28 September 2020
After consulting with locals, residents, business and other stakeholders, Council has resolved to trial a new approach to managing Condamine River Road. For many years locals and visitors alike, have struggled with issues associated with the use of the road, including managing increasing volumes of traffic, maintaining the road and river crossings, and keeping users and the environment safe and protected for all to enjoy.
Earlier this year, Council embarked on a series of one-on-one conversations with locals, businesses, Cambanoora Gorge residents and visitors to gather feedback on whether an engineering solution or something different was required and how Council could work with stakeholders to change its management practices. After over 50 meetings, this week’s report proposed a number of actions to be introduced as part of a trial over twelve months.
Endorsed actions include:
1. Progress introducing a permit system on a 12-month trial to manage the volume and vehicular use of the Condamine River Road;
2. Investigate options and suitable locations for the provision of visitor facilities on public land;
3. Maintain the fourteen (14) river crossings of the Condamine River Road in their current natural state, moving away from the Kehoe Myers public road engineering solution;
4. Remove the access gates from Condamine River Road and implement a suitable signage strategy;
5. Remove unlawful fences and other structures from Condamine River Road;
6. Implement monitoring activities that enable management actions to be measured and evaluated;
7. Obtain baseline cost benefit data to measure the effectiveness of the proposed management approaches;
8. Continue to seek feedback from stakeholders during the 12-month trial at structured intervals of six (6) and prior to twelve (12) months; and
9. Prepare a final report to Council at the conclusion of the 12-month trial period detailing recommendations for the ongoing management of the Condamine River Road.
10. Council finalise its legal advice on the proposed permit system and removal of gates as outlined in the body of the report, and in receipt of that advice implement community engagement.
Councillor for Environment, Waste, Sustainability, and Disaster Management Cameron Gow said that balancing stakeholder interests while also ensuring the natural environment was maintained was a major focus of Council’s consultation process.
“There are a number of stakeholder groups who have a vested interest in Cambanoora Gorge with competing interests and desires for future management of the area. Council staff have undertaken extensive consultation and have come up with some approaches that we believe will serve to resolve these long-standing issues,” said Councillor Gow.
“Condamine River Road and Cambanoora Gorge are natural treasures and there has been a thorough community consultation process undertaken to provide insight into future decisions.
“It is just a trial at this stage, but we’ve acknowledged our management needs to change and we need to do something differently. I support the trial and like the community, will be watching with interest as it unfolds.”
Council also committed to keep talking with the community as the trial evolves and reporting on progress six months in and prior to the end of the twelve month trial.
More information on the permit system will be communicated to the community and users prior to the commencement of the trial. For all the latest Council news and information, visit www.sdrc.qld.gov.au. Alternatively, call 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372) or email mail@sdrc.qld.gov.au.