Escape close to home

Crown reserves

Escape close to home at a magnificent Crown reserve. They may be closer than you think. Do you know there are about 33,000 Crown reserves with an area of 2.5 million hectares across New South Wales?

Crown reserves are used for recreation, playgrounds, sport, tourism, open space, community events, cemeteries and special purposes.

Crown reserves are diverse from state parks, beaches and national surfing reserves, caravan and camping grounds, showgrounds, community halls, sporting fields and parks, walking tracks, canoe and kayak trails, smaller ports and harbours to wharfs.

Underwater areas such as river beds, lakes, ports and up to three nautical miles out to sea are also Crown reserves.

Many popular recreation areas are Crown reserves. Sydneys Hyde Park and Bondi Beach are two famous iconic examples of our Crown reserves at work.

The Crown reserve system aims to optimise the social, recreation, environmental and economic benefits to the people of New South Wales by working in partnership with other government agencies, local government, local trust boards, private enterprise, industry and community groups.

LPMA aims to identify and draw on the potential of Crown reserves to ensure that they make a difference to people's lives through responsible management that also supports regional communities and economies now and in the future.

So, when you wish escape close to home, do so at a Crown reserve.

Download our NSW Crown reserves brochure (PDF 1.1Mb)

Recreation

State parks

Escape to a state park. There are now 17 state parks (with more to come) across New South Wales from the north coast to the south coast and in the central west. These environmentally sensitive lands are protected and retained for current and future generations to enjoy. Most state parks have accommodation, camping, BBQ and picnic facilities. Many state parks have water activities, walking tracks and other recreation facilities. You can enjoy the native bushland and wetlands along with beautiful beaches at some state parks.

If you escape to, say, Coffs Coast State Park it boasts beautiful beaches, foreshores, estuaries and wetlands that are perfect for surfing, swimming, diving, fishing and boating. While, you can escape to Goolawah State Park that includes the Crescent Head Surfing Reserve. Goolawah is also great for surfing and swimming.  In the south go to Burrinjuck Waters State Park that is ideal for bushwalks and fishing.

For details on all of our state parks go to the web site:  www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au

National surfing reserves

Escape to one of our national surfing reserves that recognise surfings contribution to the Australian lifestyle and the iconic significance of the surf culture.

The status of a national surfing reserve signifies the cultural and historical importance to Australian surfing and helps raise awareness about the importance of surfing culture in Australia. The declaration helps to protect important coastal Crown reserves and at the same time ensuring future generations will have the privilege of catching a wave at some of the world's best surf breaks.

There are four surfing reserves at Cronulla (Sydney), Angourie (Yamba), Lennox (Ballina) and Crescent Head (Kempsey).

Escape to a National surfing reserve along the NSW coast as they can offer some of the best surfing in the world.

Caravan and camping

Escape to a Crown reserve caravan park or camping ground.  There are over 200 caravan parks or camping grounds on Crown reserves across New South Wales. Caravanning and camping is another way that Crown reserves are used for the communitys benefit.

You will find a suitable range of accommodation types from tent sites, on-site cabins, and areas for self-contained caravans whether you are passing through or staying for a longer holiday.

LPMA, in partnership with local government and industry, offers quality tourist accommodation to the public and encourages you to see for yourself what this state has to offer.

For details on all of our caravan parks and camping grounds go to the web site: www.caravanandcampingnsw.com.au

Walking tracks

Escape to enjoy walking and the outdoors at one of the three Crown reserve walking tracks or on two smaller trails. If you are planning a weekend outing or a longer holiday, Crown reserves provides you with the perfect outdoor playground.

The Hume and Hovell Walking Track

The Hume and Hovell Walking Track extends over 440 km between Yass and Albury.  Follow in the famous footsteps of Hamilton Hume and William Hovell and walk the entire track, or simply enjoy a one or two day trip.  Discover the natural attractions of the Southern Highlands, camp at Lake Burrinjuck or Blowering Reservoir, visit one of the many picnic and BBQ areas, or just experience the native flora and fauna.

The Great North Walk

The Great North Walk, from Sydney to Pokolbin, has many entry and exits points meaning you can enjoy the idyllic scenery for an hour, a day or even a week. With camp sites and changing scenery throughout, the 250km walk is a must do.

The Six Foot Track

The Six Foot Track, linking Katoomba with Jenolan Caves, winds through some of the most stunning native bushland in NSW.  Following the 45 km route of the original horse track in 1884, this walk is steeped in history and usually takes three days to walk.  However, shorter walks can also be taken on selected sections of the track.

The Wiradjuri Walking Track

The Wiradjuri Walking Track, suitable for people of all ages follows a 30 km trail around the city of Wagga Wagga.

The Bicentennial National Trail

The Bicentennial National Trail traverses New South Wales Crown reserves on its passage between Cooktown in northern Queensland and Healesville near Melbourne in Victoria.  The trail is a multi use (non-motorised) trail down the Great Dividing Range.  For guidebooks, maps and information see: www.nationaltrail.com.au or 1300 138 724.

The trail uses many Crown reserves for access and campsites and provides a backbone to the developing recreational trails network in NSW. Contact the Lands Recreational Trails Coordinator on T: 02 4920 5002.

For details on all of our Walking tracks go to the web site: www.lands.nsw.gov.au/crown_land/walking_tracks

Canoe and kayak trails

Escape and enjoy the states magnificent rivers with innovative canoe and kayak trails at Wellington in the central west and in the Murrumbidgee River region. The trails link a number of public riverside reserves so you can enjoy some of the most attractive parts of our inland waterways.

The canoe and kayak trail on the Macquarie River covers 150 kilometres of the river from Wellington, passing through Dubbo and ending at Narromine.

The Murrumbidgee River canoe and kayak trail takes in 230 kilometres of the river from Burrinjuck Dam passing through Jugiong and Gundagai before finishing at Wagga Wagga.

Both canoe and kayak trails could take about six to eight days to fully complete but trips of a shorter duration of a day or two could also be taken.

For details on all of our Walking tracks go to the web site: http://www.lands.nsw.gov.au/crown_land/canoe_and_kayak_trails

Community

Crown reserves are used for the publics benefit and use. Crown reserves are used for a wide variety of community purposes including community halls, youth clubs, sporting fields, local parks and playgrounds, showgrounds, tennis courts, preschools, racecourses, and environmental protection.

Over 700 Crown reserves across the state are managed by community volunteers who devote many unpaid hours in the service of their communities. They can also be managed by your local council or other people appointed by the government.

These people look after the Crown reserve on behalf of the community, protect reserves for future generations, and cater for the communitys future needs.

When you escape to a local park and use the local community hall or play sport at the local grounds you could be escaping to a Crown reserve.

Industry

Crown reserves play a key part in the maritime, industrial, residential and tourist development arena, promoting projects that help local communities grow and prosper. These projects are largely funded by the private sector with the Crown reserves remaining in public ownership.

As the land owner, we work with state and local government, local trust boards, and industry to provide some development and commercial opportunities, including sales, leasing, tenders or partnerships.

This includes the Gosford Challenge that aims to revitalise the city centre. We are also looking at Crown reserves at Batemans Bay with plans to redevelop the marina area into a new state of the art marina and associated onshore developments. This is planned to include a new 240 wet berth marina, 250 vessel drystack facility, commercial and tourist precinct, and accommodation.

Crown reserves at the Nelson Bay foreshore are being considered for redeveloped to cater for the future needs of the permanent population of Nelson Bay and its visitors, including maritime users.  This will encourage greater community use of the foreshore and related access to the Port Stephens - Great Lakes Marine Park.

These are just some of ways that Crown reserves are used to maximise the social, recreation, environmental and economic benefits to the people of New South Wales.  We do this by working in partnership with other government agencies, local government, local trust boards, private enterprise, industry and community groups.