Visitor caps, lower speed limits on agenda for popular national parks

1 week ago 5

Consultants engaged by the Queensland authorities to measure the sustainability of fashionable nationalist parks and recreation areas person called for sweeping changes to trim the interaction of visitors and, successful particular, four-wheel-drive vehicles.

More than 18 months aft receiving the consultants’ reports, the authorities released the documents connected the Labour Day vacation with a wide effect to recommendations and a committedness to consult connected aboriginal changes.

Emergency services astatine the tract of a fatal rollover connected Teewah Beach, Cooloola.

The consultants examined K’Gari (Fraser Island), Cooloola Recreation Area, and Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area. After speaking with stakeholders, they recovered wide interest determination were excessively galore radical and vehicles successful the areas astatine highest times, affecting the acquisition for visitors and perchance damaging the environment.

In each case, the consultants suggested capableness limits beryllium considered – for example, 1500 radical and 500 vehicles astatine Cooloola – and velocity limits beryllium enforced oregon yet reduced. However, they besides acknowledged the request for equilibrium and a multifaceted response.

“Visitor measurement and behaviour issues astatine Cooloola Recreation Area are of interest for section residents, Noosa Council, and conservation stakeholders, with important sum successful section and determination media,” 1 study noted, pointing to persistent problems astatine Double Island Point, Teewah Beach and Rainbow Beach.

“At present, galore of the behaviour problems experienced are attributed to younger property groups, including P-plate drivers. Focusing regulations to this property radical seems a applicable solution but it does rise valid societal concerns. An enactment to see is the interaction of compliance measures that use to each visitors but would person a peculiar interaction connected this visitant demographic – for instance, applying treble demerit points to driving offences connected the beach.”

The reports besides raised the request for much toilets and infrastructure, higher fees, much blase regularisation of visits, and much conveyance exclusion zones.

The consultants were engaged aft the societal distancing restrictions of the pandemic made parks much fashionable – the authorities delayed responding to let numbers to settee – and with ongoing increases successful the Queensland colonisation and request for 4WD.

In response, the authorities collated and summarised the recommendations into wide themes without committing to circumstantial actions. For example, regarding conveyance information astatine Cooloola, the authorities has mostly lone committed to “working cooperatively with different authorities compliance and enforcement agencies”.

Two of the recommendations specifically addressed, and rejected, were an summation successful fees, and a connection that the authorities money shuttle autobus services for visitors to trim the fig of backstage 4WD vehicles successful action.

However, different recommendations volition present beryllium considered by the authorities arsenic it consults connected abstracted absorption plans and compliance strategies for each of the areas.

“Protecting our nationalist parks and different protected areas is successful the Miles Labor government’s DNA,” Environment Minister Leanne Linard said successful a statement.

The authorities has already installed fig sheet designation systems.