Lapstone Hill Tunnel
The Lapstone Hill Tunnel
The Lapstone Hill Tunnel (also known as Glenbrook Tunnel) sits within the Scenic Eastern Escarpment. It is a state heritage-listed railway tunnel on the former Main Western Line. It was built from 1891-1892 and was previously used in World War II to store mustard gas and later as a mushroom farm.
The tunnel is a significant historic structure with great potential for adaptive re-use. In particular, re-activation for public use that supports the amenity, economy and liveability of the lower mountains.
Council is currently identifying funding opportunities to both remediate and revitalise the tunnel precinct to provide significant cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits for both our local community and visitors to the area.
Detailed information about the history of the Lapstone Hill Tunnel can be accessed from the NSW Government State Heritage Inventory.
Lapstone Hill Tunnel Open Days
7 and 8 December 2024.
Complete the community survey here.
Lapstone Tunnel will temporarily open to the public across the weekend of 7-8 December, to let the community experience the potential of the tunnel as a historical, recreational and visitor experience, pedestrian and cycling link and to show first-hand the impact of the flooding events of April this year.
To ensure the safety of everyone coming to explore the tunnel, there will be separate sessions for pedestrians and cyclists on each Open Day:
Saturday, 7 December 2024
- 10am to 12pm: Pedestrian session (Please note that cyclists who arrive during this time will need to walk their bicycle through the tunnel).
- 12pm to 2pm: Cyclist only session and official ribbon cutting with the Mayor.
Sunday, 8 December 2024
- 10am to 12pm: Cyclist only session.
- 12pm-2pm: Pedestrian session (Please note that cyclists who arrive during this time will need to walk their bicycle through the tunnel).
Download the event flyer here.
How to get there:
As there is no parking around the tunnel entrances, visitors are encouraged to walk or cycle from Glenbrook Village Centre and start their tunnel journey at the Glenbrook Visitor Information Centre.
The walk to the tunnel entrance from the Glenbrook Visitor Information Centre takes approximately 20 minutes and includes paths, road crossings and a single-track bush trail. The bush trail is rocky, narrow and may be difficult to navigate for some visitors.
The tunnel itself is 634m long, one way.
Community members with reduced mobility and a NSW Mobility Parking Scheme (MPS) permit can contact Council to discuss alternative options on (02) 4780 5000 or by email at council@bmcc.nsw.gov.au. There is limited parking available at the tunnel entrance (accessed via the service road off Barnet Street) and permits must be displayed to park at this location.
Refreshments can be purchased from a coffee cart which will be available during both of the tunnel Open Days.
Council’s work to restore the tunnel
Council has entered into two grant agreements with the current land manager, NSW Crown Lands, for the remediation and activation of the tunnel site.
Council’s first set of works on the currently state-owned tunnel addressed significant waste removal, contamination management and overgrowth of vegetation.
This extensive work included 1700 tonnes of rubbish remediation of mushroom farm compost material and the removal of 1200 tonnes of sediment at the eastern cutting.
However, in April 2024 successive storm events caused significant damage to the tunnel approaches and the tunnel itself. The eastern cutting track, which leads to the eastern portal of the tunnel, was then closed to the public for safety.
Following Council's assessment of the damage and the heritage implications for the tunnel and its approaches, further remediation works commenced in early November ahead of the Open Day events scheduled for 7 and 8 December 2024.
Community consultation on future use of the tunnel
In March 2024, Council called for community feedback on a series of essential upgrades and future design elements for the Lapstone Hill Tunnel.
Before the tunnel can be opened to the public, improvements to the tunnel’s drainage system need to be made, as well as the installation of lighting and electrical connections.
We also called on the community to consider:
• How the cultural and heritage significance of the tunnel might be reflected.
• Initial thoughts on a proposal for a bridge across Knapsack Gully near the western entrance of the tunnel.
• Future opening and closing times for the tunnel.
Download the Community Consultation Report report here.
Download the report’s Appendix here.
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Take Survey
Council would like your valuable feedback about how you would use the Lapstone Hill Tunnel (once it opens permanently to the public) and how you currently use other recreational areas around Glenbrook and Penrith.
Your feedback supplies Council with information that will help inform future grant applications by showing how the tunnel can provide significant cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits for the local community and link Greater Western Sydney with the many recreational experiences of the Scenic Eastern Escarpment.
This survey will close on Monday, 16 December 2024.
Please note that Council does not own or manage the Lapstone Hill Tunnel. Council has been engaged by the land manager, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, Crown Lands, to carry out the remediation works that have occurred to date.
Photo: Inside the Lapstone Hill Tunnel, looking towards the western portal (November 2024)
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