Destination Pagoda, the visitor management plan for a 39,000 hectare Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, can attract 155,000 visitors in the first year, growing to 420,000 in ten years.

By then, a new reserve will generate an estimated $24.3 million per year for the Lithgow economy in dining, accommodation, retail and transport expenditure, and a total of $40.3 million through direct, industry and consumption effects, contributing to 258 local jobs.

New economic research by Dr Jo Mackellar has demonstrated that Lithgow will gain significant job and economic benefits if a new state conservation area were created on its doorstep. The report, commissioned by the Gardens of Stone Alliance, assessed the potential visitors to a planned Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area and the economic contribution of those visitors to the local region. The research identified the community benefits to Lithgow from the new reserve.