$3.5m announced for Lithgow & Blue Mountains

16 June 2009, 2:14pm

Participants on the Lithgow region bus tour take a break in freezing conditions

The Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority (HNCMA) announced this week it would invest $3.5 million in practical environmental projects on private and public land in the Blue Mountains and Lithgow local government areas over the next 12 months.

"This is a substantial boost to funding in the region for projects to protect bushland, riverbanks and repair degraded lands," said the HNCMA Landscape Coordinator Robert Adam.

Landholders in priority areas for the HNCMA including the mid-Coxs River subcatchment and the Capertee Valley have already been contacted about potential projects.

The funding announcement was made on a bus tour of environmental projects in the Lithgow and Blue Mountains region hosted by the HNCMA this week.

Over 40 participants from local government, landholders, landcarers, environmental groups, Australian and State government agencies attended the day.

Visits were made to Browns Swamp at Zig Zag railway where Blue Mountains, Lithgow Council and the HNCMA are working with the local community to protect this important wetland system.

While other visits took in efforts to restore local endangered Box Gum Woodland in Hartley, and soil and pasture mamangement projects around Lowther.

"It was a very valuable day that bought together a wide range of stakeholders in the local area and the HNCMA looks forward to working with more of these partners in the future," said Mr Adam.

The Lithgow office of the Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Authority can be contacted on (02) 6350 3110

Media contact: Peter O'Malley 0414 611 792