Paper Petition

The petition of residents of Queensland draws to the attention of the
House that the Settlement land at Springbrook was purchased by the
Government nearly ten years ago under the Regional Open Space System (The
Ross Scheme) with the specific aim of providing recreational, cultural,
social and economic benefits for residents and visitors (1994 Government
publication). The scheme specifically provided that land use could
include passive and active recreational areas, trails, educational
centres and facilities for holiday programmes, afforestation projects.

When the property was in private hands it was used by locals and visitors
for a range of activities, but now pending the long awaited Draft
Management Plan for the Settlement local families, youth and visitors to
the mountain are unable to access and use the existing facilities for
picnics, barbeques, sport and other recreational activities.

With increasing pressure on National Parks it seems illogical that public
money has been spent on shelter sheds and picnic tables that no one is
allowed to use.

Springbrook can consider itself unique in Australia as being the only
community with a safe, regularly maintained public oval and picnic ground
which has remained inaccessible for nearly ten years and at which people
can only gaze through locked gates.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to immediately reopen for
public access the existing oval and associated facilities contained
within the property known as the Settlement, located at Springbrook.