Canberrans are now being welcomed back to Orroral Valley, more than three years after the area was closed after being devastated by bushfire and floods.
Celebrating the reopening, the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman said the bushfire and flooding events in 2020 damaged Rocky Crossing and other infrastructure.
“The bushfires in 2020 burnt over 80 per cent of Namadgi National Park which was followed by intense rainfall causing significant flood damage across the fireground, destroying Rocky Crossing amongst the 86,000 hectares of land impacted from the bushfires,” Mr Gentleman said.
“The ACT Government has been working hard to rebuild the roads and infrastructure that was lost in the fires,” he said.
“The rebuild at the Orroral Valley has been done carefully to protect and restore the environmental values impacted by these climatic events, while also strengthening the resilience of the area against any future extreme events.”
Mr Gentleman said that while bushfire recovery across Namadgi would be ongoing for many years, the reopening of Orroral Valley represented another milestone in the recovery journey.
“For everyone planning to come and visit the area, please remember to take all necessary safety precautions,” the Minister advised.
“Dress warmly, tell someone where you are going and when you’ll return, and check road conditions before you head out,” he said.
“Once you arrive at the national park, it’s worth dropping into the Namadgi Visitor Centre for an update on conditions and walking tracks.”
More information on Namadgi National Park can be accessed at this PS News link.
