News and Events

“A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) report has dismissed thousands of objections to three clusters of cabins proposed in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow by claiming the resorts are low impact and not in pagoda landscapes[i]”, Keith Muir of the Gardens of Stone Alliance* said.

He said that “The NPWS prejudiced its future determination on the proposed resorts by stating they are of low impact prior to the environmental assessment process. Yet the report, an analysis of submissions on the resort lease proposal, passed over environmental impact concerns of objectors, stating these matters would be examined in a later assessment. The NPWS stated eight times in its submissions analysis that the proposed resorts are low impact. The NPWS can’t now objectively assess environmental impacts for these resort proposals as they have made up their mind. 

“This apparent bias comes after the NPWS was unable to accurately describe the location of these developments, twice, requiring the lease notice proposal to be readvertised twice. 

The NPWS analysis also claims the resorts are not in pagoda landscapes. So sure of this view, the NPWS analysis of submissions report repeats it and underlines the word ‘not’; even though there has not been an environmental assessment.

Based on this advice, Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, allowed the proposal to progress, yet the pagoda landscape claim doesn’t pass the pub test. Of course, the resorts proposals will be in pagoda landscapes so future patrons can view them.

“The pagoda landscape issue has now become a definitional debate, like that during 1970’s rainforest protests at Terania Creek, where Forestry claimed the existence of just one eucalypt tree meant an area wasn’t rainforest. In the coming environmental assessment for the proposed three resorts the NPWS will no doubt draw the pagoda landscapes tightly around the pagodas. The surrounding heath, forests, cliffs and gullies will be excluded. This semantic nonsense fills me with deep sadness.” 

“When published, this NPWS environmental assessment might open the way for coal miners to wreck internationally significant pagoda landscapes. The NPWS is set to redefine and downgrade a pagoda landscape determination by a former Independent Planning Commission that rejected opencut coal mining and ruled that pagoda landscapes must be protected at the highest level. And wouldn’t that be just great!” an exasperated Mr Muir said.

For more info. contact Keith Muir 0412791404; e keith.muir6@bigpond.com 

*The Gardens of Stone Alliance consists of Wilderness Australia, Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Lithgow Environment Group, National Parks Association of NSW, Bushwalking NSW and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
 

[i] NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Public consultation regarding proposed grant of lease in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, CONFIDENTIAL - summary of submissions, September 2024. Obtained by a Freedom of Information request. 

• 1,773 submissions opposed the proposed grant of lease and 32 submissions in support.
• An earlier exhibition of the lease notice received 1393 submissions but does not record how many were objections. Perhaps the submissions were all objections. 

The first public consultation of the lease notice was published in Sydney Morning Herald (21 December 2022) and the NPWS agreed to republish to correct lease notice errors. The second public consultation of the lease notice was published in Sydney Morning Herald (1 May 2024) and the GPS co-ordinates provided did not correspond with the three resort zones, and the NPWS then re-published the lease notice with corrected the GPS positions in Sydney Morning Herald (29 May 2024).

Washington, H and Wray, R, Chapter 1, page 27, in Values for a New Generation, Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, 2015 published by Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area Advisory Committee. “the development of banding in platy pagodas forms a geomorphic landscape type that can be recognized as distinct and significant even by world standards…No other areas in Australia (or indeed the world) contain platy pagodas, making them unique internationally…Smooth pagodas do have equivalents elsewhere in Australia, though they are still of national significance.” 

Images of other so-called “bush camp” zones are available on request.

Thank you to everyone who made a submission aginst this damaging proposal. The proposal to build serviced cabins for tourism in pristine parts of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow risks damage to its internationally renowned pagoda landscapes and will set a dangerous precedent. A lease notice was on exhibition till June 26 and indicated that cabins by Wild Bush Luxury are to be located along ridgelines to “best leverage the aspect and vantage points.”

Over 300 people lodged objections through this website. Another hundred or so others made their objections known directly to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. 

The NSW Minister for the Environment should not issue a lease to the company whose very name Wild Bush Luxury Experience is an oxymoron. You can’t have a luxury accommodation experience in wild bushland. The development of such accommodation destroys the experience of wild bush. This “magical” company name is also a good indicator of what is wrong with this lease proposal.

Surely the Minister will not be satisfied with a lease for three cabin developments being compatible with the reserve’s core heritage value, its pagoda landscapes. A lease issue to WBLE would trash the Sustainability Criteria for Visitor Use and Tourism and by precedent renders them useless as pristine pagoda landscapes would be compromised by this lease issue. Building cabins among internationally significant pagoda landscapes is not design with nature, it is damaging development.

A proposal to build serviced cabins for tourism in pristine parts of the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow risks damage to its internationally renowned pagoda landscapes and will set a dangerous precedent. A lease notice, on exhibition till May 31, indicates that cabins by Wild Bush Luxury are to be located along ridgelines to “best leverage the aspect and vantage points.”

If the cabins are approved, three outstanding pagoda landscapes would suffer visual blight, pristine Carne Creek would be polluted, and native flora and fauna harmed. This new threat to internationally significant pagoda landscapes flags the need for greater protection for this reserve, and for national parks generally.

A globally rare and internationally significant landscape 

“The three cabin locations identified in the lease notice are among globally rare and internationally significant rocky pagoda landscapes. The importance of these landscapes is not just recognised by scientists. The independent Planning Assessment Commission, the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure and the Office of Environment and Heritage agreed with the science and determined that the pagoda landscapes should be granted “the highest possible level of protection”[i], said Keith Muir, spokesperson for the Gardens of Stone Alliance of environment groups*.

“Two government determinations underpinned by science and related to the land now reserved are relevant to the Wild Bush Lux plans: 

• That pagoda landscapes deserve protection at the highest possible level; and 
• That the global level of conservation significance applies to the whole pagoda landscape. 

“To retain NSW Labor’s conservation credentials, Environment Minister Sharpe has to refuse the lease for commercial accommodation in the Gardens of Stone,” Mr Muir said. 

“If the NSW Minister for Environment, the Hon Penny Sharpe, overturns the collective determinations of its independent decision makers, government departments and scientists regarding the need to protect iconic pagoda landscapes at the highest possible level, then a very damaging precedent is established,” Mr Muir said.

 He said “The precedent of serviced accommodation among pagodas in the Gardens of Stone will enable similar developments in landscapes of global conservation significance within national parks, such as virgin coastal headlands, mountain tops or rocky cliff lines. Nowhere will be safe. This is exactly what some in the tourism industry want; to pick the eyes out of our national parks for their next development opportunity. 

-  -  -  -   -

References:
[i] PAC, December 2012, Review Coalpac Consolidation Project, p76; 

Department of Planning and Infrastructure’s Coalpac Consolidation Project Director-General’s Environmental Assessment Report, June 2013, p36; and 

NSW Planning Assessment Commission Determination Report, 17 October 2014, Invincible Colliery (07_012 Mod 4) and Cullen Valley Mine (200-5-2003 Mod 2) Expansion Modifications, p9.

*The Gardens of Stone Alliance consists of Wilderness Australia, Blue Mountains Conservation Society, Lithgow Environment Group, National Parks Association of NSW, Bushwalking NSW and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.

-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. 

“The proposed developments would turn the NPWS tourism sustainability guidelines on their head. Instead of the commercial development being located on disturbed sites as per the guidelines, these commercial accommodation developments are located among pristine, spectacular pagoda spurs that even coal miners wouldn’t harm”, said Keith Muir, Hon. Project Officer for Wilderness Australia and its former exec officer of 30 years experience. 

Mr Muir said “The lease document reads like a sales brochure. The document hides commercial development with a fantastic description of the Gardens of Stone walk that’s not part of the accommodation lease and distracts the reader with wonderful descriptions of adventure. Then buzzwords seek to convince the reader its “an iconic walking experience”; “a major drawcard”; “a signature visitor experience of international standing”; “an immersive walking experience”; and “partnering with tourism leaders will enable NPWS to continue delivering world-class infrastructure.”

“Choice doesn’t do product reviews of park development, but my expert analysis of the proposal is that: 

The NPWS is spending millions of dollars on a walk that benefits Experience Co, who’s binned the tourism sustainability guidelines and picked the eyes out of wild, rocky pagoda scenery for three accommodation developments. 

“The NPWS is supposed to protect pagoda landscapes in the Gardens of Stone, not facilitate development of delicate geodiversity. 

“Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, stopped the Lost City development in November last year2 that would have impacted on the Lost City pagodas. 

Mr Muir said that “Minister Sharpe should avoid being inconsistent, uphold park standards and protect stunning pagoda landscapes by rejecting this commercial lease proposal in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.”

For more information: Keith Muir, mob 0412971404
1 See pages 16, 17 and 18 in Proposal to grant a lease under section 151 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 report showing locations, and proposed facilities pp 19-24.
2Minister Penny Sharpe, Media Statement, Gardens of Stone, Friday 3 November, 2023.

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.

Nature Defenders* this week withdrew its case in the NSW Land and Environment Court to challenge the validity of the lease processes for these Gardens of Stone tourist developments, given the last-minute backflip by the NPWS.

Nature Defenders had initiated its case in response to the unwanted developments after the NPWS alleged in the Blue Mountains Gazette on 22 March that its Gardens of Stone lease process “was fully compliant with the requirements of National Parks and Wildlife Act.”

“Nature Defenders is prepared to take legal action to ensure lawful, open and transparent public consultation processes are followed when commercial leases are proposed in national parks and reserves”, said Keith Muir, spokesperson for Nature Defenders.

“We are now seeking information from the NPWS to ensure that the same unwanted proposals are not pushed forward this second time around.

“We also question the excessive infrastructure proposed for the Gardens of Stone that would spoil the natural beauty of the area that’s central to growing Lithgow’s tourism-based economy,” he added. 

“We support Nature Defenders in its efforts,” said Kirsten Mayer, executive officer of Bushwalking NSW Inc. “The leases must not be simply readvertised to overcome technical legal concerns. We don't want to see any leases to any private entities. Also, we want to see the pagodas protected and the zipline and via ferrata gone.”

“Conservation groups will continue to work to ensure that nature-focused tourism as outlined in Destination Pagoda report is delivered. Destination Pagoda can achieve greater benefits for nature and the local community by directing visitors to facilities in Lithgow,” said Annette Cam, spokesperson for the Blue Mountains Conservation Society.

“Resorts and adventure theme parks in the national parks and reserves aren’t eco-anything; these developments need to be removed from the reserve”,

”NPA welcomes appropriately located, low-impact facilities for nature-focused visitor use for NSW national parks and reserves.  We hope that incoming Environment Minister, Penny Sharpe, uses this pause in the leasing process for a major rethink”, said Gary Dunnett, CEO of the National Parks Association of NSW.

For more info, contact
Keith Muir, Nature Defenders, 0412 791 404

* Who is Nature Defenders?

Nature Defenders is a volunteer-led incorporated association and sister organisation of 4nature formed in 2016. Nature Defenders has been working closely with Keith Muir to support the aspirations of conservation groups to protect the Gardens of Stone from overdevelopment and deliver the ecologically sustainable tourism plan called Destination Pagoda.

Wilderness Australia has described the public consultation process for tourism developments in the Gardens of Stone, announced just over one year ago by Dominic Perrottet, as a “sham”. It comes after no substantive information regarding multiple resorts and a theme park over the iconic Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area was provided to the public despite the NSW Government holding a 'consultation' over the new year break. The only details published by the NSW Government on the 20 year commercial leases were the names of the companies who would run the developments, and a “mud map” of where the leases may go.

Keith Muir, spokesperson for Wilderness Australia, said “we are talking about a protected public reserve that is being given away for exclusive commercial uses. Community views on how this should work, and if it should happen at all - are essential. The NSW Government’s pre-election attempt to bury this significant social and environmental threat to the Lithgow community is astounding.

“Wilderness Australia calls on the NSW Labor Opposition to oppose these leases and to ensure a sustainable tourist economy for Lithgow so that the unique environment at the Gardens of Stone can thrive and be enjoyed by all.

“The adventure theme park where children will be playing is near Lithgow and beside the Marrangaroo Military Base where live ammunition is used. Another lease covering four accommodation sites is in a remote and scenic part of the western Blue Mountains conservation area. There is a lot for the community to digest and respond to here.

Wilderness Australia slammed the NSW Government for conducting this consultation over the summer holidays, when by convention controversial proposals usually are set aside.  

“The consultation period ends today, just when people are just beginning to refocus after a break. How is it fair or reasonable to issue leases over a conservation reserve when people hardly get a chance to comment and have so little information to consider?” Mr Muir asked.

“Granting leases over a conservation reserve before these theme parks and accommodation proposals are put out for public comment places more risk on the NSW Government and the environment. Currently the adventure theme park site is not entirely owned by the NPWS, and the locations for the accommodation resorts aren’t finalised, so there’s a lot of uncertainty over even basic information. Why should the public trust the NSW Government to issue a commercial lease when it has not released the basic aspects of the leases they are proposing to issue?

“Transparency on the leases and the development details are entirely lacking. It’s a development deal over a conservation reserve done behind closed doors that will have substantial impacts on this public reserve.

Keith Muir is available for an interview on 0412 791 404.
Wilderness Australia can be contacted during office hours on (02) 9261 2400.

The Gardens of Stone Alliance (GOSA) is calling on the NSW Government to optimise economic benefits for Lithgow and minimize scenic and ecological impacts by amending ecotourism development plans for the Lost City, a world-class rock formation 10 minutes from Lithgow CBD. 

NSW National Parks Association CEO Gary Dunnett said: “Lithgow would benefit more from a ‘gateway policy’, where accommodation, cafes and accredited eco-related facilities are situated in an entry to the Gardens of Stone region, at State Mine Gully.  

“Without such a policy, Lithgow will receive a fraction of tourism boost it should from the new reserve as visitors will come from the east, not from Lithgow. 

“We are particularly concerned at the way this proposal has been conducted. No other site has been considered and only preliminary conceptual documents have been produced before going into a state government tender process.  

“This made the proposal ‘commercial-in-confidence’ effectively excluding community consultation and necessary scrutiny of this tax-payer subsidized proposal in a publicly owned conservation reserve. 

“We have little confidence the necessary environmental standards and assessments will be met or maintained.”  

Blue Mountain Conservation Society President Madi Maclean said: “No other National Park or Conservation Reserve in Australia has a zip-line or adventure theme park.  

“The current proposal would degrade the very things that will attract tourists to the region—it’s scenic and environmental values. It would be like killing the goose that laid the golden egg.  

“The Gardens of Stone Alliance does not oppose adventure tourism development—we have actually promoted it, but it must be done in the right place and in the right way. 

“A well-operated zip-line could be suitably located in an area outside of the conservation reserve at State Mine Gully.”  

GOSA spokesperson Keith Muir said: “Sydney day-trippers would bypass Lithgow town centre entirely under the government’s current Lost City adventure park proposal, which is simply crazy.  

“One of the key arguments for the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area was its ability to attract visitors and pump tourist dollars into the local economy. 

“But under the current plan, tourists would drive straight to the Lost City, bypassing Lithgow completely.” 

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Muir | 0412 791 404  

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 public comment period for the controversial draft Master Plan and Plan of Management for the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area ends today.

Keith Muir, former Colong Foundation for Wilderness Executive Director, said:

“The State Mine Gully has far more potential as a location for an adventure theme park than Lost City site in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. The proposals for a zip line and so forth will be more difficult and expensive to establish and service at Lost City, as well as more environmentally damaging.

Lithgow’s proposed main lookout attraction ideally presents the wild views of Lost City, which is a superlative example of internationally significant pagoda geodiversity. It would be a travesty for the majesty of this view to be spoiled by an adventure theme park.

Annette Cam, spokesperson for the Blue Mountains Conservation Society, said:

The iconic Lost City lookout precinct should follow the example of the Skyway and Scenic railway at Katoomba, where these facilities are tucked round the corner from the main view from Echo Point. Separating quiet enjoyment of the Lost City’s iconic wild views from the excitement of adventure tourism at State Mine Gully would create better visitor experiences and be a more efficient.

Road access at State Mine Gully would be by a short, sealed road, whereas the access between the top and bottom of Lost City adventure hub would use over 10 kilometres of dirt road. The State Mine Gully ties the adventure theme park to Lithgow, guaranteeing its tourism future. On the other hand, the Lost City site is likely to see tourists come from the east by Old Bells Line of Road and bypass Lithgow. The State Mine Gully location would help make the State Mine Heritage Park and Railway a viable tourist attraction.

The Lost City pagoda landscape is also an important site for biodiversity values, including stands of Wolgan Snow Gum (E. gregsoniana) and Whip-stick Ash (E. multicaulis) that should be protected.

Media contact:

Keith Muir                                                           Annette Cam
0412 791 404                                                      0450 215 125

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.

“The new reserve comes with significant funding that should protect and present its astounding pagoda landscapes and rare upland swamps, but a large chunk of money is ear-marked for a “Luna park” style amusement rides. Of equal concern are the planned built accommodation units that set a development precedent for Blue Mountains National Parks. Conservationists have kept the Blue Mountains parks free of this sort of development, so the new park’s big funding package is a poison chalice.

Tourism Master Plan will fail to give Lithgow the tourism hit it needs

“Under the reserve’s Master Plan released today the full tourism potential of Lithgow’s Gardens of Stone backyard will not be realised. While the Master Plan has placed high use visitor facilities close to Lithgow and enabled family-friendly visitor experiences, these offerings are not linked to Lithgow with a 2WD tourist loop road.

“Some of the development with roads and lookouts will ruin 2,350 hectares of NPWS identified wilderness using funds that would be better spent on a 2WD loop road.

“There’s truly nothing like the Gardens of Stone - the watershed of the Cox, Capertee, Wolgan, Turon and Wollangambe rivers, it straddles the Great Dividing Range. At almost 1200 metres, the new reserve protects the highest sandstone plateau in the Sydney Basin and will be a cool climate refuge from climate change. 

“The diversity and rarity of its scenery and native flora, and its dramatic Aboriginal cultural heritage will be enjoyed by thousands of people but without a 2WD suitable tourist loop road the Master Plan misses the mark for Lithgow.

"The thrill-seeking zip line ride just denies the reality that visitors are already spell bound by nature in the Gardens of Stone, and the on-park accommodation offer also drags people away from Lithgow and puts development into the park. What the hell is a park, if it’s not an area set aside from development for nature!”

Hut News Issue 398 December 2021

Cheers, tears and a storm of emails erupted in celebration within the Society when, on Saturday 13 November, the NSW government at last announced the creation of a new Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area (SCA).

The announcement came in a joint media release from the Premier, Dominic Perrottet, Environment Minister and Treasurer, Matt Kean and Deputy Premier and local MP, Paul Toole.

The decision transfers this spectacular area of pagoda landscapes, cliffs, waterfalls, woodlands and flowering swamps into the national park estate. The new State Conservation Area is made up of most of three state forests (Newnes, Ben Bullen and Wolgan) plus Crown reserve land near Mount Piper. There will also be small additions to the adjoining Gardens of Stone and Wollemi National Parks. The whole area is a combined total of 31,500 hectares.

The existing Gardens of Stone National Park lies immediately north of the new SCA. This park, created in 1994, was an early campaign success. However this left the three state forests unprotected because of active coal mining leases. In 2006 a campaign launched the Gardens of Stone Stage 2 Proposal and this has been the foundation document until today. In 2001 the 3,500 ha Mugii Murum-ban SCA further north was created.

The Campaign

This has been a long campaign going back to Myles Dunphy’s vision for the Greater Blue Mountains in 1932. The name, “Gardens of Stone”, was first used by renowned environmentalist, Haydn Washington. The Society has been involved in the campaign for over twenty years. The Gardens of Stone Alliance, made up of founding members Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Lithgow Environment Group and Blue Mountains Conservation Society, has been the organising force of the campaign. Nature Conservation Council boosted the campaign when it joined in 2020 and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute joined more recently. We also acknowledge the long-term support of National Parks Association.

The Society in particular thanks Keith Muir from Colong Foundation and Julie Favell, Chris Jonkers and Richard Stiles from Lithgow Environment Group for their incredible persistence and conviction in achieving recognition for the Gardens of Stone The Society also wishes to thank all our members and supporters. You have helped make this happen through raising awareness, signing petitions, submissions, letters to government and supporting our public events.

We recognise some key Society members: Ian Brown, Brian Marshall, Karen McLaughlin, Peter Green, Janine Kitson, Yuri Bolotin, Joel Robinson, Thomas Ebersoll, Tara Cameron and Madi Maclean.

We also thank the many volunteers who contributed by helping plan, organise or run events, such as trips, giant banner drops, tours, stalls, MP tours, film nights, talks and exhibitions, particularly the Gardens of Stone In Focus photo competition and two day exhibition; by publicising and promoting the beauty of Gardens of Stone on facebook and other platforms. We also recognise the film makers who produced glorious and moving videos. It is difficult to acknowledge everyone in one short article.

It has been a long campaign with multiple contributions. A few highlights that stand out for me in the last eight years are:

The Planning Assessment hearings for the Coalpac open-cut mine proposal where in 2012 the Independent Planning Commission found that “the highest and best use of the area was for conservation purposes”. The mining proposal was refused.

In mid 2019, Destination Pagoda, the visitor management plan written by Ian Brown, was launched in Lithgow, Katoomba and Sydney. It showed that the SCA could function and support conservation values as well as promote nature-based tourism and diversify the local economy of Lithgow. Destination Pagoda became a new focus in the local campaign, promoted through social media and gaining local support.

There were a number of rallies in the Gardens of Stone and in Lithgow and they lifted our spirits.

We also thank the parliamentarians who drove this proposal:

Environment Minister, Matt Kean, for getting it over the line;

Trish Doyle, our local member, for her long term support and for ensuring the Labor Party added protection of the Gardens of Stone into its platform at the last state election;

Cate Faehrmann, Greens MLC

Catherine Cusack, Liberal MLC.

Next steps

The next step is the establishment of the new SCA with professional park management of the area and consultation on the proposals.