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.