A highly popular Illawarra walking track visited by more than 130,000 people a year will remain closed over summer due to the high risk of dangerous rockfalls and landslips in the area.
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Walkers who ignore the ban would be putting themselves at risk of serious or fatal injuries, a spokesperson for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said.
Sublime Point walking track - an 800-metre climb to the summit via 1000-odd wooden and dirt stairs and vertical metal ladders - has been closed since July last year.
The closure, which was only supposed to be temporary to allow for essential safety and environmental protection works, has been extended due to a series of heavy rainfall events that have left the escarpment edge in a "highly unstable state".
"Safety is our number one priority, so we've unfortunately had to extend the closure of the Sublime Point walking track," NPWS area manager Graham Bush said.
"Over the past year, we've had an unprecedented number of landslips and rockfalls along the escarpment, impacting a number of our walking tracks and trails.
"Our team has worked incredibly hard to reopen all other walking tracks across the Illawarra."
Despite repairs to the damaged sections of Sublime Point, the installation of warning signs and rainfall thresholds for closing, an independent geotechnical assessment conducted in October found the risk to walkers was still too high.
"We know the Sublime Point walking track is extremely popular, especially over the summer period, and we understand that visitors will be disappointed with the extended closure," Mr Bush said.
"It's vital that people adhere to this closure, as the track is unsafe and there is a significant risk of further landslides and rockfall.
"We've found large rocks and boulders on the walking track that could have caused serious or fatal injuries had walkers been in the area when they fell from the cliff edge.
NPWS said it was seeking further advice from geotechnical experts to understand what measures might be available to safely reopen the track, which attracts more than 130,000 visitors per year.
Visitors to the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area are encouraged to check the NPWS Alerts website for any closures.
For more information call the NPWS Illawarra area office on 02 4224 4188 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.
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