Riverina campers urged to check for flood alerts

Campers heading for National Parks in the NSW Riverina over the holidays are being urged to check the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) website for flood closure alerts before leaving home.

Woolshed Flat campground, Cocoparra National Park, Wiradjuri Aboriginal Country

NPWS Acting Riverina Area Manager Tim O'Kelly said while a few visitor areas had reopened, many campsites and facilities along rivers will continue to be impacted by ongoing flooding.

"After a big effort by NPWS staff, we have managed to re-open the Woolshed Flat campground within Cocoparra National Park near Griffith and the Reed Beds Bird Hide boardwalk near Mathoura.

"Access roads into many other areas are either under water or have been extensively damaged by flooding and debris," Mr O'Kelly said.

"There are also a number of unstable trees that will need to be assessed before visitors can return to these areas.

"Due to access issues, many of the campsites along the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Edward and Lachlan rivers are likely to remain closed over the holiday period to protect visitor safety.

"As the water recedes, NPWS will continue to assess, clean-up and re-open as soon as it is safe to do so," Mr O'Kelly said.

NPWS has provided refunds to visitors with summer holiday period bookings.

At this stage, the scheduled re-opening of many of the campgrounds will be March 2023, but visitors are urged to check the NPWS alerts and closures on the website.

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