Impact of urban development on endangered wetland ecological communities in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area

![CDATA[The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area contains outstanding natural values. However, its recent conservation outlook was downgraded from ‘good with some concerns’ to ‘significant concern’, with urban development identified as a high threat. Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone (THPSS) are an endangered ecological community with exceptional biodiversity values. Within the Blue Mountains, many THPSS occur at the urban-National Park interface, and urban runoff modifying hydrology and water quality poses a risk. This work explored water quality in urban and naturally vegetated THPSS to determine key parameters for environmental monitoring. Urbanisation poses threats to THPSS along or outside the National Park boundary, leading to degraded water quality, erosion, modified hydrology and impaired biotic communities. These impacts pose risks to vulnerable downstream ecosystems within the World Heritage Area. The case of THPSS raises awareness of the importance of monitoring key parameters as part of an adaptive management approach that extends beyond National Park boundaries. This includes addressing regional and catchment-scale urban impacts (particularly stormwater, artificial impervious surfaces and concrete materials), ongoing monitoring, and stakeholder collaboration. The Blue Mountains has internationally recognised conservation values, making it imperative to reduce further degradation and ensure future conservation.]]