Community Groups Making a Difference

The Lower Blue Mountains Garden Club is working in partnership with Lapstone Primary School.

Leura Uniting Church has installed two 5,000 litre water tanks and will be undertaking an energy audit.

The Katoomba Men's Shed is water harvesting and is working towards solar panels.

The Blaxland Uniting Church has established a 'Towards Green' group and a green power fund to provide solar or wind power to the complex at Blaxland. Subscriptions to the fund have been received. The installation of water tanks is also being investigated.

Blackheath Climate Action Now is initiating many different projects in the town including promoting free fluorescent bulbs and water saving showerheads and generating awareness about climate change and the environment.

The Blue Mountains Conservation Society has launched a campaign to encourage people to drink tap water instead of bottled spring or bore water by producing 'tap water' labels for re-useable bottles. This protects the environment by saving ground water, reducing pollution and energy consumption and saving money.

Susan and Lizzie from the Blue Mountains Permaculture Network are working on a 'school vegetable garden' and Katoomba Public School and Susan and Pat provide a TAFE Outreach course 'Sustainable Solutions in Permaculture'.

Anne is teaching a unit on global warming at Blackheath Youth College and the College is about to embark on a recycling program, setting up a worm farm and planting trees.

This feedback was provided at the Blue Mountains Climate Change Forum 2007 hosted by Blue Mountains City Council and was posted in August 2007.