The project will position Dorrigo and the World Heritage-listed Dorrigo National Park as a major nature tourism destination. Importantly, it will create around 270 new jobs on the Mid North Coast.
Visitation to national parks across the North Coast is booming. In 2024/25, there were 6.81 million visits to North Coast parks. National parks in north-east NSW inject around $4.4 billion into the regional economy and support about 14,000 regional jobs.
The redeveloped Dorrigo Rainforest Centre is projected to attract 200,000 visitors to the region each year.
Across the state, visitation to national parks is at record levels, with 65.5 million visits last financial year, driving economic growth and getting more people into the great outdoors. National parks inject $19.5 billion into the NSW economy and support 62,000 jobs annually. Regional communities and businesses reap significant benefits as visitors travel far and wide to experience our forests, rivers and wildlife.
Design of the Rainforest Centre is progressing, including with community feedback, to carefully manage visitor experience and environmental protection. The new centre will be a low-profile building which will sit lightly in the landscape to create an educational walk from arrival through to the Skywalk elevated walkway and surrounding rainforest.
The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk will be an exciting new multi-day walking experience, showcasing the very best of Dorrigo and Bindarri National Parks on Gumbaynggirr Country.
Showcasing the breathtaking Gondwana Rainforests, the 46-kilometre, four-day walk will invite visitors to immerse themselves in koala country and discover the cultural heritage of the Gumbaynggirr people.
The multi-day walk along the Dorrigo Rainforest escarpment will include three new purpose-built camps featuring bunk huts, tent platforms and communal shelters, offering a comfortable and memorable way to connect with nature.
Design of the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre is progressing, with principal design consultant Terroir releasing the latest renders of the visitor centre. The new centre will be a low-profile building which will sit lightly in the landscape to create an educational walk from arrival through to the Skywalk elevated walkway and surrounding rainforest.
The Skywalk has been refined to reduce its footprint and minimise disturbance to the surrounding rainforest environment while increasing capacity. Detailed surveys assessed tree health, threatened species habitat and education values to guide the final alignment. The aim is to provide a memorable and accessible visitor experience while protecting the rainforest values that people come to see.
The Dorrigo National Park visitor centre and walking tracks, including the popular Crystal Shower Falls walk, will remain open while this work is underway. Visitors should check NSW National Parks alerts for the latest access changes, closures and project updates before travelling.
