Wentworth Falls Lake Precinct upgrades

Wentworth Falls Lake Precinct upgrade

Major upgrades open at Wentworth Falls Lake

Upgrades to Wentworth Falls Lake have reached a critical milestone with the completion of the complex dam and spillway works.

The opening of a new path across the dam means that entire eastern edge of the lake is now able to be accessed, increasing opportunities to enjoy this beautiful recreation area.

The completed upgrades include:

Necessary dam upgrades for community safety
A new pedestrian path across the top of the dam wall
Spillway upgrades that improve control of water levels for fire protection and community resilience
A new bridge across the spillway
An upgraded boat ramp and emergency vehicle access road.

The works were officially opened on 20 June 2025 by Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill, Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Romola Hollywood, Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle MP and Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman MP.

Work continues on other upgrades at the lake, including a new carpark on Sinclair Crescent, improvements to the existing loop walk around the lake and improved recreational facilities for the community.

Sinclair Crescent Carpark Upgrade

Updated 10 June 2025

Construction work is underway on Stage 1 of the Sinclair Crescent carpark upgrade, located at the current gravel carpark area opposite Wentworth Falls Lake.

Parking has been reduced to approximately ten spaces within the current gravel parking carpark area. These ten spaces will later become unavailable as the construction work progresses and we will update the community before this occurs. Active efforts will be made by Council’s contractor to reduce noise and dust during the work. A site office will be positioned at the western end of the carpark, away from residential properties.

Council Rangers are aware of the upcoming changed parking conditions and will continue to monitor the lake precinct. While they cannot commit to increased monitoring, additional patrols may be able to be undertaken, dependent on available resourcing at the time.

The work will deliver a new carpark for the community and includes:

33 formalised parking spaces to improve parking amenity, safety and accessibility.
A pedestrian crossing and traffic calming.
Bus stop upgrade.
New lighting and landscaping

The new carpark is anticipated to be finished in September 2025 (weather permitting).

One lane of Sinclair Crescent in front of the construction area is temporarily closed until Monday 23 July 2025.

This is to allow work on the Sinclair Crescent carpark that is close to the carriageway to be completed safely.

Traffic control will start from the eastern speed hump and will extend to the western boundary of the Stage 1 carpark as work progresses. A traffic controller will be in place while work is being undertaken during the day and after hours there will be a traffic light system in place, to manage the traffic past the construction zone and reduce disruption.

Thank you to the community for your patience as these upgrade works are undertaken.

You can find out more about the project below, in the News Feed at the bottom of the page and in the Document Library to the right of the page.

The second stage of the Wentworth Falls Lake Precinct upgrade is now underway

17 October 2024

Stage 2 of the essential dam and spillway safety works at Wentworth Falls Lake to ensure structural integrity of the dam wall will require a small water drawdown of 600mm. This 600mm drawdown, which is substantially less than the 2.5m drawdown originally proposed by NSW Public Works, is similar to past natural evaporation events that have occurred over the years.

Council extensively investigated options to avoid any reduction of the lake water level. Following expert advice and in consultation with an independent dam specialist, this water drawdown is required to safely complete the work.

An extensive negotiation process has been undertaken with a selection of experienced contractors to arrive at a final construction method that is based on public safety, minimal impact on the environment, financial responsibility and community expectations.

Stage 2 includes the construction of:
• Necessary dam upgrades for community safety.
• Spillway upgrades to improve control of water levels for fire protection and community resilience.
• An upgraded boat ramp and emergency vehicle access road.

Community access to parts of the lake will continue to be restricted during the upgrade project, including:
• The boat ramp area.
• The path across the dam wall and spillway.
• The grassed incline on the back of the dam wall.

This complex package of work is scheduled to be complete mid-2025.

The dam, spillway and boat ramp improvements follow the recent completion of other important accessibility upgrades at the lake:
• A new accessible viewing platform and pedestrian walkway
• An accessible path along the eastern edge of the lake to Waratah Road
• A new carpark on Waratah Road
• Improvements to the shared path along Sinclair Crescent.

Read the media release about the completed upgrades.

Above: Water levels during a previous natural evaporation event indicative of a 600mm drawdown.

Above: Wentworth Falls Lake Stage 2 community access map.

Above: Indicative gabion replace - rip rap (rock beaching).

Above: Wentworth Falls Lake Drawdown Indicators

Wentworth Falls Lake – Viewing Platform and Pedestrian Walkway opening

2 October 2024

The new accessible viewing platform and pedestrian walkway on the eastern bank of Wentworth Falls Lake is now partially open to the community, providing serene views over the water and surrounding landscape.

The wide viewing platform and walkway replaces the old wooden structure on this side of the lake and gives visitors increased access to experience the lake environment.

From Waratah Road, visitors can now travel along an accessible path that winds along the eastern lake shore, through to the new viewing platform and pedestrian walkway. The walk currently ends at the construction area of the upcoming spillway and dam upgrades.

The opening of the viewing platform and pedestrian walkway is a major milestone for the lake precinct upgrade project and opens more of the lake to a broader range of people.

Significant features of the viewing platform include:

Increased protection of the lake edge, flora and fauna by raising the walkway from the lake edge.

Lowered handrails on the ‘top deck’ of the viewing platform that provide someone in a wheelchair with an unobstructed view over the lake.

A well-integrated, sympathetic design which balances form with function. This includes the use of Corten steel, that will weather and blend with the backdrop of the trees and sandstone cutting, over time.

The use of decking with a heel guard mesh.

Tactile bumps on handrails to aid navigation for people with impaired vision.

It has been built for the future and constructed from appropriate materials that will withstand future weather events.

Extensive community consultation took place in 2022 on the design of the viewing platform and walkway, resulting in a revised design with a reduced amount of Corten steel featured in the structure.

Over recent months work on a range of complementary accessibility upgrades around the lake have progressively opened for the community, including a new section of the shared path along Sinclair Crescent and a new carpark on Waratah Road.

What’s next:

On-site preparations for the spillway, dam wall and boat ramp upgrades are anticipated to start from Friday, 4 October 2024.

Highly experienced dam remediation contractor, Entracon, has been selected to deliver these important improvements.

The construction methods being used to remediate the spillway and dam wall will result in a small water drawdown of up to 600mm. The condition of the dam wall below the water will require ongoing assessment as work progresses. These works are currently scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2025.

Upgrades to precinct seating, shelters and BBQ facilities as well as the formalisation of a full a precinct walk are also still to come as part of the precinct upgrades.

Visitors are reminded to stay out of all construction areas while the precinct upgrades are underway.

The Wentworth Falls Lake Precinct upgrade.

Council has been working to carefully enhance the upgrade plans for Wentworth Falls Lake, in order to deliver an expanded package of works that best support the community’s vision for this iconic recreational precinct:

Dam upgrades: upgrade of the spillways, upstream dam wall and weir infrastructure to improve control of water levels for fire protection and community resilience. An upgraded boat ramp, landscaping and staging area for emergency vehicles will also be delivered.
Accessible walkway and viewing platform: a new pedestrian bridge and viewing platform, and improvements to how visitors access the northern edge of the lake to Waratah Road.
Precinct walk: a walk around the lake and a link to Waratah Road.
Carparks: new carparks on Sinclair Crescent and Waratah Road.
Plus upgraded precinct seating, shelters and BBQ facilities.

Council is now positioned to deliver the best outcome for the community through a broad package of upgrades that not only enhance how the lake and its surroundings can be experienced, but provide increased protections from future flood and fire events.

More information is available the News Feed below and a series of Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the right of this page.

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