‘FIFO playground for the rich’: Tensions soar over luxury resort’s helicopter plan

A battle is brewing over the skies of the Blue Mountains, with local councils, residents and bushwalkers warning a helicopter tourism proposal by an ultra-luxury resort risks transforming one of Australia’s most protected wilderness areas into a “fly-in, fly-out playground” for the global rich.

The Emirates-owned Wolgan Valley resort – a secluded 40-suite retreat tucked deep within a valley north of Lithgow – has applied to the NSW government to operate up to 105 weekly helicopter flights transporting guests to and from Sydney Airport, to avoid the hassle of lengthy road journeys.

The proposal has sparked strong opposition, with critics fearing the plan could send helicopter noise shuddering through Wolgan Valley and the surrounding World Heritage-listed zone.

Emirates, which has invested more than $50 million in recent upgrades to the retreat, said the aviation plan has become necessary after a landslide severed Wolgan Road – the resort’s main access route – in 2022, forcing a temporary closure of the resort in 2023.

But with reopening now slated for mid-2026 under the Ritz-Carlton banner, management is increasingly looking to helicopter transfers as a transport option for guests.

The only overland access to the resort is via a rugged, unsealed four-wheel-drive track known as the Donkey Steps.

The proposed flight frequency more than quadruples the long-standing cap of 14 weekly helicopter trips. Even after Wolgan Road is restored, the resort wants approval for a permanent increase to 50 flights a week.

More than 100 submissions have been lodged with the Department of Planning, with some residents estimating helicopters could pass over their properties every 20 minutes during peak periods.

Blue Mountains Council described the proposal as a “radical transformation” of the resort’s operations that lacked a “social licence” from the community.

“The proposal essentially creates a fly-in, fly-out resort, with the potential for ongoing impacts across the Blue Mountains,” council chief executive Rosemary Dillon wrote.

Farmer Michael Coates, whose family has lived in the Wolgan Valley since the 19th century, said the proposal risked undermining the appeal of the region.

“We’ve got alternative access routes that were put in four years ago, so you don’t need helicopters running through what is otherwise a quiet rural valley,” Coates said.

“The whole idea of the resort is to give guests a bush experience – how does putting people in helicopters to make a flashy entrance fit in with that?”

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