World Heritage Listing

The Greater Blue Mountains was announced as Australia’s 14^th World Heritage Area on 29 November 2000.

What does it mean to be World Heritage Listed?

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Features of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area:

Acknowledgement of Traditional Owners

Six Aboriginal language groups  are the traditional owners of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area:

• Darug
• Gundungurra
• Wanaruah
• Wiradjuri
• Darkinjung
• Tharawal Nations

World Heritage Overview

• Essential ecosystem services
• Biodiversity
• Cultural significance
• Wide and balanced representation of eucalypts habitats

8 National Parks

The largest integrated system of protected areas in New South Wales:

• Blue Mountains
• Wollemi
• Kanangra-Boyd
• Nattai
• Yengo
• Gardens of Stone
• Thirlmere Lakes
• Jenolan Caves Karst Reserve

Habitats:

• Wet and dry sclerophyll forest
• Mallee heathlands
• Localised swamps
• Wetlands
• Grassland

Biodiversity:

• 10% of the vascular flora
• Large numbers of rare or threatened species (e.g. The Wollemi pine)
• 91 species of eucalypts
• More than 400 animal species such as:
  • Spotted-tailed quoll
  • Koala
  • Yellow-bellied glider
  • Long-nosed potoroo
  • Green and golden bell frog
  • Blue Mountains water skink

The Greater Blue Mountains One-million-hectare Area:

• Sandstone plateau
• Escarpments and gorges
• Temperate eucalypt forest
• 60 km inland of Sydney
• From the Cumberland Plain in the east
• Encompass some of the central portions of the Great Dividing Range
• Stretches east to urban development
• Stretches west to agri-industry
• North section split by a corridor of townships along the Great Western Highway

More information:

• The Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute
• www.bmwhi.org.au