A recent story in The Pineapple on illegal activity in Queensland state forests and national parks in the Mary Valley went viral, so here’s a follow up on the rules and what can happen when they are not followed.
In October last year, an illegal campfire escalated into a bushfire within the Great Sandy National Park and burned approximately seven hectares.
Campers were evacuated and water-bombing aircraft and helicopters used to contain the fire. Three Sunshine Coast men were fined more than $5,000 for unlawfully lighting fires, leaving fires unattended and using plants from a Recreation Area to light a fire.
A campfire in a fire ban zone sparked a bushfire that decimated over 2000 hectares at Moreton Island last year. In the same year, rangers had to repair gates, fencing, signs and cameras vandalised to allow people to drive into Tewantin National Park.
HQPlantations has reported illegal bush doofs and members of the public ignoring closed roads, dumping rubbish and vandalising infrastructure.
IMAGE of trailbike rider ignoring a STOP sign: SUPPLIED
Officer in Charge of Imbil Police Station, Sergeant Andrew White, said police often engaged in joint patrols of state forests and national parks with partner agencies in a support role.
‘Our state forests and national parks are for everyone to enjoy and local police are committed to continuing routine patrols of these areas to enhance community safety,’ Sgt White said.
‘All motorists must be licensed and comply with road rules and all vehicles must be registered and only driven on formed roads. Deliberate dangerous driving will not be tolerated.’
A spokeswoman for HQPlantations said staff were spending ‘a lot of time’ managing compliance issues’.
This included:
- participation in joint patrols with enforcement agencies
- installing (and reinstalling following vandalism) cameras, signs, gates and barriers to protect sensitive areas, restrict access to active worksites and close areas due to safety hazards
- investigating and providing evidence to authorities on unauthorised and illegal activities
- cleaning up destroyed roads and fire lines, dumped rubbish, vandalised infrastructure, and wildfire suppression from arson.
IMAGE of buggy with dogs driving around roadblock: SUPPLIED
‘Our foresters are out and about in our plantation forests every day going about their routine work and we increasingly make use of camera surveillance in heavily impacted areas and pass the data to compliance agencies,’ the HQPlantations spokeswoman said.
The rules
Here are the rules on camping in state forests and national parks in Queensland.
Here are specific forestry regulations and the rules on bringing dogs and pets.
The HQP spokeswoman said most visitors were respectful but many didn’t seem to be aware of the requirements for entering and enjoying plantation forests.
Enjoy responsibly
‘HQPlantations recognises plantation forests are valuable spaces for recreation and enjoyment and we want everyone to enjoy these areas safely and responsibly.
‘HQP carefully manages active worksites through signage, barriers and gates. However, these critical safety measures are sometimes ignored or deliberately damaged.
‘Compliance with these safety requirements is essential. The safety of the community and our workforce, along with the responsible management of our plantations, remains our highest priority.’
The HQP spokeswoman said commercial activities such as tours, filming and photography or events in state forests and involving more than five vehicles required a permit.
For more information about responsible recreation in HQP’s plantation forests, check out www.hqplantations.com.au and explore the ‘Sharing our plantations’ tab or via Responsible recreation | HQPlantations.
IMAGE of 4WD with rooftop tent camping and lighting a fire outside authorised areas at top of story supplied by DETSI
