Locals have blasted a decision to shut down an entire national park following the tragic deaths of a British father and son in a landslide, saying it's like shutting down every beach on the coast following a shark attack.
Authorities shut the Blue Mountains National Park from Wednesday morning - with the exception of the Evans and Govetts Leap lookouts - due to heavy rain smashing the city.
The closure comes just days after a bushwalker dad, 49, and his son, nine, were crushed to death in a rockslide in Wentworth Falls on Monday afternoon.
The man's wife, 50, and another son, 14, were also hit by the falling rocks and are now fighting for life in a critical condition. A 15-year-old girl escaped the landslide and raised the alarm in a frantic call to emergency services at around 1.30pm.
The Blue Mountains National Park will be closed from Wednesday morning, excluding Evans Lookout and Govetts Leap lookout due to heavy rain forecast
The closure comes after a British father and his son were killed in a landslide in Wentworth Falls on Monday afternoon
Local environmentalist and former director for the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Keith Muir, said the closure of the entire park is an 'overreaction'.
The closure is related to significant rain forecast for the rest of the week. Monday's landslide came after a week of torrential rainfall.
'This is an overreaction to a very sad event,' Mr Muir said. 'Equivalent to closure of ocean beaches after a fatal shark attack.'
Mr Muir said the event was very sad, but noted the tragedy was rare.
'It's a very sad event but it's a very rare event and needs a nuanced approach rather than a shutdown of any at risk walking track,' he told the Blue Mountains Gazette.
'The Parks service and the council can't protect the public from every single tree or every single rock in the park, it's just impossible.'
A local environmentalist said closing the entire Blue Mountains National Park was an 'overreaction'
The park has been closed due to heavy rainfall forecast for the rest of the week
The environmentalist added that the walking tracks offered mental health benefits for hikers and should be kept open 'for that reason alone'.
Mayor Mark Greenhill said he'd asked the council to close any tracks which were in at risk areas.
The family
