Published Thursday, 03 May, 2007 at 02:19 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism
The Honourable Lindy Nelson-Carr
ACCESS EASED TO STATE FORESTS
Visiting Queensland’s 3.4 million hectares of State forest and State plantation forest is about to become easier as permit requirements are progressively removed for many private recreational four-wheel drivers, motorcycle riders, cyclists and horse riders.
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr and Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said the new arrangements would be put in place as signs go up around the state over the coming weeks.
People conducting commercial activities or group and competitive events will still need a permit, but the vast majority of private visitors will not.
Ms Nelson-Carr said that by removing the need for a permit, the Queensland Government was reducing red tape for forest users and reducing unnecessary government expense.
“Our State forests provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for visitors, including four-wheel driving, horse riding, bushwalking and picnicking, and this change will make it easier for people to visit these areas,” Ms Nelson Carr said.
“Over the coming months the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will be progressively erecting signs at many State forest entrance points to show where access is allowed without a permit."
Mr Mulherin said he was delighted to exempt individual forest users from the need to obtain a permit to traverse Queensland’s 300,000 hectares of State plantation forests.
He said plantation forests offered a range of recreational opportunities from car rallies to photography, mountain biking, walking and hiking.
However, Mr Mulherin said the public should remember that plantation forests were working forests.
“Roads may be closed to the public during bad weather or when there’s a risk to the public from commercial activities.
“Around 2 million cubic metres of plantation-grown timber are harvested from Forestry Plantations Queensland’s forests every year and that equates to around 120,000 semi-trailer trips to and from the forests.
“These huge semis have very limited manoeuvrability, and forest visitors must give way to them and comply with any restricted access or road closed signs,” he said.
Ms Nelson-Carr said not every track will be open and the public still needed to heed the rules and regulations that applied when entering State forests.
“Particularly, drivers of motor vehicles must hold a current driver’s licence and the motor vehicle must be registered.
“Visitors to State forests and State plantation forests must also comply with all signs and road rules; drive cautiously, keep to formed roads and drive to prevailing road conditions; and be mindful that forest roads are often unsealed, narrow and winding.
Information about conditions of access for all forest visitors and permit requirements for people conducting commercial and group activities are available from Forestry Plantations Queensland at www.fpq.qld.gov.au or from your nearest Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office.
Media contact: Karla Steen (Ms Nelson-Carr’s office) 3336 8004 or David Potter (Mr Mulherin’s office) 3239 6530
Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr and Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said the new arrangements would be put in place as signs go up around the state over the coming weeks.
People conducting commercial activities or group and competitive events will still need a permit, but the vast majority of private visitors will not.
Ms Nelson-Carr said that by removing the need for a permit, the Queensland Government was reducing red tape for forest users and reducing unnecessary government expense.
“Our State forests provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for visitors, including four-wheel driving, horse riding, bushwalking and picnicking, and this change will make it easier for people to visit these areas,” Ms Nelson Carr said.
“Over the coming months the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service will be progressively erecting signs at many State forest entrance points to show where access is allowed without a permit."
Mr Mulherin said he was delighted to exempt individual forest users from the need to obtain a permit to traverse Queensland’s 300,000 hectares of State plantation forests.
He said plantation forests offered a range of recreational opportunities from car rallies to photography, mountain biking, walking and hiking.
However, Mr Mulherin said the public should remember that plantation forests were working forests.
“Roads may be closed to the public during bad weather or when there’s a risk to the public from commercial activities.
“Around 2 million cubic metres of plantation-grown timber are harvested from Forestry Plantations Queensland’s forests every year and that equates to around 120,000 semi-trailer trips to and from the forests.
“These huge semis have very limited manoeuvrability, and forest visitors must give way to them and comply with any restricted access or road closed signs,” he said.
Ms Nelson-Carr said not every track will be open and the public still needed to heed the rules and regulations that applied when entering State forests.
“Particularly, drivers of motor vehicles must hold a current driver’s licence and the motor vehicle must be registered.
“Visitors to State forests and State plantation forests must also comply with all signs and road rules; drive cautiously, keep to formed roads and drive to prevailing road conditions; and be mindful that forest roads are often unsealed, narrow and winding.
Information about conditions of access for all forest visitors and permit requirements for people conducting commercial and group activities are available from Forestry Plantations Queensland at www.fpq.qld.gov.au or from your nearest Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office.
Media contact: Karla Steen (Ms Nelson-Carr’s office) 3336 8004 or David Potter (Mr Mulherin’s office) 3239 6530