Croc Park

Blue Mountains Wildlife Park
(the Croc Park)

overview & current situation history media what you can do

Overview & Current Situation

latest news - 29 May 2023

Overview

The proposed Blue Mountains Wildlife and Tourism Development is located at the foot of Bodington Hill, Wentworth Falls on the Great Western Highway.

Map of proposed Wildlife Park and surrounds
(click image to see a larger version)

In 1989 the Blue Mountains City Council approved a development application (DA) for a Flora and Fauna Park. As some work commenced on the site in 1992, prior to the development approval expiring, the approval is deemed to still be active.

These are known as "zombie DAs". In theory, if the conditions of the original development approval are met, then it can be built.

In early 2021 a proposal for a new and larger Blue Mountains Wildlife Park gained State Significant Development Status. This means that assessment of the proposal is taken out of Council’s hands. The proposal also included a 56-room hotel.

In March 2021, the Department of Planning issued the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), which identifies what information needs to be provided in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS needed to be completed and lodged with a development application (DA) within two years - later extended to 30 June 2023.

Current Situation

Following information provided by the developer’s representative at the February 2023 ‘town hall meeting’ at the Carrington Hotel, we were expecting that the EIS and DA would be lodged by the due date, June 30th. Instead, revised plans have now been lodged with the Department of Planning along with a request for a revision of the original SEARs issued in March 2021.

The developer has informed the Department that, due to various delays, the development will now be progressed as a Concept Development Application which allows for a staged development. The developer is requesting that the Department amend the 2021 SEARs to reflect a staged development, comprising a ‘Concept’ for the entire development and a detailed proposal for the first stage of the development only. This first stage consists of preparatory works – land clearing, site preparation and construction of internal roads – for buildings (including the hotel) that are not yet approved, and whose approval would be the subject of a later stage development application.

The major features of the revised plans are:

Bodington Hill

The new ‘indicative intersection’ and entry point to the development, revealed at the time of the February meeting, will be a “fully functional signalised T-intersection” i.e. traffic lights with turning lanes. This will allow vehicles travelling from both directions to enter and leave the site from the highway.
This intersection is not required for the Stage 1 works as construction vehicles would use the existing entry from the highway. The developer has therefore requested that any detailed plans and impact assessment for the highway intersection not be included in a revised SEARs covering the Concept and Stage 1, but deferred to a later stage development application.

Predators - Att A2 - Stage 1 Works

The development footprint has significantly expanded and new attractions introduced. These new attractions are not shown on the revised Concept plan, but only appear on the Stage 1 works plan, though it is not proposed that these exhibits would be included in the Stage 1 works.
On the Concept plan, a ‘free range wildlife’ exhibit is shown in the vegetated area close to the swamp in the bottom right quadrant. In the Stage 1 works plan that same area shows a ‘predators of Australia’ exhibit featuring fresh- and salt-water crocodiles, dingoes, Tasmanian Devils and lace monitors.

Saltwater Crocodile (Bob Reyswood)

Similarly, the Concept plan shows a vegetated area containing a high ropes course and ‘free range wildlife’ along the highway in the eastern section of the site, whereas the Stage 1 works plan shows a ‘birds of Australia’, emu and cassowary exhibit.

Both these new exhibits are in the Environmental Conservation (C2) zone on the site.

The Department of Planning is currently consulting with government agencies (including Council) and will consider their advice before determining whether to revise the SEARs or not. There is no opportunity for the public to have a say at this point.

The Department is likely to make a decision by the end of May.

If revised SEARs are issued, the developer will have another 2 years to prepare and lodge the EIS and development application for the Concept and Stage 1 plans. If the Department decides an amendment is not necessary, and if the developer does not lodge the EIS and development application by the due date (June 30th), the current SEARs will expire. If that happens the developer will have to re-apply for a SEARs.

See the documents here under ‘Amendments’.

At its meeting of April 26th, the Council unanimously endorsed a Mayoral Matter of Urgency calling on the Department to not amend the current SEARs. It also reiterated its request that the state government end the State Significant designation for the proposed development and return it to Council for assessment.

The Council also resolved to hold a public meeting as soon as practicable, jointly chaired by the Mayor and the Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle.