COUNCIL TO SEEK NATIONAL PARK STATUS FOR MOUNTAIN RESERVE

Scenic Rim Regional Council will ask the Queensland Government to consider making a Tamborine Mountain reserve a national park due to its environmental values.

At its Ordinary Meeting this week, Council resolved to decline the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy's request for Scenic Rim Regional Council to become trustee of the State Government's 92-hectare site at Wongawallan Road due to potential fire risks and ongoing maintenance costs to the community.

Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said the land was more suitable as a national park and accepting trusteeship of the reserve would expose Council to increased financial risks and liabilities associated with fire management and ongoing maintenance costs.

"The land has significant vegetation and natural habitat and adjoins large areas of undeveloped land," he said.

"It also adjoins the Panorama Point section of the Tamborine National Park and provides an ideal conservation area and should be considered for national park status."

The reserve includes a mix of rainforest in gully areas and sclerophyll forest in several dry ridges, which indicate a history of bushfire.

The property also contains substantial fuel loads and, with some extremely steep areas with an incline of more than 20 degrees, there is an increased risk of an intense bushfire.

"To compound this problem, the site contains relatively no access or ability to create asset protection zones, bushfire trails, fuel management zones and other infrastructure, limiting fire management to regular fuel reduction burns," Cr Christensen said.

"Council recognises the importance of this area as a conservation zone however believes this would be best managed as a national park.

"Without the State Government stepping up, we would be taking on a very high risk precinct without any commitment from the state for resourcing and Council simply does not have the budget to adequately manage this property without additional funding."

Division 1 Councillor Nigel Waistell said: "I am pleased that my Council colleagues strongly share the view that the land does have significant ecological value and that it should be recognised and allocated for conservation and protection."