best to use the extremely limited amount of land available for living in the Blue Mountains Local Government Area;
Creating a vibrant and thriving Blue Mountains economy without impacting on the environment;
Resourcing the additional responsibilities imposed by being a City within a World Heritage National Park; and
Protecting biodiversity in one of the most bushfire prone areas in Australia.

City at Risk - challenges

Managing historical development patterns that expose many houses to high levels of bushfire risk;
Residents being properly prepared for bushfire risk so that loss of life and property are minimised;
Maintaining ongoing awareness of and preparedness for bushfire risk amongst residents;
Improving bush fire preparedness and retrofitting existing development to minimise bushfire risk; and
Evacuating Blue Mountains residents in emergencies.

City as Bridge - challenges

Being a thoroughfare for the transport of goods and people across New South Wales as well as a key local road;
Reducing the impact on safety and amenity from freight trucks travelling through the Blue Mountains;
Reducing the social economic and environmental impacts of upgrades to the Great Western Highway as a Road of National Importance; and
Providing local access across and along the Transport Corridor.

City Divided - challenges

Providing opportunities for all Blue Mountains residents to access services and facilities in a City divided into 27 scattered towns and villages;
Addressing the significant differences in socio-economic well-being and health status between the upper and Lower Mountains;
Maintaining affordable and accessible housing choice;
Addressing the health and service needs of those without access to transport;
Improving transport connections between and within Blue Mountains towns and villages;
Managing the increasing division of towns and villages brought about by upgrades of the Great Western Highway; and
Maintaining a diverse population in the Blue Mountains with a healthy mix of different age groups.

From Towards a More Sustainable Blue Mountains - A Map for Action 2000-2025 www.sustainablebluemountains.net.au