Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area Glamping resorts
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service are proposing to develop three luxury bush cabins in the rare pagoda landscapes of the Gardens of Stone.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is currently on exhibition until Thursday 26th February 2026. You can read more about the proposed development here.
We are calling on our supporters to object to this proposal!
How to make a submission
- Use the 'Key Information' provided below to help you write your submission. If you’d like further information, please visit Gardens of Stone Alliance. We suggest using your own words as much as possible and adding in any details regarding your own experience.
- Lodge your submission via the online portal (note: you will need to copy and paste your submission into the text box provided) or send your submission to [email protected] by Thursday 25th February 2026.
- Send us a copy! This is of course optional, but we’d love to read your submission if you're happy to share it to [email protected]
Key Information
Resorts will degrade on Rare Scenic Landscapes
- Irreplaceable Heritage: The resorts will permanently scar views of the internationally significant "platy pagoda" landscapes. These pagoda landscapes are the primary reason the State Conservation Area was created; allowing commercial development here makes the reservation status meaningless.
- A Dangerous Precedent: Approving these resorts sets a national precedent for allowing private commercial interests to degrade important scenic natural heritage within a "national park in waiting."
- Visual Blight: The "pristine" nature of these sites is precisely why they were chosen by developers, yet the development itself will destroy the "undisturbed" quality that makes them valuable.
Flawed Assessment and Misrepresentation
- False Claims of Degradation: The draft REF claims these sites are currently "degraded" to justify development. This is demonstrably untrue; these sites are largely undisturbed.
- Manipulated Definitions: The NPWS has claimed the development is not in the "pagoda landscape" by redefining the term to exclude the sandstone rockplate buffers. The ignores the landscape reality of the pagoda shrublands.
- Technical Incompatibility: The requirement to build 60m² foreign soil mounds for greywater disposal on top of sandstone rockplates proves these sites are physically and ecologically unsuitable for this type of infrastructure.
Procedural Failures and Conflicts of Interest
- Dual Roles: The NPWS is acting as both the proponent and the decision-maker. This is a significant conflict of interest.
- Lack of Transparency: The leasing process has allowed public land to be "traded" between tourism corporations like speculative real estate, with zero public scrutiny regarding the developer’s credentials and future intentions regarding these proposed resorts.
Equity and Public Access
- The "Wealth Barrier": The proposal replaces a fake claim of "fitness barrier" (the ability to walk) with a higher "wealth barrier" (the ability to pay for luxury accommodation). The public’s pagoda landscapes should remain accessible to all, not cordoned off for private profit.
- Unnecessary Development: There is no need for these resorts to enjoy the Gardens of Stone Walk. The area can already be accessed via two medium day-walks with vehicle access at Birds Rock, and so there is no "fitness barrier" to enjoying these rare, internationally significant pagoda landscapes.
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Loss of Public Equity: The real "equity" issue is the degradation of rare pagoda heritage that belongs to the public, which is being sacrificed for private gain.