Residents of South Wentworth Falls are demanding action on a parking crisis caused by tourists.
The residents say the area around the Wentworth Falls Lookout and picnic area and the entry to the Valley of the Waters at the Conservation Hut, has become “bedlam” thanks to visitors parking hundreds of cars in the village streets, often blocking driveways, creating massive inconvenience and potential danger to children.
It was raised as a matter of urgency by Councillors Romola Hollywood and Annette Bennett at the Blue Mountains City Council meeting on April 26 after the issue peaked over the Anzac Day weekend with residents counting 550 cars between Fletcher Street and the Falls on Anzac Day Monday.
One resident, Andrew Hall, who lives on Falls Road, said he was concerned that there was one rule for some and not for all – citing the example of a neighbour who has multiple No Stopping signs outside his Falls Road/ Wilson Street frontage.
“Why is it a billionaire has no stopping signs and we aren’t entitled to them?” Mr Hall asked.
There are 55 free popular parking spaces at the Wentworth Falls Lookout and picnic area which quickly fill up on weekends and public holidays.
Residents say the area has grown in popularity in the past three years – heightened by positive promotion to the area by the Trip Advisor website and highway signage.
The Falls has a four-and-a-half star rating on Trip Advisor but there are numerous complaints about parking problems.
“There is no parking, no crowd control measures and no public facilities for families other than a small grassed area in the national park,” one reviewer wrote. “There were people everywhere and many of them were walking in front of cars, crossing roads willy nilly - we nearly hit two pedestrians and saw several other near misses. At busy times National Parks should consider marshalls … the illegal parking, kamikaze pedestrians and bad road design made getting out of the area absolute torture,” another wrote.
The councillors unanimously voted to write to the NSW Minister for the Environment, Mark Speakman, and Blue Mountains MP, Trish Doyle, to seek their support in finding solutions to the shortage of parking, and pressure on other amenities.
They will also ask the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to convene a meeting with other relevant state government agencies, including police and the Roads and Maritime Service, and with council, to explore solutions to the urgent need to improve the parking and other tourist amenities at the Wentworth Falls Lookout and picnic area and the entry to the Valley of the Waters at the Conservation Hut.
The residents told the Gazette after the council meeting they were disappointed a resident representative had not been asked to be part of that meeting of stakeholders.
“All anyone wants is for the situation to be resolved with proper traffic management,” Mr Hall said.