World heritage push for Blue Mountains

World heritage push for Blue Mountains

By Denis Kevans

KATOOMBA — A committee to push for World Heritage listing for the Blue Mountains was elected at a meeting at the Ellerslie Road Public School on August 16. Geoff Mosley, who has been a principle negotiator for the Antarctic wilderness declaration and other Australian World Heritage areas, said that the area was unique in the whole world.

"The Grand Canyon in America is only 6 million years old. The Blue Mountains are 80 million years old", he said. "The only other area of dissected upland in the world as old as the Blue Mountains is the central highlands of Queensland."

Mosley said the aim was to extend existing Blue Mountains national parks to include such areas as the Nattai, and proposed a World Heritage area from Wallemi in the north to Nattai in the south.

Other speakers were Ken Muir, from the Colong Foundation, and Labor member Pam Allen. The committee elected to foster the nomination includes six Land Council representatives. n

Unemployed Workers' Union formed

By James Basle

SYDNEY — Unemployed people in Sydney have formed an unemployed workers' union (SUWU).

The group has already organised a successful rally against Newstart and welfare cutbacks. It is seeking government-funded job creation projects and the replacement of Newstart with a guaranteed minimum income.

It will organise actions at Department of Social Security offices and other venues. Other activists are also trying to start an unemployed group in the outer-western suburb of Bonnyrigg, and there are moves for national coordination of unemployed groups. For information, phone 389 1700. n

From GLW issue 25