Herculean effort sees damaged walks back for spring

National Parks Minister Steve Dickson has congratulated Queensland’s national parks rangers and the army of volunteers whose efforts have seen weather damaged hiking tracks reopened and better than ever before for visitors this spring. 

Mr Dickson said it was heartening to see the huge amount of work that rangers and volunteers had put in.

“It’s good to see that work pay off after the wild weather which battered our state recently, with facilities restored and reopened for the public’s enjoyment,” Mr Dickson said.

“They have laboured in difficult and often dangerous conditions to shift debris and rebuild infrastructure and the results are there for all to see, from Girraween National Park in the south of the state right up to the magnificent Daintree National Park on the Cape York Peninsula.

“Whether you’re an experienced bushwalker or a complete novice there are walking tracks to suit your pace and this is the perfect time of year to enjoy them.”

Mr Dickson said 77 of the 87 walking tracks in Scenic Rim national parks were now open for hikers, with just a few remaining closed or partly closed.

“Rangers have done sterling work to get these tracks back open after the devastation of the successive extreme weather events in recent years,” he said.

“These remaining tracks will be reopened when it is safe to do so and in some cases, such as the Purlingbrook circuit at Springbrook, QPWS is investigating long-term engineering issues due to the extensive damage sustained.

“The priority for our rangers will always be the safety of the visiting public to our national parks.”

Mr Dickson said Cyclone Yasi had left a $14.5 million damages bill while Cyclone Oswald had caused more significant damage to 266 of the state’s 590 protected areas.

“It’s only when you step back and recall the extent of the devastation that you realise what a massive effort has been involved in getting our national parks back on track,” he said.

“I’m proud of the tireless efforts put in by our rangers in the face of these extreme challenges and I want Queenslanders to get out in their national parks and see for themselves the results of all this good work.”

The latest park and safety information is available via the department’s Park Alert web pages (www.nprsr.qld.gov.au) and people should always check these alerts prior to leaving home.

[ENDS] 27 September 2013

Media contact: Anna Hilton 0408 191 192