A network of 13 magnificent Great Walks is being established in NSW national parks as part of a plan to transform our State into a bushwalking mecca, ready to rival other multi-day walks in Australia and beyond.
Launching the NSW Great Walks Strategy, Minister for Environment James Griffin said New South Wales is the best state in Australia to explore nature on foot.
"These 13 NSW Great Walks cover more than 630 kilometres, from our sun kissed shorelines, highest summits, and rainforests millions of years in the making.
"Our magnificent multi-day walks shouldn't just be for the more hardcore hikers, which is why we're offering many styles of walk and accommodation so visitors from far and wide can enjoy the diverse landscapes in our nearly 900 national parks and reserves.
"Hiking in nature is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world, and our Great Walks will help bring more visitors to our rural and regional areas where they boost local economies.
"NSW national parks already contribute about $18 billion and 74,000 jobs to the state's economy every year, and 3 quarters of the economic benefits of national parks are delivered in rural and regional areas."
Visiting national parks is one of the top 3 things visitors do when travelling to a rural or regional destination, and more than 90% of people in New South Wales are interested in walking in national parks.
NSW national parks welcomed more than 60 million visitors annually prior to the pandemic, and visitation levels are growing.
The NSW Great Walks Strategy will help deliver durable walking tracks, protect environmentally sensitive areas, withstand severe weather, and provide infrastructure to meet future population growth.
The NSW Government is currently delivering the largest investment in national parks history, with $450 million dollars for more than 200 visitor infrastructure projects across the state over 4 years.
Since 2019, the NSW Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate to protect threatened habitats, wildlife and cultural heritage in perpetuity.
