Barrington Tops National Park and the surrounding State Forests all remain closed due to impacts from the recent extreme weather event. People are strongly advised not to travel to the area.
Both the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forests NSW have advised that staff are still assessing the damage and are encountering numerous issues both within the park/forests, as well as along roads and trails used to access the area.
Many of the roads in and around the park/forests have land slips below them, land slumps onto them, bridges that have been washed away, and large fallen trees. With the forecast winds over the weekend there is also a high chance of more trees falling as the ground is still very wet from the significant rainfall.
As a general safety message for any planned future visits, all people entering remote areas should inform a family member or other responsible person of their travel plans and an expected date and time of return.
Conditions on the sub-alpine plateau can change rapidly and people visiting the area are advised of the need to be prepared for weather extremes.
At a minimum, visitors to the Barrington Tops should carry:
- additional warm clothing
- food and water sufficient for all members of the party for the duration of the stay – with some reserve for unforeseen circumstances
- 4G or equivalent mobile telephone capable of transmitting from remote areas (phone reception is extremely unreliable in most areas of the Barrington wilderness).
For up-to-date information about road conditions leading up to the Barrington Tops, please contact the Visitor Information Centre at Gloucester on 02 6538 5252 or Scone on 02 6545 1526.
For further information about Barrington Tops National Park and State Conservation Area, visit https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ or contact the NPWS at Scone on 02 6540 2300 or Gloucester on 02 6538 5300 during business hours Monday to Friday.
For further information about Barrington Tops, Stewarts Brook and Chichester State Forests visit https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/ or contact 1300 655 687.
Media Contact: NPWS Media 02 9995 5347 or [email protected]
