If private chalets were built at Govetts Leap picnic ground there would be a public riot, says Colong Foundation for Wilderness director Keith Muir.
The chalets are just one of the ideas suggested in the draft Destination Management Plan, prepared by the Stafford Group for council, and now on public display.
The plan will guide the direction for tourism in the Blue Mountains over coming years.
In the plan, it’s suggested that eight to 10 chalets be built at the picnic ground at picturesque and popular Govetts Leap, which overlooks the Grose Valley.
Mr Muir has called on Blue Mountains City Council to reject the plan, saying it “turns its back on the ‘City within a World Heritage National Park’ vision to spruik inappropriate development of national parkland the likes of which hasn’t been seen for 50 years.”
He said a resort proposal at Govetts Leap has not been seen since the Oswald Ziegler ‘Pioneer Village’ proposal of the 1960s.
“This sort of profit before national park protection is a throwback to the anti-conservation dark ages,” Mr Muir said.
Other proposals include cabins or glamping tents at the Ruined Castle, beside the Kedumba River below Mt Solitary and on the old Leura sewerage treatment site below the Leura Falls lookout.
A 250-bed resort and a six-hectare tourist park are also proposed.
“The draft plan is just a sloppy set of ‘good idea’ copycat proposals that would, if adopted, degrade the region’s natural assets,” Mr Muir said.
The draft plan provides ideas to encourage tourists, half of whom are day trippers, to stay at least one night in the area, which would bring in more dollars and reduce pressure on facilities.
Mr Muir liked the ideas for bike trails and walks, and said an app which listed events happening in the Mountains would be helpful, but said it should be up to a “marketing genius to link everything together” to encourage tourists to stay longer.
A council spokeswoman said council had undertaken extensive consultation with a number of agencies and industry stakeholders in the plan’s development, including the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
“The proposals relating to tourism activities within the Blue Mountains National Park and World Heritage Area, including ‘in-park’ accommodation, were discussed with relevant NPWS representatives and included in the draft destination management plan with their knowledge. Council is continuing its discussions with NPWS regarding the proposals in the draft plan,” she said.
“The opportunities for sustainable tourism activities identified in the draft plan are suggestions only and are subject to feasibility studies, investigation and planning approvals.”
The Katoomba Chamber of Commerce and Community has already expressed disappointment in the plan, president Mark Jarvis saying the priority should be a manned visitor centre and public toilets by the train station in Katoomba to point tourists in the right direction.
The public have until April 21 to comment on the plan at: http://bluemountainshaveyoursay.com.au/DMP.