- The proposal would set a bad precedent of serviced cabins for remote, intact reserved bushland and has distorted reserve management through walking track route selection that can service the three resort sites chosen by the developer.
- The proposal would blight globally unique and internationally significant pagoda landscapes in three locations, landscapes that the independent Planning Assessment Commission considered should be protected at the highest possible level.
- Issue of this lease to Wild Bush Luxury Experience (WBLE) will render the NPWS Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Visitor Use and Tourism worthless, as these are permanent cabin developments on prominent ridgelines, and in intact environments are contrary to these "red lights" in the guideline.
- These damaging self-contained and exclusive serviced cabin developments will not benefit Lithgow and is a minor park user (>1% of visitors), while the visitors who stay at the public “Forest Camp” would provide benefits to Lithgow.
- The cabins can’t be hidden on the selected sites, and will cause pollution of pristine Carne Creek as the lease sites with skeletal soil are unsuitable for greywater disposal, and patrons will trample on and break the pagodas on-site.
If a precedent-setting lease is issued to Intrepid Travel, then future resort developers will expect leases to be issued for their selected development sites in pristine bushland with iconic views across the NPWS protected area estate, regardless of the importance and rarity of the natural values damaged by the development. They will expect that the NPWS will not require an environmental impact statement of them when there is potential to cause significant environmental impacts. Under these conditions, this proposal is likely to be the first of several damaging tourism developments in national parks in NSW.
