Why has the National Parks Minister Steven Miles failed to deliver a much-needed update of the Management Plan for Mt Coolum National Park? I've asked him to please explain why there have been further delays on plans to update the management plan for our much-loved iconic Sunshine Coast tourist destination.
I have been lobbying the Minister to review the out-of-date plan and provide funding for better public amenities and parking facilities. In response to a question I asked in Parliament the Minister committed to undertake update the 1998 management plan in the 2016-17 financial year and release the draft plan for public consultation in May 2017.
The Minister has responded that the draft management plan will be available for public comment for at least four weeks via the website www.getinvolved.com.au, but as yet I have had no further information on when this will happen.
This isn't good enough. We need an updated management plan and more resources so that we can look after our beloved Mt Coolum. I will continue to lobby the Government to provide public toilet facilities to stop people answering the call of nature in the park and in the yards of local residents.
Since the LNP Government delivered the $500,000 upgrade of the walking track in 2012, visitor numbers have more than doubled.
In response to concerns raised by local residents in 2015, I called on the Minister to provide public toilet facilities for the 150,000 visitors a year to the Mount Coolum National Park.
Over a thousand people signed the petition asking for toilet facilities, but the Minister simply poo-hooed the request, saying people can use the public toilet at Birrahl Park, which is 1.8 kilometres away!
I am urging the Minister to update the management plan and let the public have their say about how we can best protect Mt Coolum while still ensuring it is accessible to the public.
