Active project record

Originally reported: 2022
Last reviewed: 21 July 2026
Current status: Approved and moving into construction

This page records the development of the Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre and Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk and its status when last reviewed. It is not maintained in real time. Significant later developments may be covered through Keep It Wild Australia’s Protected Areas Tourism Watch reports.

The original proposal

The NSW Government announced the Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre and Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk in June 2022 as a $56.4 million investment in visitor infrastructure within Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks on Gumbaynggirr Country.

The project was presented as two connected components: a replacement for the existing Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and a new 46-kilometre multi-day walking route through the Dorrigo escarpment and surrounding Gondwana rainforest.

The new visitor centre was initially described as a major architectural attraction incorporating an elevated walkway, lookout, interpretive spaces and improved connections to the existing Wonga Walk and surrounding rainforest. It was intended to provide a starting point for the multi-day walk while continuing the existing centre’s education, visitor-information and cultural-interpretation functions.

The proposed four-day walk would travel through Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks using a mixture of existing tracks, historic logging routes and new sections. It would include purpose-built hiker camps, bunk-style accommodation, tent platforms, toilets, communal shelters, lookouts and pedestrian bridges.

The original proposal did not include private lodge-style accommodation or an exclusive commercial walking concession. The huts and camps were described as public visitor infrastructure, although the government consistently framed the project as a way to increase nature-based tourism, extend visitor stays and support regional tourism employment.

Current status

The project has now received its principal environmental approvals and has entered construction.

Reviews of environmental factors for both the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk and the Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre were determined in 2025. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service concluded that the projects could proceed subject to conditions and site-specific safeguards. Design changes were made in response to environmental assessment and community submissions. (Environment and Heritage)

The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk was also referred under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 because of its potential relationship with National and World Heritage values and threatened species. The Commonwealth determined that the project was not a controlled action and did not require further assessment under the Act. (Environment and Heritage)

Construction of the walking track officially began in May 2026. Local company Buchanan Landscaping and Construction was awarded three of the four track-building sections, while Trailworx Australia was selected for another section. Initial works commenced near Dome Mountain, with the full walk expected to open in 2028. (Environment and Heritage)

The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk

The current proposal remains a four-day, approximately 46-kilometre walk through Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks.

The route will combine existing walking tracks, new track construction and former logging and snig tracks identified through LiDAR mapping. It will begin near the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and travel through the escarpment landscape before finishing near Bindarray picnic area on the Urumbilum River in Bindarri National Park. (Environment and Heritage)

The walk will include several substantial pedestrian bridges. By late 2025, the five principal bridges had been designed and off-site fabrication was nearing completion. Components were expected to be transported and installed using methods intended to reduce disturbance at river crossings, including prefabricated footings and buried anchors rather than extensive on-site concrete work. (Environment and Heritage)

Track construction began with a Grade 4 natural-surface trail. The government says recycled timber and locally sourced stone are being used where possible, with drainage and water-crossing designs intended to improve resilience under changing climatic conditions. (Environment and Heritage)

Hiker camps and accommodation

The walk is expected to include purpose-built overnight camps with communal facilities, bunk huts and tent-based accommodation.

The original concept referred to four walkers’ huts and associated camping areas. More recent project updates indicate that camp design is still being refined, with options involving communal kitchens and shelters, smaller bunk huts, toilets, wastewater systems, energy infrastructure and tent accommodation.

In May 2026, National Parks and Wildlife Service staff inspected proposed camp sites and considered maintenance access, threatened plants, wastewater treatment, security, energy systems, fire management and tree risks. The design team was still finalising layouts for the camps. (Environment and Heritage)

The accommodation appears intended to remain relatively modest and shared rather than taking the form of private lodge-style rooms. Current government material describes simple structures using subdued materials and dark exterior finishes intended to reduce their visual prominence in the rainforest. (Environment and Heritage)

Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre

The original Arc Rainforest Centre concept has undergone substantial design changes.

The initial proposal featured a prominent elevated structure and a large oval-shaped skywalk with upper and lower levels. Following further design work and community feedback, the NSW Government appointed architectural practice Terroir to develop a lower-profile replacement for the existing visitor centre.

The latest design places the building more closely within the existing site and retains a central courtyard near the escarpment. The elevated walkway replacing the existing Skywalk has been realigned and reduced in scale. A proposed upper-level weather room has been removed, with the government saying the changes will reduce the construction footprint and cost while still increasing visitor capacity. (Environment and Heritage)

The existing Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and nearby walking tracks are expected to remain accessible during parts of the construction program. A temporary visitor centre, named Maam ganiyaygamba, has been established at the Glade to maintain visitor services while redevelopment proceeds. The temporary building is expected to remain as an education and community-events facility after its transitional role ends. (Environment and Heritage)

What has changed

The project has changed significantly since Keep It Wild Australia first reported it.

The most important development is that the project is no longer simply an early concept. The plan of management and master-planning processes have progressed, state environmental assessments have been determined, the Commonwealth referral has been resolved and physical construction of the walking track has begun.

The design of the visitor centre has also been substantially revised. The originally promoted architectural concept has been replaced with a lower-profile building and a smaller, realigned elevated walkway.

The number and form of the proposed overnight facilities have become more clearly focused on communal shelters, public bunk huts and camping infrastructure. No commercial lodge operator or exclusive accommodation concession has been announced.

The original expectation that major construction could begin in 2024 was not met. The current delivery program places detailed design across 2025–26, construction between 2026 and 2028, and completion in 2028. (Environment and Heritage)

Commercial tourism implications

The project remains somewhat different from the private lodge and exclusive commercial walking developments most closely associated with Keep It Wild Australia’s Tourism Watch.

The infrastructure is being publicly funded and developed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The proposed huts and camping areas have not been publicly identified as privately operated lodges, and no exclusive commercial walking concession has been announced.

Commercial tourism is nevertheless relevant. The government has framed the project as an investment intended to increase nature-based tourism, encourage visitors to stay longer and support regional businesses and employment. Licensed tour operators may ultimately offer guided packages using the walk, and the visitor centre could support tours, events, retail activity or other commercial services. (NSW National Parks)

The important distinction is between commercial operators using public infrastructure under ordinary licensing arrangements and any future decision to grant exclusive access, reserved accommodation or private control over part of the experience. No such arrangement has been confirmed.

Why this project matters

The Dorrigo project represents a major transformation of visitor access within two national parks and part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage landscape.

The scale of the investment, the construction of a new 46-kilometre trail, multiple overnight camps, bunk accommodation, major bridges and a substantially redeveloped visitor centre make it more than routine park maintenance. It will create an organised multi-day tourism destination where no comparable hut-based walking product previously existed.

At the same time, it does not currently appear to involve private lodge development or an exclusive high-end commercial operator. The proposed accommodation is being developed as shared park infrastructure, which distinguishes it from projects that reserve national park sites for privately operated premium experiences.

The project is therefore important both for its physical scale and for the model it may establish: significant publicly funded tourism infrastructure within protected areas that may later support a mixture of independent walkers and commercial guided products.

Confirmed

The NSW Government has committed $56.4 million to the combined visitor-centre and walking-track project.

The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk will extend for approximately 46 kilometres through Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks.

The project includes new and upgraded tracks, pedestrian bridges, hiker camps, communal facilities, bunk accommodation and camping areas.

Reviews of environmental factors for the walk and visitor centre have been determined, allowing both proposals to proceed subject to conditions.

The Commonwealth determined that the Great Walk was not a controlled action under the EPBC Act.

Track construction commenced in May 2026.

The Arc Rainforest Centre design has been revised and remains in detailed development.

The overall project is expected to be completed in 2028. (Environment and Heritage)

Not yet confirmed

The final number, capacity and detailed configuration of the bunk huts and camping platforms.

The booking system and fees for the walk and overnight camps.

Whether independent walkers will be able to book all accommodation on the same terms as commercial tour operators.

Whether any camp, visitor-centre service or part of the walk will be privately operated.

Whether commercial operators will receive reserved allocations, preferential access or exclusive packages.

The final construction cost if the project exceeds or changes from the original $56.4 million commitment.

The precise opening date in 2028.

Sources and documents

  • NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk project page
  • Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk: May 2026 project update
  • Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk: December 2025 project update
  • Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk and Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre reviews of environmental factors
  • Dorrigo National Park, Bindarri National Park and Bindarri State Conservation Area plan of management
  • Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre and Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk master plans
  • Commonwealth EPBC referral decision for the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk