Paper Petition

The petition of residents of the State of Queensland draws to the
attention of the House the threatened loss of rights to walk dogs and
ride horses in Mapleton Forest and also community safety concerns
associated with these proposed changes to forestry use.. We are
particularly concerned about fire management, as responsible local users
are the main means of monitoring and reporting outbreaks of fire. We
believe that the community is best served by achieving a balance between
conservation, recreational use and community safety.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to make provision in the
proposed new tenure for Mapleton Forest Reserve to have a Conservation
Park strip on the eastern boundary of the forest as per Option 3
presented by QPWS with access for dog walking and horseriding. The
Conservation Park should be more intensively managed and will also serve
as an important buffer zone between the increasing urban development
adjacent to the forest and the proposed National Park.