Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Concept Plan - Mount Kembla

We’re continuing to
work with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to explore the development of mountain bike trails and associated infrastructure on the Illawarra Escarpment.

This work builds on the draft Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Strategy, which was on public exhibition in late 2018. In response to feedback from the first phase of community engagement, NPWS worked with Synergy Trails to update the Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Concept Plan for a trail network between Mount Kembla and Mount Keira.

To inform the ongoing development of the concept plan, Council and NPWS undertook targeted engagement to collect community feedback, focusing on local impacts in Mt Kembla Village and Kembla Heights.

Face-to-face and online information sessions were held with local residents in March 2021. A summary of community feedback is available in the document library on this page.

Sep 2022 update - NPWS Public Exhibition

The Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Project: draft review of environmental factors (draft REF) public exhibition period ended on 18 July 2022. A submissions report is being prepared and amendments made to the draft REF before submission for independent approval.

Planning for stage two of the network, in the Balgownie area, is continuing and the draft REF will be publicly exhibited when completed.

The Mount Kembla area and Balgownie networks will then inform the amendments to finalise the Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Strategy. The strategy will also include an operating framework model.

The operating framework will consider how all parties can continue to work together to address public risk, rehabilitate trails outside of the authorised network and conduct ongoing maintenance.