TWO State Ministers visited the Limestone Coast this week to officially launch a $1.9m revamp of the world heritage- listed Naracoorte Caves, which includes an award-winning accessible rooftop walk.
Environment Minister David Speirs and Tourism Minister David Ridgway were joined by Member for Barker Tony Pasin, MacKillop MP Nick McBride and Naracoorte Lucindale Mayor Erika Vickery in launching the new site.
The revamp also includes a new observation platform to view the caves, renovations to the fossil centre foyer, enhanced lighting, infrared camera upgrades and new signage.
Mr Speirs said the upgrades would enhance the existing guest experiences and make it easier for more people to enjoy the caves.
“The caves are home to one of the world’s most important fossil sites and one of our state’s great nature-based attractions, with its spectacular limestone formations, rich fossil record and colony of endangered southern bent-wing bats,” he said.
“The new 850m-long Rooftop Loop Walk provides universal access for people of all ages and abilities, giving all wheelchairs and people with prams access to experience the fascinating underground world of Naracoorte Caves.”
Mr Ridgway said it was hoped the rooftop walk would attract more visitors to the South East.
“Nature-based tourism is a key focus for the Marshall Government and the Naracoorte Caves are a fantastic example of this,” he said.
“The State Government wants to preserve our natural environment while allowing as many people as possible to experience its beauty.
“More than 50,000 people visited the Naracoorte Caves in the past financial year with those numbers expected to grow as result of the revamp.”
The staged project was funded by State and Federal Governments, with the Morrison Government contributing $600,000 to the project.
“The Naracoorte Caves precinct is a key tourism attraction in the Limestone Coast region and helps drive economic growth for Naracoorte and the wider community,” Mr Pasin said.
“It’s wonderful that we can continue to invest in upgrading and improving popular tourist attractions to ensure they remain sustainable and profitable into the future for the benefit of the whole region.”
