Rights, Rorts and Rants

• Rights, Rorts and Ants

  In this podcast RRR presenter Nick Franklin talks about ants with Sean Moore, a bush regenerator who is currently studying ants in the NSW Blue Mountains. We learn from Sean about the remarkable abilities of ants, their importance in bush regeneration and how much we are yet to find out about the thousands of ant species. Further information: Sean recommends the app iNaturalist and website AntWiki Australia. There will be a Free Ant Workshop for Bushcare Volunteers and Bush Backyarders guided by Sean on Tuesday November 18th at Campbell Rhododendron Gardens Blackheath from 9.00-3.30. For more details contact [email protected] - Registration essential. This interview was originally broadcast on 19th September 2025 on Rights, Rorts and Rants Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM. The show was presented by Nick Franklin and Pater Lammiman with the audioconsole operated by Suzanne Rix and the podcast made by Ann-Maree McEwan & Deb Smith. BMUC acknowledges the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples whose land we broadcast from and over.

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• Campaign against fast track development at Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba

  Rights, Rorts and Rants' Nick Franklin interviewed Tania De Bortoli from Blue Mountains Conservation Society on 19th September, 2025. Tanya concisely describes reasons for ConSoc's grave concerns about a 4-storey, high density housing development proposed for Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba NSW and the approval process that does not include local environment and control requirements. Information is sketchy on the project so ConSoc has done the hard work for this interview. With the approval process for this proposed development under the jurisdiction of the NSW Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) public opportunity to view environmental assessment reports and make submissions will only occur for a limited 14 or 28 days in March 2026. Campaign information will be available in a ConSoc pamphlet, the Blue Mountains Gazette and the Blue Mountains Conservation Society's website. Look under Campaigns at blue mountains.org.auThe radio show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 19 September 2025 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. 

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• Peace Symposium Katoomba

  Veterans of the Peace Movement, groups like ICAN, Rotary and Quakers, and young activists gathered for a Peace Symposium in Katoomba in the 80th year since the US obliterated the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima with nuclear weapons.The event included internationally renowned speakers Robert Tickner AO, the Ambassador for ICAN, and Dr Siswo Pramono, Indonesian Ambassador, as well as Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman and the Mayor of the Blue Mountains, Mark Greenhill.As the event drew to a close, MC Nick Franklin asked these speakers what they would like to see people take away from the event and what they can do as individuals.Also mentioned by Robert Tickner AO, was the Justice Reform Initiative.This episode was recorded at the Planetary Health Initiative Katoomba on Saturday 2nd August 2025.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. 

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• John Ellison tribute - artist and founder of the Winter Magic Festival

  This interview with the late John Ellison was recorded at nolan on lovel gallery on June 20th 2025 by Merran Maclaren and played the same day on the Rights, Rorts and Rants radio show. The interview was recorded during 'Flexing', an exhibition of John's watercolour paintings. The paintings in the exhibition are discussed first then Merran asks John about the history of The Winter Magic Festival which John founded in 1994 and which ran for 25 years in its original format. John's concept behind The Winter Magic Festival was in John's words "to celebrate your own brand of magic."As John sadly passed away after this interview was recorded this podcast is a tribute to John Ellison from BMUC and Rights, Rorts and Rants.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.The show was first broadcast on Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 FM on 20 June 2025 and will be replayed on 5th September 2025 by Blue Mountains Unions & Community and presented by Merran Maclaren. The podcast produced by Ann-Maree McEwan 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.Authorised by D Smith, Management Committee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Mountains Unions Council Inc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, 52-52A Great Western Hwy, Mount Victoria, NSW. 

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• Global Trade and How to Rig It

  Global trade could be all about solidarity and meeting human needs. Instead it's a game of bullies, billionaires, bullets, and embargoes. How do we stand up - as nations, as people - for something better?Latin America has decades of experience of US interference in their economies and governments that the rest of the world can learn from.Dr Rodrigo Acuña - journalist, filmmaker, teacher, Latin America expert - spoke about the Latin American experience on Cuban National Rebellion Day.This episode was recorded at the Family Hotel, Katoomba during "Politics in the Pub" on 26th July 2025.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. Image credit: 'Trump' by Isaszas CCO 1.0

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