The Minnamurra Rainforest and visitor centre are closed until further notice due to extensive flood damage sustained during last week’s heavy rainfall event.
The safety of visitors and staff is the top priority for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the closure is necessary to assess and address the damage caused by the flooding.
Water levels in the Minnamurra River exceeded 3 metres above normal levels during Saturday’s rainfall event. Two bridges on the popular Lyrebird Loop track sustained significant damage, with one bridge completely destroyed.
A 15 metre by 15 metre landslip has occurred at the main entry to the rainforest, and picnic areas surrounding the visitor centre have suffered extreme erosion. A significant number of trees are also down across the site.
Geotechnical experts have been contacted to assess suspected rockfall areas and an engineer has been engaged to assess structural damage. NPWS has implemented road and track closures and there is currently no visitor access to the site. Work has commenced to reopen the area as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
For updates on the status of the Minnamurra Rainforest and visitor centre, please visit NPWS Alerts.
Quotes attributable to NPWS Acting Area Manager Nathan Cattell:
‘We understand the disappointment this closure may cause to our visitors ahead of the autumn school holidays but safety remains our utmost concern.
‘The NPWS team is working hard to assess the damage and restore access to this popular spot as soon as we can.’
