Royal National Park

Find out about current park management items in the Royal National Park.

Royal National Park is located on the southern fringe of Sydney. It is Australia’s oldest national park and one of the busiest in New South Wales.

There were over 6 million visits to Royal National park in 2018, putting it in the top two most visited parks in New South Wales.

Recently, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has seen a significant and sustained increase in visitors coming to Royal National Park to enjoy the beaches, lagoons and waterfalls, especially on sunny weekends and holidays.

Accommodating all these visitors and protecting the environment is challenging. Good planning is essential to meet increasing demand and continue to improve visitor facilities to maximise opportunities and minimise impacts. We think it is important to keep you informed and so invite you to be a part of the conversation about planning for the future.

Map of Royal National Park

Planning for the future

New Plan of Management for Royal National Park, Heathcote National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area

Plans of management guide what happens in our national parks, and how we manage them. The existing plan of management for Royal National Park, Heathcote National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area dates back to 2000.

NPWS has prepared a new draft plan of management for Royal National Park, Heathcote National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area which is now open for public consultation.

The future management of Royal National Park, one of the busiest parks in New South Wales, involves some particularly complex and important issues.

Have your say

Part 5 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 outlines the legal requirements for the preparation, exhibition and adoption of plans of management. The draft plans of management are open for consultation between 30 April and 2 August 2021.

Have your say on the draft plans of management

Discussion papers

In 2017, as the first stage in the development of a new plan of management, NPWS developed 6 discussion papers to kickstart the conversation about the future of Royal National Park. These papers were available for public comment during July and August 2017. These discussion papers covered a range of issues, many of which have previously been identified as being of interest to the community.

While comments on the discussion papers have closed, they are still available for viewing.

Public response

Over 400 responses to the discussion papers were received from individuals and organisations. All submissions have been reviewed and analysed to understand the view of the wider community to suggested management options. For more information, read the summary report on the community’s submissions.

The findings of the summary of submissions will be used in conjunction with relevant literature, data sources, NPWS and NSW Government policies as well as the objectives of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 to guide the formation of the draft Plan of Management for the Royal National Park, Heathcote National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area.

Royal Coast Track, Royal National Park

Update on Royal Coast Track

October 2022

  • 18 Oct 2022
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Thelma Head materials delivery to site

Update on Royal Coast Track upgrade

Upgrade of Thelma Head section of the track completed.

  • 17 Aug 2020
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Bushwalking on the coastal track, heath vegetation, Eagle Rock area, Royal National Park.

Update on upgrade to the Royal Coast Track

National Parks and Wildlife Service is continuing the upgrade of the Royal Coast Track.

  • 22 May 2020
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See all

Wattamolla master plan

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