Community & Business
13 June, 2023
Fears for future of ‘iconic’ track
Fears a section of the Peterson’s Creek walking track will no longer be accessible to the public has prompted Yungaburra locals to act.
FEARS a section of the Peterson’s Creek walking track will no longer be accessible to the public has prompted Yungaburra locals to act in a bid to keep it open for users.
The entrance to the track at Allumbah Pocket goes through private land and is now subject to a development application for a new subdivision.
After learning of the application, the Yungaburra Association and Yungaburra Landcare Group, who maintain the walking track, have begun talks with the landowner and Tablelands Regional Council to avoid the “future implications” if the development is successful.
Association representatives Ray Byrnes and Rolf Straatemeier, alongside Landcare group president David Blair, delivered a deputation at Tablelands Regional Council’s recent meeting about the importance of maintaining the walking track and how its closure would affect the community.
“It is an iconic community amenity and is highly valued by the Yungaburra community, particularly the businesses as it attracts a lot of visitors to the area and is probably one of the only places you can get close up to platypus,” Mr Byrnes said.
“Any threat to the future of this walking track will generate a pretty angry response in the Yungaburra community because it is highly valued by them.”
Mr Blair recalled a similar problem last year when the owner of another private piece of land, which the track passes through, closed off his section due to biosecurity reasons.
This caused uproar in the community and made it difficult to access the track near the platypus viewing platform, resulting in increased traffic on the other side of the walking track.
“Closure of that section (on private land) will make it very difficult for members of the public to access other parts of the track, unless they come down the unformed road reserve at the back of this block or come through where the railway bridge is – which is not a popular section of the track as parking is difficult,” Mr Blair said.
“So, closure of this part of the track will certainly make it very difficult for visitors to access any other portion so we ask the council to consider options going forward that may help resolve this problem.”
Mr Byrnes said the association had been in talks with the developers, who had expressed a willingness to negotiate so as to avoid a similar outcome.
However, since the walking track is part of the proposed residential lots, there are concerns that future lot owners may restrict public access and close it off.
“Worst case scenario with this section is that the 100 metres of the track will close, and we have to move the entry to a different point,” Mr Straatemeier said.
“For the community, they will miss out on the link into spots such as the Frawley’s Pool and railway cutting. It’ll be fragmented.
“It (the track) used to be continuous loop right around and you could walk right and around and back into town but now of course it has been fragmented. If (the other side) gets closed off, you will only have access to it at the entry.”
The group are now asking council to “consider their options”, with Mr Byrnes, a former mayor, recommending TRC work with the developers to purchase the strip of land on the track or putting conditions on the development which may require them to put an “esplanade” along the riverbank – something that has been done on the track before.
“The ball is in council’s court now and our message to them is to save our track,” Mr Byrnes said.
At the end of the meeting, council agreed to investigate the land title situation by having discussions with the landowners and provide council with options. A report will be tabled at the planning committee meeting on 13 July.
