Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman has welcomed Commonwealth funding for local peat swamps, hoping it is the start of a more comprehensive plan for bushfire and drought recovery for the Blue Mountains World Heritage area.

The dual blows of drought and the summer’s bushfire crisis has devastated the region’s fauna and flora, and Ms Templeman said it was good to see the Morrison Government acknowledge the environmental damage with a grant to protect the swamps, home to the endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink.

“Obviously any investment in vulnerable ecosystems like peat swamps is absolutely critical. These areas are already suffering the effects of climate change, so funding is always welcome,” Ms Templeman said.

“I hope this is just the start of what is a comprehensive, planned approach to recovery and protection for our precious fauna and flora.

 “Let’s be clear – the animal population of much of the region has been hit hard, with the once-thriving koala population reduced a handful. So while plants are starting to grow, it’s going to take years of support to get healthy animal populations back into large tracts of land in our World Heritage area.

 “Skinks are a good start, but we also need the NSW Government - and in particular Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres - to revisit the wisdom of running roughshod over the environment and the environmental approvals process in its pursuit of a 17-metre rise in the Warragamba Dam wall.

“That will wash away more than a few of these rare skinks. 

“I note the recent media report of the leaked NSW Parks and Wildlife document, which criticises the current environmental assessments and calls for more research on the effects of the wall-raising following the impact of the fires. 

“After seven years in g