Over 30,000 hectares of State forests are to be transformed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) into new eco-tourism and adventure destinations.
Announced by Premier, Dominic Perrottet, the area is on the edge of the Blue Mountains near Lithgow and includes the iconic Gardens of Stone and a ‘Lost City Adventure Experience’, Australia’s longest zipline and elevated canyon walk.
“It will also feature NSW’s first Via Ferrata rock-climbing opportunity, a protected climbing route employing steel cables, rungs or ladders, fixed to the rock that climbers can safely attach to,” Mr Perrottet said.
He said the area, to be added to the National Parks estate, would be transformed into an eco-tourism and eco-adventure destination.
Mr Perrottet said the new reserves included the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area (total 28,944 ha) created by the transfer of Newnes, Ben Bullen and Wolgan State forests and Crown land; additions to Gardens of Stone National Park (342 ha) from Crown land; and additions to Wollemi National Park (2259 ha) from Newnes State Forest.
Minister for the Environment, Matt Kean said the new reserves would also feature one of the world’s great long-distance walks, extending from the Wollemi to the Gardens of Stone.
“This six-day (five-night) walk will feature incredible views across the Wollemi wilderness, allowing visitors to explore ancient pagoda formations and visit one of the world’s great birding locations, the Capertee Valley, while enjoying comfortable accommodation and purpose-built eco-cabins,” Mr Kean said.
“This new set of reserves will rival the Three Sisters in Katoomba as the destination for visitors and tourists to the mountains west of Sydney,” he said.
“It will also provide a much-needed lasting legacy for the environment, protecting and providing habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species for future generations.”
Mr Kean said the new reserves contained a diversity of ecosystems and high species richness and were characterised by striking geological features such as the ‘pagoda country’, which represented internationally significant geoheritage.
