MOUNTAINS ENVIRONENT BENEFITS FROM $90,000 WORTH OF GRANTS

Streams, creeks and World Heritage in the Blue Mountains are the focus of nearly $90,000 in grants to help improve the local environment, recommended by Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman.

The 2019/20 Communities Environment Program has seen five community groups from across the Mountains receive a total of $88,760 for a range of environmental projects.

Ms Templeman said the projects were more important than ever in the wake of the bushfires.

“Glenbrook Native Plant Reserve has received more than $19,000 to stabilise the eroding streambank at Knapsack Gully Creek, while the Mt Victoria Bushcare Group received $18,780 to treat invasive weeds along a 1.2km stretch of an upper creekline tributary in Mt Victoria,” Ms Templeman said.

“The Blue Mountains Rhododendron Society received $20,000 in funding to care for habitats on the watercourse and embankments of the lake.”

Two programs focusing on calling local residents and young people to action also received funding.

“The Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute received $20,000 to expand its current citizen science monitoring program, which collects data about changes to our local environment,” Ms Templeman said.

“This has already enjoyed considerable success capturing the movements of native and feral plant and animal species in the Blue Mountains, an extremely important issue in our World Heritage region.

“Local young people will also have the chance to get hands-on experience with a range of environmental services after The Big Fix received a grant of $10,940 for its