The NSW Government and the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements have awarded the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service $6.5 million in funding for Mimosa Rocks National Park upgrades.
The project delivers improvements to protect the parks’ natural and cultural values, support sustainable management of visitation, and enhance visitor safety and experience, in line with strict environmental planning approvals.
In 2021 and 2022, flooding severely impacted the park, leading to extensive and prolonged closures of campsites and visitor areas. Approximately 76% of the campgrounds (60 sites) and multiple popular day visitor areas were entirely or partially closed due to the flood impacts and associated repair works.
Four precincts will be upgraded as part of the project:
- Nelson Beach precinct
- Aragunnu campground
- Gillards campground
- Middle Beach campground.
Concept maps and plans
Concept maps outlining the proposed improvements are available below. Precinct plans are also being developed to provide further detail on the works planned for each site and will be published on this page in the coming weeks.
What the work will include
- Improved drainage (including installation of culverts and splash crossings) to redirect water flow and improve access to, and within the campgrounds and other visitor areas
- Redesigned campsites, access tracks and visitor amenities – to improve resilience to flooding
- Upgraded vehicle access tracks and visitor parking
- Improved beach access for pedestrians
How the park will benefit from the project
It is expected that the project will:
- ensure visitor assets can better withstand flood events and improve the sustainability of visitor facilities and infrastructure
- reduce flood closures and minimise disruption to park visitation
- improve visitor safety
- improve economic resilience by ensuring campsites and visitor precincts remain open, as a key visitor attraction for the region
- improve year-round access to the park for the local community and visitors.
Proposed timeline
Work is underway on the upgrades to the Nelson Beach Road and car park. The upgrade is expected to be completed in mid-2026, weather permitting.
Detailed design and planning approval are being finalised for the campground improvements. Work is expected to commence in mid-2026, pending planning approval. The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) will be published on the NSW Planning Portal with a link from this page.
Planning approval
The work is being delivered in accordance with rigorous environmental and cultural heritage assessments and planning approvals.
The Review of Environmental Factors (REF) will be published on the NSW Planning Portal.
Project design principles
The project supports 4 key principles:
- Protect cultural, natural and social values.
- Manage the environmental impacts of visitors.
- Use sustainable design and construction methods.
- Protect Aboriginal and historic heritage.
- Provide experiences that build understanding and respect.
- Improve resilience to weather and climate impacts.
- Support local communities through sustainable visitation.
- Provide experiences for visitors that develop high‑quality, memorable connections with Mimosa Rocks National Park while celebrating park values.
- Respond to current demand without increasing overall visitation.
Community consultation
Targeted consultation with key stakeholders has been undertaken in line with project requirements. Stakeholders and the community are being updated on the project progress via the project newsletter, webpage and onsite signs.
Temporary construction closures
The park remains open outside of work areas.
Closure information will be published on the NPWS Mimosa Rocks National Park webpage, the campground booking system and via on-site signage. Visitors should check for closures and alerts on the NPWS webpage at nswparks.info before travel.
These temporary closures are necessary to enable essential improvements that will deliver long-term benefits for the park and the community.
Nelson Beach precinct
Upgrades to Nelson Beach Road and car park are underway to improve safety, reduce environmental damage and strengthen long-term sustainability. The project focuses on better managing existing visitation.
Key design approaches include:
- concentrating works within the existing disturbed footprint
- using materials that reduce ongoing sediment run-off into the natural environment
- minimising impacts through measures such as revegetation and assisted regeneration
- improving drainage, durability and reducing maintenance needs.
The work is being completed in accordance with the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and is being published on the NSW Planning Portal.
Why the upgrade is necessary
During peak periods, visitation exceeds capacity, with more than 350 vehicles per day, resulting in people parking on vegetation and drainage areas, damaging vegetation, causing erosion, creating safety risks, and restricting vehicle access.
The upgrade formalises parking within the existing footprint and introduces improved drainage and durable surfaces to reduce erosion, sediment runoff and impacts on Nelson Lagoon. No works extend into lagoon or intertidal areas, and pedestrian access remains on existing paths.
The works address these issues and improve resilience to flooding and extreme weather. It supports NPWS obligations to enhance safety, reduce environmental impacts and maintenance costs, and ensure the site is managed sustainably for future generations.
Work includes:
- installation of new culverts
- improvements to the road corridor and reshaping road batters
- vehicle passing bays
- road resurfacing, including sealing in high erosion areas and asphalt sealing of the car park
- designated parking and accessible parking bays, with bollards
- culverts and drainage works
- improved signage
- better defined pedestrian beach access points from the car park.
Benefits:
- improved drainage and road resilience to weather events, erosion and runoff
- increasing the sustainability and reducing ongoing maintenance
- reduced damage from informal parking in vegetated areas and drainage lines
- improved drainage and reduced erosion and runoff to the lagoon
- safe, accessible parking for all visitors
- improved visitor safety and pedestrian beach access.
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Work in progress at Nelson Beach car park, showing walking path -
Nelson Beach car park works in progress -
Landscaping and replanting with native species, to preserve the character of the area. -
Transplanted burrawangs and replantings at Nelson Beach car park -
Nelson Beach road works -
With over 350 vehicles recorded at Nelson Beach car park at peak times, parking exceeds capacity and is a safety risk
Some vegetation clearing was required to complete the works, in accordance with the approved Review of Environmental Factors (REF).
- No mature hollow-bearing trees were removed.
- More than 30 burrawang plants have been successfully transplanted, including mature specimens.
- The site has been revegetated with native trees, shrubs and grasses.
The area is expected to naturally regenerate over time and progressively blend with the surrounding environment. NPWS will continue to monitor the site.
The design uses simple, low-profile elements that will weather and soften over time as vegetation re-establishes.
Revegetation with local native species will help integrate the car park with the surrounding landscape.
Consistent with the Plan of Management, infrastructure has been concentrated within the existing disturbed footprint to limit impacts on surrounding bushland.
NPWS has a responsibility to provide safe access for visitors.
The upgrade:
- improves road and parking conditions
- enables safer vehicle movement and parking
- provides defined pedestrian access to the beach
These improvements balance safety requirements with protection of the park’s natural and cultural values.
The upgrade protects shorebird habitat and water quality by:
- providing clearly defined access points and pathways to reduce off-track movement
- stormwater and erosion controls to protect the lagoon
- avoiding sensitive ecological areas wherever possible
Signage and education will encourage visitors to respect nesting and feeding areas, particularly during breeding periods.
These measures support the protection of both shorebird habitat and the health of Nelson Lagoon while allowing continued visitor access.
The Nelson Beach precinct, including Nelson Beach Road and car park, Moon Bay access and Wajurda Point lookout, is temporarily closed for all access until the upgrade is completed in mid-2026.
Proposed campground improvements
This investment in Mimosa Rocks National Park will deliver improvements across key campgrounds and day-use areas, focusing on low-impact upgrades to improve drainage, erosion control and overall site resilience.
All works will be undertaken in strict accordance with environmental and cultural heritage approvals. Once finalised, the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) will be published on the NSW Planning Portal.
Middle Beach – camping area
- New walking track linking the car park to the campsites.
- Improved car park drainage and resurfacing with locally sourced crushed rock.
- Four camping platforms.
- Fencing, bollards and revegetation.
- Wayfinding and interpretive signage.
Camping platforms
Raised camping platforms will be provided at 4 campsites to enable year-round use, mitigate flooding, and protect the area’s natural and cultural heritage values.
Gillards Beach – camping and day-use area
- Upgrades to day-use areas, including picnic shelters and barbecues.
- Improved drainage.
- New accessible toilets.
- Four new campsites.
- Four upgraded beach access points with timber stairs.
- Gravel road upgrades using locally sourced crushed rock.
Aragunnu – camping and day-use areas
- Upgrades to day-use areas, including toilets, shelters and gas barbecues.
- Improved drainage and car parking, with resurfacing using locally sourced crushed rock.
- New centralised waste collection point.
- Improved campsite access, including a proposed loop road.
- New fencing and bollards.
Some vegetation removal will be necessary in the camping areas to prepare the campgrounds for the work and install new drainage. This will be minimised to what is necessary for construction, safety and access, in accordance with planning approvals.
Trees and other vegetation will be retained where possible to preserve the natural character of the campgrounds and provide shelter for campers and day visitors.
Details will be outlined in the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and precinct plans.
The overall size and capacity of the camping areas will remain the same. There may be some reconfiguratioin of camping sites to ensure effective drainage and enhance the visitor experience.
The improvements will be designed according to the project’s overarching design principles, to ensure the visitor experience and social values of the park are maintained and improve the park’s resilience to future weather events.
The overall intent of the work is to keep infrastructure minimal and retain the existing natural character of the campgrounds. There will be no asphalt or concrete sealing of the campgrounds or access road.
Upgrades will remain low-key and focused on improving drainage, erosion control and overall site resilience.
Camping areas will be temporarily closed during construction to allow work to be carried out safely. Where possible, closures will be staged and scheduled outside peak holiday periods to minimise disruption.
From July 2026 to late 2026, Middle Beach Campground and Day Use Area will be closed to all public access for upgrades.
We will advise people of closure dates for Gillards and Aragunnu campgrounds will be as planning progresses.
Visit the Mimosa Rocks National Park local alerts page to stay up to date.
Project updates
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Aragunnu campground, Mimosa Rocks National Park -
Gillards campground, Mimosa Rocks National Park -
Gillards campground, Mimosa Rocks National Park -
Middle Beach lookout, Mimosa Rocks National Park
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Although funding for this project has been provided by both the NSW Government and the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, the material contained herein does not necessarily represent the views of either government.
