news, local-news, bargo river, national park, national parks association, nepean, mermaids pool

The National Parks Association Macarthur branch is calling on Wollondilly Council to establish a publicly-owned buffer zone between land which could be developed and the proposed Bargo River national park. Association Macarthur branch executive committee member Rowland Ware put his case to councillors at Monday night's community forum and it will be discussed at the next council meeting. The association is ultimately calling for a national park in the Bargo River Gorge area between Colo Vale, Tahmoor, Wilton and Yerrinbool. It is proposing that the Bargo River State Conservation Area and the Nepean Gorge, upstream from Bargo River, become part of the national park. If a national park is not possible, the association would like to see the conservation area expanded and a regional park created around the gorge between Mermaids Pool and the Nepean River. National Parks Association Macarthur branch executive committee member Julie Sheppard said a buffer zone should be included between the cliff tops and the developed land in exchange for the right for J R Stud and Inghams to develop the sites. Ms Sheppard said a buffer zone was needed now to maximise the chances of the site becoming a national park. She said NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services were unable to take on new parks in the Wollondilly area even though they agreed it was valuable. Mr Ware said the gorge was a "splendid piece of scenery" and was becoming well-known outside the Wollondilly area. "I didn't become interested in the area until I was 15 years old and I just thought it had local significance," he said. "It wasn't until I did bushwalking in other parks that I realised the gorge at Tahmoor had characteristics that other places didn't have. "Then I realised it had state and national significance." Wollondilly MP Jai Rowell, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Wollondilly Council were unavailable for comment before the Advertiser's deadline yesterday.

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