Western Sydney University and developer Stockland have submitted a State Assessed Rezoning Proposal (SARP) under the State Significant Rezoning policy to have 98.7 hectares of land inside the Werrington Precinct.

Penrith Council has grave concerns about the proposal and have voted to make a submission to SARP to outline their objections.

Sandra Newham, representing the Save Western Sydney Wildlife group and Deb Smith discuss where this land is, how it will be affected and why her group is against its rezoning and sale.

This is the petition to save Western Sydney Kangaroos and the site.

This is a link to the Western Weekender article "ADog’s Breakfast’: Council digs in over uni’s plan to sell land” mentioned in the show.

The interview was first broadcast on Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 28th Augus 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Debra Smith.

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

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Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

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Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

Trish Doyle spoke live on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 with RRR presenters Nick Franklin and Wil Tricity about pressing issues in the Blue Mountains electorate. This is a podcast of that 21 Aug 2026 interview.

Topics ranged from measure to address the closed Great Western Highway along Victoria Pass, aspects of the current housing crisis which is exacerbated in holiday areas such as the Blue Mountains, licensing of labor hire firms, funding for Blue Mountains Hospital and Trish paying tribute to ACTU leader Sally McManus.

The radio show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 21 August 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Nick Franklin & Wil Tricity.

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

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Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Authorised by D Smith, Public Officer, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

Koala expert Chris Moon was in conversation with Rights, Rorts and Rants' presenter Nick Franklin on the 10 July 2026 to share his knowledge of koalas on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM.

This conversation will teach you much about koalas. Such as, the impact of the Black Summer fires on koala numbers (not as lethal as we were lead to believe); background about the Great Koala National Park in NSW. Are koalas really on the brink of extinction? New science for counting koalas using drones.

Listen, learn, enjoy.

The radio show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 10 July 2026 produced by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Nick Franklin with Debra Smith on the controls.

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

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Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Authorised by D Smith, Secretary, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

 Acknowledging Pixababy for the free koala photo.

Deb Smith has a rant about modern slavery in Australia...

What you can do if you:

• are trying to escape slavery
• know someone enduring slavery

and, what the Australian government is doing to combat modern slavery.

Support, contact details and other information mentioned in the show can be found via these links and in the menu of the Blue Mountains Unions and Community website under "Modern Slavery".

This episode was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM, "Rights, Rorts and Rants" 7th August 2026.

We acknowledge the traditional owners and leaders past and present of the never ceded land, the Darug and Gundungurra peoples.

Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the Blue Mountains Unions Council.

The quantum world may seem like sci-fi and magic but, with the help of Dr Danni Holmes' field guide, we can discover how to spot it in the wild. Begin your journey into the quantum universe with this discussion between Danni and Deb Smith.

On the 11 August Melbourne University Press releases WONDERS OF THE QUANTUM WORLD: UNCOVERING THE SECRETS OF OUR UNIVERSE, LIFE ON EARTH AND THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY by DANNI HOLMES. 

There is an invisible world beyond the reach of our senses, where reality behaves very differently from everyday life. In Wonders of the Quantum World, quantum physicist, engineer and passionate science communicator Danni Holmes invites readers on a journey into the quantum realm to uncover the extraordinary phenomena that shape our Universe.

One of the first books on quantum physics written for a general audience in Australia, this is an essential guide to understanding how the strange laws of the quantum realm influence everyday life. Holmes brings complex ideas to life with clarity, humour and wonder, revealing the surprising ways quantum phenomena are woven into the fabric of our existence.

Readers will discover:

• Why stars shine and why black holes have an expiry date
• How do we know the age of the Universe
• How quantum physics influenced the evolution of life on Earth
• How migratory birds navigate without maps
• How our noses detect the vibrations of scent molecules
• Whether consciousness could have quantum origins
• How our growing understanding of quantum physics is driving revolutionary technologies that could transform the twenty-first century, enabling us to solve previously unsolvable problems.

Honest, accessible and scientifically rigorous, Wonders of the Quantum World reveals the hidden forces that govern reality and offers an inspiring glimpse into the science that is transforming our understanding of the Universe—and our future within it.

'Quantum is “tricky” – but this book got me closer to understanding this wondrous world.’ – DR KARL

This episode was first broadcast on ⁠Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM⁠ on 7th August 2026.

We acknowledge the Darug and Gundungurra peoples and their elders, past and present, of the never ceded country of the Blue Mountains.

Music includes "The Quantum World" by melodysheep.

In this update on the "Still Not a Suburb of Sydney" campaign, Tania De Bortoli of the Blue Mountains Conservation Society urges "everyone who cares about the future of the Blue Mountains to write a personal letter asking (the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces) not to approve the proposed development at 142–150 Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba, and to exempt the Blue Mountains from the HDA pathway".

Download the ConSoc Letter Writing Guide for suggested points, instructions and contact details, then send your own respectful letter during July.

The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 10th July 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Rights, Rorts and Rants. 

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

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Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

The only place in the world that the dwarf mountain pine (pherosphaera fitzgeraldii) is found is in the Upper Blue Mountains of NSW. Unfortunately, it is listed as critically endangered which is only one step away from extinction.

Presenter Nick Franklin interviewed Liam Ramage, the Threatened Species Officer for the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, about the dwarf mountain pine for Rights, Rorts and Rants 29 May '26 show.

Liam described the small pine and how it is threatened by development and water run off and what we can do to save it from extinction.

The interview was first broadcast on Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 29 May 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Nick Franklin & Peter Lammiman. 

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BMUC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

Once a wonderful establishment and one of the best examples of Greek cafes in Australia the Paragon Cafe in Katoomba is boarded up and deteriorating and has been for the past 8 years.

Presenter Nick Franklin spoke to Friends of the Paragon President Rob Strange for Rights, Rorts and Rants 29 May 26 show in a quiet corner of the Carrington Hotel about the current condition and status of the Paragon. Rob Strange is a Paragon Cafe authority and advocate.

The radio show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 29 May 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC) and presented by Nick Franklin & Peter Lammiman. 

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BMUC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Authorised by D Smith, Secretary, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community. 

CONTENT WARNING - features discussion of political violence and oppression.

In December 2024 South Koreans in Seoul prevented the imposition of martial law and dictatorship.

In a world where the right to vote is often taken for granted or even disparaged, why were South Koreans so passionate– even risking their lives in defence of their democracy?

The answer lies in history and in living memory, we explore the events leading up to the prodemocracy uprising in Gwangju from 18th May 1980.

Many thanks to Lim Gil Taek from the 5.18 National Cemetery and the Jeonil Building 245 for his assistance and participation in this episode.

Featuring Lim Gil Taek and Debra Smith.

On Rights, Rorts and Rants Terry Morgan talks about the Lock The Gate Alliance in conversation with Presenter Merran Maclaren. He outlines its background and past and present campaigns.

For information on getting involved in current campaigns contact Jo Lynch [email protected] or Terry Morgan [email protected]

Two tracks by Ray Dinakarri Dixon are also played during the show: The Fracking Song and Mudburra Man. Terry provides a translation and meaning behind the songs and Ray Dinakarri Dixon, the person.

The radio show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains Katoomba 89.1 FM on 29 May 2026 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC).

If you'd like to add to the discussion, you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leave an audio comment about our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which may be added to one of our podcasts.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to be a guest on our radio show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Rights, Rorts and Rants on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1FM, Fridays from 4pm to 6pm or livestreamed via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rbm.org.au.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We are Union. Join a union - 1300 486 466 or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  

Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BMUC⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Blue Mountains Unions & Community pays its respect to and acknowledges, the Darug and Gundungurra First Peoples of the Blue Mountains area and acknowledges this is Aboriginal Land that was never ceded.

Authorised by D Smith, Secretary, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW.

Disclaimer: Rights, Rorts and Rants explores a range of issues from different perspectives. The views expressed on the show and podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Blue Mountains & Community.