Barrenjoey Head: Community wins fight to stop overnight visitors at spectacular Sydney lighthouse

A feisty community fight over plans to allow tourists to stay at the historic Sydney lighthouse featured in the TV series ‘Home And Away’ is over. See who won

The Barrenjoey Head lighthouse complex at Palm Beach, which features in the TV series ‘Home and Away”, will not be used to accommodate overnight tourists, the NSW Government has confirmed. Picture: iStock

A push to allow paying tourists to stay at the historic northern beaches’ lighthouse, seen in the TV drama series Home And Away, has been thwarted.

After a feisty and lengthy community campaign, the NSW Government has ruled out allowing overnight guests to stay at the spectacular Barrenjoey Headland complex at Palm Beach.

Locals raised concerns about the “commercialisation” of the 142-year-old lighthouse after proposals to use its heritage-listed sandstone outbuildings for paid “short stay” accommodation were contained in a new draft management plan for Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

It was proposed that the Assistant Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage and the Boatman’s Cottage could be fitted out for tourists. Money collected would have been used to help run and maintain the park.

There was a proposa to allow paying gusts to stay overnight at the Barrenjoey Lighthouse complex’s surrounding heritage buildings. Picture: Michele Cooper/NSW Dept. Planning and Environment

But the community lobby group, the Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association, attacked the plan and described it as “tantamount to vandalism”. It also organised a protest rally at Palm Beach in January last year.

It was joined in the fight by State Liberal MP for Pittwater, Rory Amon, who has consistently lobbied Environment Minister Penny Sharpe to rule out the headland as a site for overnight stays.

View from the top of the Barrenjoey lighthouse in 2015 .Picture: Martin Lange

Mr Amon lodged a series of questions on notice in parliament asking whether short-stay accommodation on the headland would be removed from the plan of management.

In its most recent reply, the government confirmed that the National Parks and Wildlife Service was now finalising the whole draft plan.

Hundreds of Pittwater locals at a community protest against proposed changes to the Barrenjoey Lighthouse precinct at Palm Beach. Picture: Simon Cocksedge

“The plan will rule out the use of heritage buildings at Barrenjoey Head for visitor accommodation,” the answer to parliament stated.

“The final plan will provide scope for the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings at Barrenjoey Head for community or park management purposes.”

Mr Amon said that despite a commitment by Labor in early 2023, when in opposition, to scrap the accommodation plan, Ms Sharpe would not rule it out when she became minister.

“In light of this uncertainty, the Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association and I continued to fight tooth and nail and I am very pleased to report that the accommodation plan has finally been scrapped.”

State Liberal MP for Pittwater, Rory Amon (fourth from left), with members of the Palm Beach & Whale Beach Association after news that the State Government will not allow paid accommodation on Barrenjoey Headland. Picture: Supplied

Association president Richard West said it should be left untouched.

“The Barrenjoey headland is the jewel in the crown of Pittwater.

“We believe it should be preserved as it is for the use of this, and future generations.”

The lighthouse, which features in the closing credits and promotions for Channel 7’s Home And Away, is a regular stop on tours of locations used for the popular soapy.

In the show, it is known as the lighthouse on “Stewarts Point”.