Revealed: Why Burragorang Lookout has $4 parking fee
The return of the picturesque beauty of Burragorang Lookout was welcomed by day-trippers however, a $4 hit to the hip-pocket was not as popular. Find out why a parking fee is being collected.
Macarthur
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The return of the picturesque beauty of Burragorang Lookout was welcomed by day-trippers across the region however, a $4 hit to the hip-pocket was not as popular.
The beloved attraction, located near Nattai, was recently reopened following a forced closure due to bushfires, COVID-19 and upgrade works late last year.
Visitors who ventured out to the lookout this weekend were shocked to discover, for the first time in almost a decade, a parking fee was being collected.
The $4 parking charge was labelled by Wollondilly councillor Simon Landow on social media as “an utter disgrace”, with Wollondilly Mayor Matthew Deeth raising his concerns with Wollondilly MP Nathaniel Smith, who has called on the Environment Minister to look into the situation.
A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW NPWS) spokeswoman revealed a parking fee had been in place at the lookout for 20 years, but couldn’t be collected due to dodgy internet.
With a new mobile phone tower recently constructed in the area, a parking ticket machine was installed during the recent closure.
“These entry fees are reinvested in the Burragorang Lookout precinct to provide and maintain toilet, barbecue and picnic facilities as well as the lookout platform,” the NSW NPWS spokeswoman said.
Mr Deeth said he was “concerned” when he heard of the $4 parking fee.
“While I can understand the desire to raise funds for much needed local National Parks and Wildlife infrastructure upgrades, anything that could turn people away only harms our local visitor economy at this critical time of recovery from bushfires, and now COVID-19,” he said.
Wollondilly Council has recently proposed a 316km ‘Great Burragorang Valley Walk’, which would wind through the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains Conservation Area, connect with Warragamba Dam, Lake Burragorang and authentic mining ghost town Yerranderie.