After four decades of waiting, a working party could lead to the creation of a walking track across the escarpment and down to Nowra, said Wollongong City Councillor George Takacs.
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Monday night's Wollongong City Council meeting will consider a recommendation to join with National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) and other groups to implement plans for the walking trail.
The trail would link the Royal National Park with Morton National Park at Nowra, via the Illawarra escarpment.
A report prepared for council noted such a track "had been mooted by community and environmental groups since at least 1971".
It notes NPWS has a draft masterplan for walking tracks which outlines a route entirely on land it owns.
Greens councillor George Takacs said a working party to implement the masterplan would see a track become a reality.
"That will work to get this escarpment walking track started," Cr Takacs said.
"There's an ultimate objective to link the Illawarra escarpment to the Morton National Park but there's also an interim objective and that's to properly link the Royal National Park with the existing walking tracks along the escarpment at least as far as Bulli Pass.
"The model that's been proposed by staff should enable that to happen."
Cr Takacs said it was "ridiculous" that it had been talked about for more than four decades and he was prepared to push to see the track created.
"I know the member for Keira, Ryan Park, is committed to seeing it happen," he said.
"I think between a couple of committed people I think we can get it happening."
Cr Takacs admitted the state government would need to come to the party with some funding to see the trail constructed.
"Initially we need some money to link where you exit the park at Otford through to Bald Hill and a little bit of money to fix up part of the Wadi Wadi track at Stanwell Park," he said.
"That's only a few hundred thousand dollars and that will then mean people can start a walk in Bundeena in the Royal National Park and walk through to Sublime Point and down to Austinmer station.
"When you look at the amount of money they're spending in the Royal National Park itself, this would be a small addition to that expenditure and it would turn a day and half walk through the Royal National Park into a three-day walk, which would be more attractive for overseas visitors."
