There have been calls to cap the number of visitors at some national parks after details emerged of poor behaviour by those supposedly enjoying the natural wilderness areas.
It has been revealed that hundreds of people were fined a total of around $200,000 for flouting rules in Queensland’s national parks last year. Offences included lighting fires, taking live animals into protected areas, and carelessly discarding cigarettes.
Almost 800 fines were handed out during 2013, with most issued by rangers based at Rainbow Beach and Bribie Island, as well as at Agnes Water and 1770
National Parks Association of Queensland executive co-ordinator Paul Donatiu told the Courier-Mail newspaper that vandals and litterbugs could overwhelm authorities’ capacity to protect the areas and argued it was time for a debate on the maximum number of visitors.
“At what point do we say, OK we’ve got enough people in the park in the season, let’s just cap it at that,” he said. “Because we know that if we go beyond that number, there’s going to be damage done to the park and to the very reasons that the park attracts people in the first place.”
Laws were recently passed in Queensland, giving tourists greater access to national parks and allowing new commercial operations.
Do you think some of our national parks just get too busy? Would you like to see numbers capped? Â Comment below.
About 6 years ago we camped at Inskip Point one Easter.
There were more then 6,000 people there that weekend.
Even had the Mounted Police there every day.
People in normal cars were getting bogged in the sand trying to get to outlining camping spots.
I was glad when Easter Monday came and it quieten down.
So, they limit the amount of people, say to only 2000 at Inskip at Easter time.
Where do the other 4,000 campers go to? The other camps around Southern Queensland area are just as full. Camping is the biggest growing industry in Australia.
So, Mr Tourist Minister, what’s the answer to keeping everyone happy?
to many greenies taking over national parks and the like
if people do a lot of damage then stop them from using the parks
if it just a silly mistake then a fine and some sort of education
we think its a plot by a lot of idiots to try to lock up areas all over Australia. A fair go for all
Maybe Grey Nomads and othe responsible citizens could become honorary rangers and report these irresponsible people.This morning we walked a track to the waterfalls in Mt Field National Park, magnificent except for three lots of toilet paper and two takeaway coffee cups discarded in the bush.
People are pigs, generally. There is no respect for the environment or the person, when asked to pick up the garbage left behind or dropped by the “vandals”. There is no respect for the quietness of the National Parks, where nature is at its best. Well that is until we humans encroach on their property. When mixed with alcohol, as seems to be the most important item to bring along, and with loud, obnoxious music enough to wake the dead, there is no peace and quiet.
Names should be taken if found to be in default of the rules or legal issues, and banned from attending these parks. And how do you police it? It appears that Rangers are employed to fine people on various issues, so that should be enough to record who is doing the wrong thing.
Like most Australians working, we pay our taxes, and have these National Parks to enjoy, woe betide anyone who tells me I can’t enjoy a National Park because of these inconsiderate people.
I recently visited Queensland and walked dogs for family, and found a nearby hotel/pub allowed patrons to take home a can and worse still a bottle, all allowed to be smashed along the pathways where people walk with glass littered everywhere, literally within a stones throw of the pub. If the bottle wasn’t smashed there and then, along came the mowers and mowed straight over them and smashed them into tiny pieces!!! How can this be allowed to happen in the first place? Where is the law and the liquor licencing board and what are they doing to let this get out of control. This is the same principal as littering National Parks.