Prince Henry Drive Park (EPBC Act referral)
Several of the member organisations of DDEC and individual members thereof, have been concerned about the impact of proposed mountain bike trails on the escarpment of Prince Henry Drive Park (PHDP). The steep to near-vertical slopes of boulder-scree, below the one-way road linking the three lookouts at the top of the park, support semi-evergreen vine thicket (SEVT: mapped as Endangered) and dependent fauna. Although rockier than much of Redwood Park, the biodiversity values in this area are similar. And great public amenity exists, with large numbers of residents and visitors using the road for walking and nature appreciation, and the lookouts for picnics.
The proposed development in PHDP and adjacent Jubilee Park has come before the Australian Government to determine if it requires a full assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, leading to a decision by the Minister. In the two-week window for public comment, submissions were made by some local organisations and individuals. DDEC hosted a meeting to clarify the issues and the referral process, and identify key points for submissions.
Many additional records of EPBC-listed, migratory bird species across the PHDP escarpment, additional to those in the referral document, were cited by members, who also agreed that due to high mobility, all of the escarpment SEVT should be considered as impactable habitat that these mobile species inhabit. Further survey is needed to bring the scope of observation data for this relatively new park up to adequacy for assessment. Also, the unacknowledged existence of more than 10 km of existing, designated, mountain bike trails in other Council parks means that excluding the PHDP escarpment and its SEVT from the proposed development would not necessarily affect the proponents’ overall target of 100 km of trails in the Toowoomba parks network.
Although at present DDEC is fully committed to other campaigns, it will monitor the referral outcomes and continue to encourage the proponents and concerned parties to secure best possible conservation outcomes for these parks.
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