ABCNews article on challenges of increasing tourism to BMs.

[marron]

Discussion of the rescues a couple of weeks ago (still reading between the lines but I think I was right in that the second group were attempting rodriguez), earlier tragedies, increasing tourism, grand clifftop, track rebuilding, gardens of stone plan.


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-07/ ... /104317150

Boom in nature tourism is increasing safety challenges for Blue Mountains, parks boss says
Stateline



By Ursula Malone

Topic:National Parks

10h ago




It was just after sunset on a chilly August evening in the Blue Mountains when the first call came through.

Five teenage boys had failed to return from a bush walk at Wentworth Falls.

Emergency services were still scrambling to respond when they heard there was a second group in trouble.

Four men had activated a personal locator beacon in bushland near Beauchamp Falls.

By midnight, both groups had been safely walked out of the bush.

But only after two hazardous and costly rescue operations, involving police helicopters and dozens of police and ambulance personnel.

In both cases, the bushwalkers had set out on tracks that were clearly marked as closed.
A composite image of a national parks badge, a bird, and the sun

Tracks in the national park are sometimes closed for visitor safety. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)

For David Crust, who heads up the Blue Mountains branch of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), it's incredibly frustrating.

"Often when a track is closed, it's for people's own safety," he said.

"We've done a really detailed risk assessment right across the park when we look at the geotechnical risk of rock falls and landslides and we've got a pre-emptive closure plan that's triggered by the forecast rainfall."


Mr Crust said rock falls and landslides were risks at the Blue Mountains.

He has worked in the Blue Mountains for 34 years and oversees the management of a million hectares of protected land.

Mr Crust is also responsible for maintaining 400 kilometres of walking tracks.

He said he's never seen anything like the level of destruction wrought by the elements over the past five years.

First, there was the Black Summer bushfires of 2019, which destroyed 70 per cent of the World Heritage area.

Then came successive years of floods, triggering rockfalls and landslides.


"We cleared and reopened the track within three months of the fires but we've had three significant landslides every year since then," Mr Crust said.

"Some of these tracks we've had to repair three times."

Over the same period, there's been a marked increase in the number of visitors to the Blue Mountains amid a boom in nature tourism.
two tourists look at the Three Sisters lookout

The number of people visiting the Blue Mountains has increased significantly post-COVID.

"After the COVID restrictions were lifted, we saw a real spike in visitation to Blue Mountains," Mr Crust said.

"It kind of felt like people were desperate to get out. They were desperate to do something in a healthy environment, in the outdoors, and our visitation numbers have been up significantly since then.

"I also think that the relatively recent cost-of-living pressures have meant that families in particular are looking for opportunities for family-friendly, good value activities, and of course all of our walking tracks are free."


Keen hiker Matthew Crompton said some walking tracks have been closed for years.

Track closures have caused frustration among the hiking community.

"You can open up virtually any alerts page for NSW National Parks and see a list of closures as long as your arm," Sydney bushwalker Matthew Crompton said.

"And there's no sense of how long those have been closed unless you've been monitoring them.

"In many cases, tracks have been closed for two or three years or more and there's a sense that the maintenance and land management isn't keeping up."
A composite image of two no walking signs at the Blue Mountains National Park


David Crust acknowledges that track closures have become more commonplace.

"Over the past three or four years, we've had so much rain and so much instability across the landscape that the closures have been a lot more frequent than they would have been previously.

"But it's a really important part of making sure that we're looking after our visitors."

Since COVID, there's been growing demand for nature-based tourism and the NSW government is keen to capture some of the market. (Ursula Malone)

In some cases, there's been a decision not to repair walking tracks and to close them permanently due to the ongoing risk of rockfalls and landslides.

In other cases, sections of track deemed to be too high-risk have been re-routed.

The risks involved were brought into sharp focus two years ago.

On an idyllic autumn day, a holidaying family of five from the UK set out on a bush walk at Wentworth Falls.

Without warning, a section of the cliff came away sending large rocks tumbling down on top of them.
A police helicopter

A police helicopter responding to a fatal accident that killed two members of a British family. (ABC News: Jake Lapham)

A 15-year-old girl was the only one who emerged uninjured.

Her father and nine-year-old brother were killed.

Her mother and another brother, aged 14, were seriously injured.

The family is now suing the NSW government with the case expected to explore whether the walking track should have been open after days of rain.
A group of people walking.


David Crust's expression darkens at the mention of another tragedy, this time involving one of his own workers.

In November 2017, a 36-year-old contractor was crushed to death when a section of sandstone cliff collapsed on top of him.

He and two other men had been working to remove a rockfall hazard on a walking track at Wentworth Falls.


In recent years, the NSW government has poured $32 million into the Blue Mountains to increase accessibility and cater for the growing demand for nature tourism.

"Tourism is a major contributor to the economy in Blue Mountains, it's the most important contributor and we're a very big part of that," Mr Crust said.

Ten-and-a-half million dollars was spent on establishing the Grand Cliff Top Walk, a two-day walk aimed at the mainstream tourist market.


The attraction is one of 13 Great Walks being developed in national parks across the state.

"I don't think it's a good thing that the only people who can access a place are those who can carry all of their own gear and do that because they're fit enough," NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said.

"The idea that families can access these very special places, that we can protect other places by actually managing the way in which people walk through them, is also important."


But there are complaints that the program has come at the cost of maintaining walking tracks in more remote areas.

"The Grand Cliff Top walk is nice but it isn't in the middle of this UNESCO World Heritage area," Mr Crompton said.

"It's not out in the bush and a lot of it is on paved suburban streets.

"There's nothing wrong with Great Walks. What's wrong is the prioritisation of Great Walks to the neglect of so many other things."
Tourists pose for a photo at a scenic lookout.

Visitor numbers to the Blue Mountains are up 30 per cent since the Grand Cliff Top Walk opened in March. (ABC News: Ursula Malone)

It's a claim David Crust rejects.

"The investment that's gone into those Great Walks hasn't compromised the investment that we're making in walking tracks elsewhere across our national parks."

He said over the past four years $32 million had been spent on track maintenance, repairs and upgrades in the Blue Mountains.

"So that's a level of investment that's well and truly above and beyond what's happened previously."


Work has started on another multi-day walk in the Gardens of Stone Conservation Area near the mining town of Lithgow, just west of the Blue Mountains.

"Part of this process, I guess, was about helping to make a significant contribution to the visitor economy for Lithgow and helping Lithgow be better placed for the transition away from mining and coal production," Mr Crust said.

An earlier plan to build the nation's longest zipline was promptly scrapped when Labor won government.

A proposal to lease part of the area for development by a commercial tourism operator is still under consideration.


The company, Wild Bush Luxury Experience Pty Ltd, has outlined a plan to build cabins at three separate sites for the exclusive use of its guests.

The company, which is owned by adventure tourism group Experience Co, operates the Maria Island Walk in Tasmania, for which guests are charged more than $1,000 a night.

"Our vision is to create an iconic eco-tourism experience which shares the stories of this amazing destination," Experience Co CEO John O'Sullivan said.

He said the planned guided walk would create up to 11 full-time jobs and support local producers and suppliers.

Wilderness campaigner Keith Muir says if approved it would set a dangerous precedent.

"This proposal is just one of many in Australia's national parks that are seen by the tourism industry as the next development opportunity," he said.
Director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Keith Muir.


"The developers are busy propagating a myth that their infrastructure proposals are compatible with conservation.

"The tragic reality is that many of these proposals, if they are allowed to proceed, will permanently damage our national parks forever."

The final say on whether the development will go ahead now rests with Ms Sharpe.

"I've got to still make my decision and I'm waiting to see all the input from the community in relation to the submissions that have come in," she said.

An announcement is expected by the end of the year.

[jrg]

Other than Rodriguez Pass which has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, what tracks have been permanently closed in recent years (or are planned to be closed)? The latest Management Plan for the BMNP (published about a month ago) doesn't mention anything (only that a couple of camping grounds would be closed).

[sandym]

Why do we never see an ABC article talking about the challenges to our health care system from junk food diets, inactivity, too much alcohol, etc. etc. etc. All of which are have much greater social and cost impacts than these relatively rare rescues.

[marron]

Other than Rodriguez Pass which has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, what tracks have been permanently closed in recent years (or are planned to be closed)? The latest Management Plan for the BMNP (published about a month ago) doesn't mention anything (only that a couple of camping grounds would be closed).

National Pass perhaps?

They also seem to keep not having any luck with that section past the golden stairs/out to ruined castle with landslides and stuff. Maybe that one too.

The vibe i get off people in parks I've spoken to has been less "permanently closed" and more "not bothering fixing and eventually will just be a wild area where people go at own risk". Right now it's closed, kind of thing, but eventually it will not be a listed track, so it won't be "closed" so much as "not maintained".

[Warin]

The vibe i get off people in parks I've spoken to has been less "permanently closed" and more "not bothering fixing and eventually will just be a wild area where people go at own risk". Right now it's closed, kind of thing, but eventually it will not be a listed track, so it won't be "closed" so much as "not maintained".

'Own Risk' works well ... untill someone pushes a PLB button.

[johnw]

Other than Rodriguez Pass which has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, what tracks have been permanently closed in recent years (or are planned to be closed)? The latest Management Plan for the BMNP (published about a month ago) doesn't mention anything (only that a couple of camping grounds would be closed).

National Pass perhaps?

Also Wentworth Pass I'd assume extremely unlikely to re-open after the 2022 tragic landslip mentioned in the OP article, and now before the courts.
Some tracks have been closed for a very long time due to landslips and other issues. I'd guess no decision yet reached on permanent closure or downgrading to unmaintained status, which would be why they don't get a mention in the management plan.

[keithj]

Other than Rodriguez Pass which has been mentioned elsewhere on this forum, what tracks have been permanently closed in recent years (or are planned to be closed)? The latest Management Plan for the BMNP (published about a month ago) doesn't mention anything (only that a couple of camping grounds would be closed).

National Pass perhaps?

They also seem to keep not having any luck with that section past the golden stairs/out to ruined castle with landslides and stuff. Maybe that one too.

The vibe i get off people in parks I've spoken to has been less "permanently closed" and more "not bothering fixing and eventually will just be a wild area where people go at own risk". Right now it's closed, kind of thing, but eventually it will not be a listed track, so it won't be "closed" so much as "not maintained".

The recently released BMNP Management Plan at https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/Parks-plans-of-management/blue-mountains-np-kanangra-boyd-np-plan-of-management-240234.pdf (19MB) says on p27

Facilities and walking tracks along the multi-day Mount Solitary Walk will be improved, with
potential improvements to include: a new track connection in the Jamison Valley to provide
an alternative to walking on the management trail; new and upgraded camping areas,
including toilet facilities (see Table 3 and Figure 4); and the installation of tent platforms and
shelters may be considered at some sites.

There's also a map of these new tent sites.

I'd expect the Scenic Word -> Ruined Castle track to be fixed again at some stage... and maybe rerouted further down the talus.
Work on Perrys [EDIT oops Govetts] was almost started earlier this year before we had a week of big rain that destabilised it - I expect work will restart in 2025.
A section of Lindemans has been closed for a year - that will be a low prioirty repair. It may be left to rewild as it has v. few visitors, but I'd expect the rest to be fixed.

Pulpit Rock & track has ben closed since Dec 2019 - that is BMCCs responsibility - it has been fixed & is ready to be opened....but isn't !!! NPWS fixed their section of it a couple of years ago.

Last edited by keithj on Mon 09 Sep, 2024 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[marron]

The vibe i get off people in parks I've spoken to has been less "permanently closed" and more "not bothering fixing and eventually will just be a wild area where people go at own risk". Right now it's closed, kind of thing, but eventually it will not be a listed track, so it won't be "closed" so much as "not maintained".

'Own Risk' works well ... untill someone pushes a PLB button.

Well yeah, that's it, isn't it.

Would be interesting to know what the overlap/comparison between rescues that happen in
- remote areas
- on maintained tracks/areas
- on closed tracks/areas

No idea. But the difficulty is the closed tracks, right, because people think "well it's still a track" or "I did it 10 years ago, I can do it again" or "I wonder what IS beyond that sign down those steps, how bad can it be.". Whereas the kind of person who says, "i'm going to go offtrack/remote" is more likely to be prepared. But how do you turn a closed track into a non-existent one (so that it becomes an offtrack/remote area that is less likely to be visited).

(and sitting over all this is the risk of litigation which I guess we'll see the result of sometime soon).


@john, thanks, I think wenty pass is the one I was actually thinking of, although national pass is closed too.

[marron]

Thanks Keith. What work at Perrys is still to be finished? Or did you mean golden stairs and that area?

[johnw]

Thanks Keith. What work at Perrys is still to be finished? Or did you mean golden stairs and that area?

Yes I wondered about that too. The remedial work on Perrys track in recent years was done pretty solidly and I thought it would stand up well to further erosion.
Admittedly I haven't been down there for a while.

@john, thanks, I think wenty pass is the one I was actually thinking of, although national pass is closed too.

I reckon neither will ever re-open. Completely understandable, both have had recent fatalities due to rock fall.
A shame from a walking perspective though, both were favourite short walks.
Anyway hopefully catch up again soon.

Last edited by johnw on Mon 09 Sep, 2024 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[keithj]

Oops - sry meant Govetts

NPWS have recently -
fixed Perrys after fire damage
significantly upgraded Horsetrack after fire damage after closing Rodriguez
fixed Golden Stairs & track to Ruined Castle (only to have it unfixed!!)
currently fixing Giants
Fixes to Fern Bower after flooding & reopened except for top section
Fixed fire damage at Victoria Falls to Burra Korain - and upgraded Burra Korain campsite (?)
Fixed Furbers
fixed fire damage Clifftop track to Pulpit Rock
fixed major landslip on Kedumba f/t
fixed major landslip at Galong Ck/Dunphys

[marron]

Yep i thought old mate in the article complaining about the lack of stuff being maintained by parks was a bit off - there's been a lot with many setbacks and none of it would be cheap.

I still haven't been to burra korain since last year but there is a drop toilet there now and some more established seating circles/campsites i believe.

[marron]

Anyway hopefully catch up again soon.

Indeed!

Reminds me i still havent got around to fixing up those pictures too.

[Avidbushwalker]

It looks like a small section of the Prince Henry Clifftop Walk has been permanently closed at Leura too and replaced by the Leura 'Round Walk'/similar from observation? This specific section has been closed for at least several years and no longer mentioned on the NPWS alerts page/similar.

Last edited by Avidbushwalker on Mon 09 Sep, 2024 6:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Avidbushwalker]

Oops - sry meant Govetts

NPWS have recently -
fixed Perrys after fire damage
significantly upgraded Horsetrack after fire damage after closing Rodriguez
fixed Golden Stairs & track to Ruined Castle (only to have it unfixed!!)
currently fixing Giants
Fixes to Fern Bower after flooding & reopened except for top section
Fixed fire damage at Victoria Falls to Burra Korain - and upgraded Burra Korain campsite (?)
Fixed Furbers
fixed fire damage Clifftop track to Pulpit Rock
fixed major landslip on Kedumba f/t
fixed major landslip at Galong Ck/Dunphys

Excellent list of completed upgrades. The list is never ending.

A couple more reasonably recent upgrades include the Braeside Walk (with a large number of sandstone steps etc) , from Burra Korain to Blue Gum Forest and also Acacia Flat to the Horse Track. They've done an amazing job from BK to Bluegum with repairs post flood/fire. Similarly from Acacia Flat to the Horse Track, they've had to reroute the track building new stairs up and over landslips as well as clearing a path through overgrown sections. From observation, they would have spent a lot of time and resource down there and it's currently in really good condition. I'm impressed.

[keithj]

Also add -
Glowworm Tunnel now has a paved walkway though it
3 day remote walk thru Gardens of Stone/BMNP to open in 2025
Multiple Grand Canyon repairs - including relocation of an overhanging 50 ton boulder
Popes Glen fire damage fixed
New track down from Narrowneck LO to bypass the landslip on F/T (which BMCC took 3.5yrs to fix)

And hardtop on 5km of Anvil/Perrys F/T and upgrade to both carparks

[rcaffin]

KeithJ mentioned 'The recently released BMNP Management Plan'
I have read most of it.
One has to have some sympathy for the NPWS, in that they have little money and a lot of rather bad/dumb/stupid/greedy public to manage. It's a hard life sometimes - I have known various members of staff. (BMNP and KNP).

All the same, we are glad we been through all those areas before they came up with formal management plans.

Cheers
Roger

[Avidbushwalker]

Going back to an earlier comment made about Pulpit Rock... does anyone know the reason for the ongoing holdup/delay in the BMCC reopening it?

I've called the BMCC several times with no luck/update after leaving multiple messages etc... !!

Thanks

[marron]

I was told quite recently by a BMCC employee that they are waiting on railing to be installed.

[Avidbushwalker]

I was told quite recently by a BMCC employee that they are waiting on railing to be installed.

Thank you so much for the update. Did they give any eta for the when it might be installed/ a potential reopening?

[marron]

No, the vibe seemed to be a bit "it will happen but we don't know exactly when". Next time i get a chance i'll see if i can extract some more info.

[Avidbushwalker]

No, the vibe seemed to be a bit "it will happen but we don't know exactly when". Next time i get a chance i'll see if i can extract some more info.

Thanks Marron. Apparently they're aiming for the end of 2025 when I called them last. Does this sound correct?!

Also anyone heard anything recently on Govetts Descent? Any chance of works recommencing any time soon? It would be such a great short loop to do with The horse track. They're still working on the horse track... quite some extensive works. Putting in a lot of stairs currently!

[marron]

I mean, yeah, I don't know. I would not be surprised though. Was hoping for earlier than that!

Haven't heard anything on Govetts either sorry! Silly me forgot to ask some questions of parks people this weekend just gone. I did ask about the Golden stairs/ruined castle, though, was told 4/5 months.

Last time I went down/up horse track a couple of months ago they were into the bottom section just about. Must be about done now!

Was thinking recently about a day walk loop via Perrys and Horsetrack.... you can cut through from popes glen up to hat hill rd fairly easily, there's an obvious track at boyds beach. A while back I rode from Evans to Perrys and did a single person vehicle shuffle haha after walking back to the car. I think it was a few hours all up. Doing the same thing but walking along clifftop, it's still a fairly manageable day I reckon.

You're right about the Govetts descent making for a nice loop though. Used to do it the rodriguez way. Sigh.