The Five Headlands Coastal Experience, a project looking to connect four of the Macleay Valley Coast's national parks to deliver a nature-based bushwalking and kayaking experience, is in its early planning stage.
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Community members are being encouraged by council to help with the ground work of the project, which is expected to attract increased visitation to the region.
Improvements to existing walking tracks and the development of several new linkages will enable residents and visitors to walk sections or the whole trail, with the option to stay overnight at a local national park or in other existing nearby accommodation.
The first stage of the project (Stage One) is due for completion by the end of June 2026.
This section of the experience will cover an area of approximately 80 kilometres and run between the Macleay River mouth in South West Rocks and Point Plomer in Limeburner's Creek National Park.
The Five Headlands Coastal Experience is a collaborative effort between Kempsey Shire Council (KSC) and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), supported by NSW Government funding through the Regional Tourism Activation Fund.
To deliver Stage One, Council and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have secured $3,355,000 from the NSW Government's Regional Tourism Activation Fund. Council and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service will also help fund the project by contributing $850,000 and $574,500, respectively.
The project team is in the initial stages of development and the exact route, including any new linkages, is still to be determined following further investigations.
As a part of the groundwork for this project including investigations on routes, KSC has launched a survey to gather feedback from community members on current usage of the coastal walking tracks in the area.
Council says the information collected will inform the types of improvements and developments made to the concept route for Stage One of the project and will be taken into account for the the planning process for this project.
Submissions for the Walking Tracks Usage Survey are open to the public from April 8 to May 6 (2024). The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete.
