The NSW Government is opening all national parks for free on November 15 and 16 to mark the 40th anniversary the National Parks and Wildlife Act.
Member for Davidson, Jonathan O’Dea said the fee free weekend is a celebration of legislation that is crucial to protecting NSW’s natural and cultural heritage as well as our unique wildlife.
“Families across NSW will be able to take advantage of the fee free weekend to visit Garigal, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Lane Cove and other National Parks for a picnic, a walk or simply to drive through,” Mr O’Dea said.
“The NSW Government has provided an additional $40 million to maintain our parks, enhance education and improve access.
“We have created nine parks and provided $62.5 million to increase hazard reduction in national parks, including the employment of 94 additional fire-fighters,” Mr O’Dea said.
Environment Minister Rob Stokes said NSW has grown its parks system from only one per cent of the total state in 1967 when the National Parks and Wildlife Service was first established, to 9 per cent of the state, or more than 7 million hectares.
“It is fitting that such an important milestone coincides with the World Parks Congress, where more than 4000 delegates from around the earth are here in Sydney to discuss how to best to manage our world’s protected areas,” Mr Stokes said.
“The Congress brings together Presidents to park rangers, business executives to indigenous leaders – in a common endeavour to plan the future for terrestrial and marine parks and protected areas around the world.
Mr O’Dea, as Chair of the NSW Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said the World Parks Congress also coincides with the release of an important PAC Report on improving management of heritage items in the state’s 800 national parks and reserves. There are more than 10,000 such items.
This weekend, all vehicle fees will be waived for the state’s 46 fee-charging parks, as well attraction fees to places such as La Perouse Museum and the Sea Acres Rainforest boardwalk, and landing fees at The Basin and Sydney Harbour Islands.
For more information about the fee free weekend in NSW national parks go to www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/Whats-On/fee-free-weekend
