Mount Glen Rock - Esk - changes to plan of the area

This article was published on Facebook by Care4Esk after the Somerset Regional Council proposed a mountain bike park in this sensitive area: 

MOUNT GLEN ROCK DEVELOPMENT UPDATE AND THOUGHTS

It appears that the Mount Glen Rock Adventure Park has been safely packed away...for now anyway.

But what can we expect from the newly proposed Mount Glen Rock 'Eco-tourism' Park?

On August 23, Somerset Regional Council moved to support an Expression of Interest submission for the Queensland Government's Growing Future Tourism Grant funding.

What we do know, as outlined in the minutes from that meeting, is that the Proposed Project would have a value of $3,168,600 and have the following components:

Lions Park Upgrade

Summit Hiking Trail

Small Outlook – Summit Trail

Eastern Loop Hiking Trail

Southern Escarpment Sport Climbing site

Southern Escarpment Sport Climbing Site Entry (Carpark and Trail)

First Nations Surveying, Story Collection and Historical Research

Interpretive Sign Development (Ecological and Cultural)

Interpretive Sign Fabrication and Installation

Wayfinding Signage Fabrication and Installation

The Growing Future Tourism Program Guidelines clearly states...

'The types of projects to be supported under GFT will be 'the development of new or improved tourism infrastructure products and experiences in the priority areas of:

• coastal and marine tourism

• heritage and cultural tourism

• ecotourism and sustainability'

Care4esK strongly believes that Rock climbing does not fall into the guidelines for potential projects, especially Ecotourism.

The Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science defines Ecotourism as...

'Ecotourism encompasses nature-based activities that increase visitor appreciation and understanding of natural and cultural values. They are experiences that are managed to ensure they are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable, contributing to the wellbeing and conservation of the natural areas and local communities where they operate'

Care4esK is very concerned that the introduction of any type of Rock climbing on the Mount Glen Rock land parcels, could have an irreversible impact on the Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies and their habitats, which are presently located across the vast majority of that land.

This addition of Rock climbing as a sport, could also have a detrimental affect on several plant species which occur on the rocky outcrops of Mount Glen Rock.

In May 2022, Care4esK were invited by Council, to present our alternative to the Mount Glen Rock Adventure Park.

Our proposal was very similar to the newly planned development outlined above.

At that stage, there were no recently confirmed sightings of the Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies on Mount Glen Rock.

However, after multiple sightings later in 2022, we amended our proposal to exclude Rock Climbing in any form on the Mount Glen Rock land parcels.

Overall though, Care4esK is pleased to see this new project being referred to as 'Low-impact' instead of 'Adventure'.

We look forward to the development of a Park, that focuses on the value of Conservation, the Environment, Flora and Fauna, and has respect for, and recognition of Cultural Heritage.

We will welcome and applaud a development that has been mindfully planned for an ecological and sustainable future."

Bushwalking Queensland Inc. identified the issues with the original plan with the proposed 5 km walking track to the summit had many intersections with mountain bike tracks and although the lookout was a dedicated walking only access lookout, it did not afford a guarantee that mountain bike riders would not access this lookout.

Also, being only 550 m away from the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail at Pipeliner Park in Esk and the Esk Train Station to Lions Park, this proposal affords further opportunities for walking in the  Brisbane Valley.

Bushwalking Queensland is always on the lookout for future trails especially with advocating work with Qld Walks, the Qld Walking Alliance, Outdoors Queensland, and the various local councils looking at walking infrastructure in the "Walking for Recreation" space.