Residents reignite '25 year battle' with tourists at Aussie hotspot: 'Free for all'
A million people visit the NSW Blue Mountain ever year - and that figure's set to continue to rise.
Locals living in one of the country's most popular travel destinations have vowed to take action against disruptive tourists, which they say bombard the area in "uncontrolled" numbers, wreaking havoc on the landscape and "exacerbating congestion".
Councillors in NSW's Blue Mountains say in particular, the onslaught of coaches arriving each day has badly impacted the "long standing traffic issue" in the region, with figures revealing day trips to the mountains having increased by nearly 30 per cent from 2022 to 2023, and those numbers are still set to rise.
The dilemma is one many traveller hotspots around the country — and around the world — are facing this year, with local authorities struggling to strike a balance between supporting local needs while reaping the benefits of tourist income.
Blue Mountains locals blast 'disruptive' tourists, coaches
At the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney's CBD, it's estimated about a million people visit per year. Among the most popular landmarks are the Three Sisters rock formation, Scenic World and Jenolan Cave. According to Blue Mountains Council, the expected increase in tourists would see already inadequately managed traffic worsening without immediate intervention.
Resident Warren Ross said the situation highlighted the "25 year battle" between coaches touring the area and the local community. He argued the design of Blue Mountains towns are "not built to support excessive visitation" and limited parking added to the chaos.
Disturbing public message in tourist hotspot highlights worrying new trend
'Impossible' problem facing one of Australia's tourist hotspots
"For over 25 years it’s been a battle with these coaches to get fair treatment for this community, we need money to cover the damage these large vehicles do," he said, Penrith Press reported. "If our focus is about expanding the tourism pay model to collect money from buses, does that mean we are not getting money from them now? What is our community getting out of it?"
A motion to develop a citywide tourist bus management plan was passed at a recent council meeting, along with plans to trial new "bus compliance technology" at two locations in Katoomba.
Proposed 'compliance technology' trialled
One proposed location, Echo Point Roundabout, will have two cameras installed to capture traffic violations by vehicles entering and exiting the roundabout, and a third camera to monitor parking in no-stopping zones and mobility bays. At the second location, Panorama Drive within the Echo Point precinct, two cameras will catch failure-to-pay infringements by vehicles coming and going.
The six-month trial will begin after the camera installations in November and will be in effect for the 2024 Christmas period, in response to severe congestion and traffic violations that occurred at the same time last year. President of Blue Mountains Tourism Jason Cronshaw said vistors were not only increasing in numbers, but spreading further out in their travels.
"The big attractions were traditionally Scenic World, Echo Point and the three sisters, but social media has meant that places such as Lincoln’s Rock at Wentworth Point are now busy with tourists," he said
"We need to have a system in place like Antarctica to make sure operators aren’t all arriving at the same time, so it’s a managed system as opposed to just a free for all."
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
