Keith Muir, wilderness advocate
Just north of Lithgow, the 28,322ha Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area faces establishment, visitor and protection challenges as coal mining exits and heritage conservation replaces environmental abuse by trail bikes and 4WD vehicles. The $50 million reserve establishment fund should protect Aboriginal heritage including internationally significant pagodas landscapes, cliffs, canyons, over 80 nationally threatened species and countless other treasures, but will it?
This ‘national park in waiting’ was proclaimed in May 2022 and links the World Heritage listed Wollemi, Blue Mountains and Gardens of Stone national parks. However, the reserve can only be called protected if mining damage and the commercial development plans are stopped.
Over development
The reserve’s doubtful position in part arises from funds going towards high impact activities, under the belief that you can have your reservation cake and eat it. Reserve establishment funds are proposed to be spent on:
- A costly 70 kilometre ‘Great Walk’ to Coorongooba campground in Wollemi National Park that’s a prerequisite for three exclusive accommodation hubs;
- 35-80 kilometres of single-track mountain bike loops partly within the sensitive Bungleboori Creek catchment and with links to another maze of bike tracks on adjoining land in State Mine Gully; and
- 100+ kilometres of upgraded 4WD roads.
These developments would be at the expense of low-impact accessible visitor facilities suited to the reserve’s gentle terrain that would enable families to get close to nature.
Status of commercial proposals
On 3 November 2023 Environment Minister Penny Sharpe announced an intention to readvertise a lease for three accommodation hubs when she also scrapped a proposed adventure theme park. Over 300 objections to the pro-development management plan and more than 1,000 objections had been lodged against both the proposed accommodation and theme park leases.
Contrary to NPWS sustainability guidelines, three proposed accommodation hub sites are located on pristine ridgelines. These developments require an expensive ‘Great Walk’ with thousands of steps, that replicates opportunities provided by steep Blue Mountains tracks. It is a taxpayer-funded walk designed to deliver customers for Wild Bush Luxury facilities. Though this walk will be popular, it’s too demanding for families with grandparents or younger children.
While cancellation of the Lost City theme park, located on another prominent, iconic site is very welcome, the proposal is still in the plan of management and could be reactivated. This visually intrusive proposal included prominent platforms with cables strung between the platforms above the iconic Lost City pagodas that would have cancelled out its world-class views.
This over-development plan leaves insufficient resources for gentle walks through iconic pagoda landscapes easily reached from park roads that would suit the majority of visitors. Such plateau walks could be linked to create easy overnight walk opportunities at little cost. Wild Bush Luxury require development of pristine environments and exclusivity to market their accommodation facilities and a walk in this scheme is what is being funded.
Mining threats
Centennial Coal continues to mine beneath the Gardens of Stone reserve. The company’s mining has cracked the bedrock under nationally endangered swamps, leading to a permanent loss of all water and since then some wetlands have burnt to bedrock during wildfires. The reserve’s rehabilitation plan does not propose remediation of the severe swamp damage. This is surprising as Centennial is required to pay $28 million to offset swamp impacts.
A plan to restart mining at Angus Place must first pump the mine dry, dumping an additional 10 million litres of contaminated mine waste-water a day (10ML/day) into a stream that feeds Sydney’s main drinking water supply behind Warragamba Dam. The pumping will also dry out several swamps on Kangaroo and Lambs Creeks, and the Coxs River. Yet more Centennial proposals would dump additional mine waste into Sydney’s water catchment, rendering almost useless a $200 million dollar reverse osmosis treatment plant built to treat its mine waste.
How you can help
The Planning department, Environment Protection Authority and the Parks Service are doing their best, but the NSW Government must provide directions to stop the damage.
Write to Penny Sharpe, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, at http://nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/ministers/minister-environment-heritage to let her know your views.
Ask that the management priorities for the new Gardens of Stone reserve be for basic visitor facilities, restoring damaged areas, including swamps, and controlling pest species rather than to deliver infrastructure that benefits commercial interests.
Request the NSW Government to drop the commercial accommodation leases and re-exhibit the plan of management to remove development proposals and deliver low impact nature-focused reserve establishment.
Ask the Minister for Planning, Paul Scully to require a review of mine water and waste management for Centennial Coal mines in the Gardens of Stone region to protect Sydney’s water supplies in co-operation with his colleague Penny Sharpe and the EPA.
Further information
Visit http://www.gardensofstone.org.au to keep up to date on this important campaign and take action on current issues.