As welcome sunshine replaces grey skies across the State, people planning a visit to national parks are being reminded to check before leaving home as many areas remain waterlogged or damaged.
The widespread rain and flooding affected many national parks and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) crews are working to assess the impacts and ensure areas are open to the public as quickly as it is safe.
This includes ensuring the hundreds of affected visitor sites, picnic areas, campgrounds, lookouts and walking tracks are safe to use, along with access to and from these areas.
NPWS crews are also busy clearing flood debris, fallen trees and repairing washaways and other damage.
People planning to visit a park are urged to check the NPWS website prior to travelling as the situation can change quickly.
- Check and observe closures. Check the NPWS and live traffic websites frequently, particularly close to travelling. Do not enter closed areas.
- Do not cross floodwaters. Conditions are currently treacherous. Do not cross flooded creeks and flood waters as the recent rains have likely altered conditions of causeways.
- Impassable access roads. Some park roads as well as access roads may not be passible and may close at short notice. Check websites or call ahead in remote areas. Access to some parks has changed due to road closures.
- Be mindful of trees. Soggy ground and sustained rains increase the risk of tree falls and failures. Do not shelter or camp under trees.
- Notify someone. Using the NPWS trip intention form to notify someone about your trip is a great way to increase your safety.
- If in doubt, leave it out. If you have doubts about your planned visit, we encourage you to postpone your stay to a drier, sunnier time.
Check NPWS Alerts and NSW Live Traffic for up-to-date information before visiting a national park and note it is never safe to drive, ride or walk through flood waters.
People who have an existing campground booking may postpone or cancel. Customers in campgrounds now closed due to flooding/severe weather have been contacted to advise their booking has been cancelled and is being refunded.
