E-Petition

Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House the Cambanoora (Condamine) Gorge on the Southern Downs is a Terrestrial and Riparian Corridor of State Significance. It borders the Gondwanan World Heritage area and is of high cultural and spiritual significance to the Githabul people. These cool headwaters of the mighty Murray-Darling River system are refuge to many threatened and endangered aquatic species, e.g. platypus and Fleay’s barred frog. Condamine River Road - an old logging track of cultural heritage value and also part of the Bicentennial National Trail - passes through Cambanoora Gorge crossing the Condamine River fourteen times. The track attracts up to 500 4WD vehicles per day, which is simply unsustainable. Despite wide-spread community opposition, Southern Downs Regional Council is about to replace many of the natural crossings with concrete floodways. With the Olympics coming up and nature and activity-based tourism being one of the fastest growing tourism sectors, a win-win solution could be had by changing the use of the road from a 4WD thoroughfare to an area for bike and horse trail riding or multi-day walking and a showcase for the region. 

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call on the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning to urge the Southern Downs Regional Council to immediately halt plans for the cementing of the natural river crossings and assist the community to instead create an economically and environmentally sustainable future for Cambanoora Gorge.