Destination Pagoda, a multi million dollar plan to open up the Gardens of Stone and Newnes area to tourism, was presented by tourism operators at Lithgow's Hoskins Church hall on Wednesday night, June 12.
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A small group turned out for the presentation of the plan, which was officially launched at the Lithgow Workmen's Club in April.
The plan, created by the Colong Foundation, Blue Mountains Conservation Society and Lithgow Environment Group, aims to conserve the internationally unique pagoda formations while still allowing some mining activities beneath the surface.
Centennial Coal has previously expressed its public support for the proposal.
The plan is a framework for how a 39,000 hectare Gardens of Stone conservation area.
At the June 12 presentation, one of the plan's authors, Ian Brown, said $31.6 million spent over 10 years would help to establish conservation management, improve access roads, develop visitor facilities, restore degraded areas, encourage visitors, support local enterprise and protect important values.
"The area is inherently attractive to tourists," Mr Brown said.
With improved access and development of the area as a tourist location, the plan estimated up to 200,000 people could be lured to the area, which is still just a small portion of the four million visitors to the Blue Mountains each year, Mr Brown said.
A presentation on the plan was made to Lithgow City Council on Wednesday, seeking its support for the plan.
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Kirsty Horton
A journalist with 15 years of experience, Kirsty Horton has been the editor of the Lithgow Mercury newspaper and a journalist for mastheads including the Great Lakes Advocate, Nambucca Guardian News and Moree Champion. She is now a member of ACM's features and special publications team.
A journalist with 15 years of experience, Kirsty Horton has been the editor of the Lithgow Mercury newspaper and a journalist for mastheads including the Great Lakes Advocate, Nambucca Guardian News and Moree Champion. She is now a member of ACM's features and special publications team.
