The Winney Bay Clifftop walk is identified in the 5 Lands Walk Masterplan as a potential formalised route for the event in the future. As a result Council has completed a number of upgrades towards providing this walkway for the community, these include:
- upgrade of Captain Cook Lookout in 2012
- installation of signage along the entire route of the 5 Lands Walk event in 2012
- construction of an access pathway from near 55 Del Monte Place to the old farmhouse site at the base of Winney Bay in 2015
- construction of stairs and landings on the steepest part of the route through Winney Bay as well as the pathway below the stairs in August 2018.
In recent years, The 5 Lands Walk event has attracted in excess of 20,000 people. While The 5 Lands Walk event is likely to be the largest number of people on a single day using the Winney Bay Cliff Top Walk there are many people who enjoy spotting whales from Captain Cook Lookout and along the clifftop at Winney Bay Reserve.
The construction of the formalised walk will provide connections to the existing trails within Winney Bay Reserve that adequately consider the inherent risks of the site and provide more extensive walking opportunities. Formalisation of the clifftop walk will provide a year-round experience of the scenic clifftop for locals and visitors to the Central Coast.
Council staff are continuing to develop initial concept plans for a redesigned Stage 2. Community consultation on these plans will take place later in 2019 before consideration by our elected Councillors and the development a new design for the site.
For more information about future upgrades to the walk, please visit our community consultation website Your Voice Our Coast.
Public Notice – Partial closure of Winney Bay Clifftop Walk
An informal section of the track along the cliff top at Winney Bay has been closed to due to community safety concerns.
We have undertaken geotechnical surveys as part of the design phase of Stage 2 of the walk. As a result, a 130m section of the informal walk has been found to be within the unacceptable risk zone due to its proximity to the sheer cliff faces.
Barriers and signage have been erected on site to ensure walkers are aware of the restrictions.
Council welcomes the community to continue to use the formal walkway at Winney Bay to access the northern viewing area.
Council apologises for the inconvenience, particularly during the holiday period, however community safety remains our priority.
-
Council has no time-frame for the reopening of the informal track.
-
Until now, Council did not monitor the usage of or maintain this section of the track as it was an informal track through the bushland. The usage of the site has increased since construction of Stage 1 of the Winney Bay Clifftop Walk.
Geotechnical studies were required as part of the design for both stages of the proposed Winney Bay Clifftop Walk. These studies identified constraints for any construction works proposed for the formalisation of a permanent walkway along the Winney Bay clifftop.
The informal track has developed without consideration of the inherent risks to users associated with the cliff top environment. The potential risk to the community has led to the closure of the informal track.
-
The informal section of track along the cliff top at Winney Bay has been closed to due to community safety concerns.
We have undertaken geotechnical surveys as part of the design phase of Stage 2 of the walk. As a result, a 130m section of the informal walk has been found to be within the unacceptable risk zone due to its proximity to the sheer cliff faces.
The formalised sections of the walk remain open.