In just over two months, residents and visitors to the Mountains are going to have a stunning new outlook at Wentworth Falls Lake.
The jewel in the crown of the $1.3 million tourism upgrade to the lake reserve is well underway and is expected to be unveiled by April.
Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, Marise Payne officially announced $652,774 in Federal government funding for the Wentworth Falls Lake Reserve in May last year. The project was granted under the Community Development Grants Program.
At the time she called it a “significant milestone in the project which will see the upgrade and modernisation of facilities at Wentworth Falls Lake which is a popular location for tourists and local”.
As well as a new wooden and metal viewing platform, the project includes the construction of an accessible walking track, new toilets, additional car and bus parking and the installation of interpretive/educational signage. A council spokeswoman said the upgrade would better meet the demand and community expectations for recreational opportunities, as well as improves car parking and toilet facilities.
Ward 2 Cr Romola Hollywood, who lives in Wentworth Falls and has fought hard for the project, said the lake was “a jewel in the Blue Mountains crown [and] increasingly popular with visitors and an important place of recreation for local residents and families”.
Blue Mountains City Council is co-funding and also managing the project to a shared investment of more than $1.3 million.
Cr Hollywood said the new section of path “is the first step in realising the goal of the council's plan for a circuit track around the lake. Council will be seeking further funding to complete the link to Banksia Road which will create full loop walk for lovers of the lake to enjoy.”
The current funding has enabled council to start stage 1 of the boardwalk, enabling people “to walk further around the lake shore and appreciate more of the lake's beautiful vistas,” Cr Hollywood added.
There was also the bonus of providing better protection for the hanging swamp, she said.
The lake is a popular picnic area and children’s playground and is also popular for model boat enthusiasts.
Construction of the boardwalk started in November last year. The 40 metre steel section through the swamp is almost complete and construction will soon start on the concrete path section next to the existing walking track. The area is currently closed off to the public as it is a construction site, although fisherman on Australia Day were already making use of the 5 x 5 metre platform.
Construction of the new toilets has been delayed but other features such as the interpretative signs, feature information boards on the life cycle of the dragonfly and turtles found at the lake will start this month. The electricity supply to the lake is also being boosted to support community events that occur there. The car park works are scheduled to start in March.