- Target:
- Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport, and Racing
- Region:
- Australia
- Website:
- parks.nprsr.qld.gov.au
Thank you all for signing my petition!
CONGRATULATIONS - WE WON!
The QPWS Principle Ranger and Senior Project Officer associated with the Upper Stoney project agreed to meet with me so that I could lay out my concerns, at which point I took the opportunity to present them with every single one of your comments - all 10 pages worth! They calmly listened to our concerns and seemed to agree with some of what I was saying but did not give any indication of changing their original plans for the site.
I asked that they give the community an open forum to give opinions on the project and they gave an answer that they were open to such an occurence but would have to check with higher management. A few days later I received a phone call to say that they agreed that both sides of the road should be permanently reopened to camping (albeit this won't happen immediately). I have since received this promise in writing from the Principle Ranger:
"The Upper Stony camping area will provide permanent camping facilities on both sides of the main access road. These camping areas will contain the standard QPWS fire rings."
I would like to personally thank all signatories, your support got this over the line - well done!
***UPDATE***
CONGRATULATIONS - WE WON!!!
The QPWS Principle Ranger and Senior Project Officer associated with the Upper Stoney project agreed to meet with me so that I could lay out my concerns, at which point I took the opportunity to present them with every single one of your comments - all 10 pages worth! They calmly listened to our concerns and seemed to agree with some of what I was saying but did not give any indication of changing their original plans for the site. I asked that they give the community an open forum to give opinions on the project and they gave an answer that they were open to such an occurence but would have to check with higher management. A few days later I received a phone call to say that they agreed that both sides of the road should be permanently reopened to camping (albeit this won't happen immediately). I have since received this promise in writing from the Principle Ranger:
"The Upper Stony camping area will provide permanent camping facilities on both sides of the main access road. These camping areas will contain the standard QPWS fire rings."
I would like to personally thank all signatories, your support got this over the line - well done!
ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN:
The available camping sites at Upper Stoney Creek have been slashed by 50% by the "upgrades" currently being performed. Sites 10-18 are shown as unavailable on the booking website indefinitely until they can be removed from the system. These sites were the largest sites at Stoney, where those campers with caravans or groups of friends could spread out without the worry of being encroached upon by the occupants of neighbouring sites. This means the closure of camping to the entire right hand side (see pic) plus those sites surrounding the current location of the toilet block on the left hand side, which will result in overcrowding of the remaining much smaller sites and ultimately means that people will miss out on camp sites.
According to the Qld Parks and Wildlife Service Project Officer David Sansom, vehicles accessing that area were causing erosion (the sites in question were in the best condition out of the whole area) but now they plan on utilising that area for day visitors -without providing BBQ facilities or tables! So IF the area is utilised as planned, this will mean more erosion than ever possibly happened with campers, and if it does not get used, then they have closed down the best camp sites for no reason!
Our area is lacking in so many ways for activities, so why limit one of the truly beautiful attractions we have remaining when there was no damage occuring by the use of these sites?
David also advised that there was NO community consultation, allowing locals NO voice before such drastic changes were undertaken by QPWS.
Please sign and share to show your support to reinstating (as a minimum) the right hand side of the camp grounds to their former usability.
We call on the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport, and Racing to reinstate the camping sites on the right hand side of the road leading to Upper Stoney Creek, as the closure of such sites will adversely affect the enjoyment of many locals and visitors to the region who wish to camp at this iconic local attraction.
The Reinstate Upper Stoney Creek's Camping Sites! petition to Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport, and Racing was written by Rebecca Agius and is in the category Miscellaneous at GoPetition.