Hundreds of rangers and volunteers have mobilised to bring Queensland’s national and marine parks back online following the recent flood disasters.
Praising their efforts to re-ignite the State’s flood-battered eco-tourism industry, Minister for the Environment, Meaghan Scanlon said an additional $745,000 would be provided to volunteer groups to help speed up recovery efforts, with huge volumes of debris in waterways and walking tracks along national parks washed out.
“Right now, more than 40 parks from Brisbane and the Gold Coast to Wide Bay remain closed or partially closed,” Ms Scanlon said.
“With recovery efforts well underway in our communities, the work now begins at parks and marine areas to clean them up and get eco-tourism firing as part of our economic recovery plan,” she said.
Ms Scanlon said that as rangers focused on rebuilding damaged tracks and re-opening parks, up to 16 volunteer groups would help clear rubbish that had ended up in rivers and Moreton Bay.
She said the efforts by rangers and volunteers look to have ensured that most impacted national and marine parks will be open for public use within weeks, well before the busy Easter school holidays.
The Minister thanked everyone involved in the large-scale clean up and prospective visitors for their patience as repairs got underway.
“Our rangers haven’t stopped giving a hand since the start of this event,” she said.
“They’ve worked around the clock supporting emergency services from day one, including assisting the Queensland Water Police with their response in the Brisbane River during the peak of the flood.”
Ms Scanlon said park-goers should check for impacts before venturing out, obey all signage, road closures and direction from rangers, and always drive to the conditions on sealed roads, tracks and on the beach.
The latest alerts for Queensland’s national parks can be accessed at this PS News link.
