MEDIA RELEASE: Beaucoup Bulldust hides wilderness development plan

-Commercial accommodation could blight a park’s glorious pagoda landscapes-

Thursday May 2, 2024

 

Yesterday the NPWS advertised a 31 day public exhibition of an intention to lease three commercial accommodation sites to Wild Bush Luxury, a subsidiary of Experience Co. The lease proposal is for three sites with six cabins and a common lounge building at each site set in a spectacular rocky pagoda landscape in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area1. 

Artists impression of cabins in a pagoda landscape

Review of Gardens of Stone leases must trigger major rethink

The surprise backdown that saw NPWS agree to the restart of the public review for two proposed tourism leases in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area must prompt the incoming Minns government to consider whether to proceed with these developments at all.

On Friday 24 March the NPWS notified Bushwalkers NSW that the Gardens of Stone lease notices for Wild Bush Luxury Experience Pty Limited and Trees Adventure Holdings Pty Limited would be readvertised over the coming months.

The Lost City

Keep Lost City Wild

Foremost among the many concerns conservationists have with the management plans for the new Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area is the proposed adventure theme park at the Lost City. Lithgow’s primary lookout in the new reserve is proposed to be for the view of Lost City. Conservationists believe the adventure theme park should be located closer to Lithgow at State Mine Gully, where it would ensure increased visitation to the State Mine Heritage Park and the town.

The Lost City

Threats

Angus Place West Mine proposal puts nationally endangered swamps at risk

Centennial Coal plans to reopen the Angus Place Colliery, that has been mothballed since 2015. The mine is located in the upper Coxs River valley 20 minutes north of Lithgow. In August 2021 Centennial submitted a Scoping Report to the Planning Department for its Angus Place West proposal. The company plans to extract up to 8.5 millions tonnes of coal at a rate of up to 2 million tonnes a year till 2040.

Adventure facilities and tourism accommodation must not blight views

The reserve’s plan of management must be amended as it currently drives commercial tourism growth, instead of conservation and presentation of the heritage values that ensures quality sustainable tourism. The current plan still allows for adventure tourism facilities to straddle the middle of the Lost City view, wrecking Lithgow’s best scenic asset and illustrates perfectly what’s wrong with the management plan.

Lost City near Lithgow - Image H. Gold
Lost City - before - Image H. Gold
Building and adventure facilities in the centre of the view - NPWS figure from the tourism EoI
Glamping huts blight views of an outstanding pagoda landscape - NPWS illustration from the tourism EoI

Visit Gardens of Stone

Road access to the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area has now been largely reconstructed from a previously ruinous state. 

You can visit the reserve by car, but its easy to get into trouble on the reserve’s myriad of access roads. The visitor facilities for this new reserve are a work in progress, with only Lost City North carpark and Lost City Walk completed. 

Pantoney's crown at sunset

Experience the natural wonders. Within reach of Lithgow, an amazing variety of ways to celebrate natural beauty and scenic awe. Many people have visited, few have been unchanged by the experience.

Pantoney's crown at sunset

Experience the natural wonders. Within reach of Lithgow, an amazing variety of ways to celebrate natural beauty and scenic awe. Many people have visited, few have been unchanged by the experience.

Lost City near Lithgow - Image H. Gold

The Gardens of Stone visitors map has been created to showcase the area and provide visitors with a guide to some of the more remarkable and accessible areas. Available for $10.

Lost City near Lithgow - Image H. Gold

The Gardens of Stone visitors map has been created to showcase the area and provide visitors with a guide to some of the more remarkable and accessible areas. Available for $10.

New Values; New Plans

Manage the Gardens of Stone so visitors are spellbound by nature

The Gardens of Stone area is more than just an iconic pagoda-studded landscape, it encompasses forested montane sand dunes, high altitude peat swamps, slot canyons, caverns, slot canyons, waterfalls, gorges and arches. It supports 1000 plant species, 33 vegetation communities, 319 vertebrate animal species, 42 threatened animals and 42 threatened plants.

Gardens of Stone Challenge - World Class Reserve or Theme Park?

Today, the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area was gazetted, with its draft Master Plan publicly released containing plans for major visitor and tourism development.

Keith Muir, former Colong Foundation for Wilderness (now Wilderness Australia) Executive Director, said:

“The Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area gazetted today must negotiate a political minefield if it is to be properly managed.

Ben Bullen - Photo H. Gold
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