Designs submitted for approval
We are proposing to construct a new visitor centre building and other improved visitor facilities at Kurnell in Kamay Botany Bay National Park. The new visitor infrastructure includes a new car park, improvements to existing car parks, new amenity buildings, restoration of the freshwater stream, new picnic tables, BBQs and accessible pathways.
National Parks and Wildlife Service lodged a Section 60 application with Heritage NSW in September 2023. A Section 60 Application is an approvals process under the Heritage Act 1977, that evaluates the potential impact of a proposal on the heritage values of an item listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.
Heritage NSW publicly advertised the proposal in November 2023 to allow members of the community an opportunity to review and comment on the heritage impact of the proposed works. The public comment period concluded in early December, and Heritage NSW is currently assessing the application.
Drop in to see the designs
If you would like to see the latest design drawings or talk to the project team, community drop-in sessions have been scheduled at Alpha House on:
- Wednesday, 24 January, from 4 pm to 6 pm
- Tuesday, 30 January, from 10 am to 12 pm
Follow the signs to the visitor centre car park in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Kurnell, then take the path towards the foreshore. Alpha House is the timber building situated on the western side of Commemoration Flat overlooking Botany Bay.
Construction schedule
Construction of the new visitor centre and other visitor facilities is scheduled to commence in mid-2024, subject to the necessary approvals, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The replacement of the Commemoration Flat amenities block is expected to commence in February 2024 and be complete by the end of June. The deteriorating steel-framed building will be replaced with new amenities constructed from precast concrete panels, providing an improved and more durable facility. During this work, the eastern half of the Commemoration Flat car park will be used as a site compound and will be closed to the public.
Cape Solander whale watching facilities
The 2023 whale watching season saw many visitors enjoying the newly completed whale watching platform and improved car parking at Cape Solander. The new facilities provide improved visitor access and safety, with a new wheelchair accessible whale watching platform, disabled car park spaces, additional smaller viewing terraces and new interpretation signage.
The new visitor infrastructure was awarded the AILA 2023 NSW Award of Excellence for Tourism and the 2023 National Landscape Architecture Award for Tourism.
Cape Baily walking track
As part of the Great Southern Walk project over 520 m of new elevated boardwalk and new directional signage was added to the Cape Baily walking track. The upgraded track was opened to the public in August 2023 and has proven to be very popular.
