The first major tourism development in a Queensland national park of is one giant step closer after it was given the green light by the state government.
Although the plan still needs local council approval, it’s now odds on that a Scenic Rim trail featuring a glamping Eco resort will be constructed in the heart of Main Range National Park, about 85 kilometres southwest of Brisbane.
The 50-kilometre trail through spectacular national park land would take six days to hike and would see guests stay at luxury camps enroute.
“The Government is heralding a new era of working with the tourism industry to deliver high-quality sustainable tourism experiences that showcase the beauty of our pristine areas,” National Parks Minister, Steven Miles, told the Courier-Mail. “This will be a captivating experience for walkers following the escarpment of the caldera … offering spectacular views.”
And Tourism Minister Kate Jones said this was just the beginning for eco-tourism in national parks.
“Projects like the Scenic Rim Trail will help grow visitation to Queensland … and deliver new eco-tourism experiences,” she said. “It’s exciting to see investors prioritising eco-tourism in Queensland because we know it has the potential to drive significant growth in visitors as they come face-to-face with nature.”
The Courier-Mail reports that tourism development is a major part of the national park landscape in the US, where millions of people visit places like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon every year, but it has been largely taboo in Australia.
There is already glamping at Boonah, outside the National Park and this is conducted in an ecologically sustainable manner. I am totally opposed to development in our National Parks, which are there for the conservation of nature, not to generate profits to commercial entities. Placing this or any development “In the heart of” the forest must result in clearing, disturbance of vegetation and wildllife and of course the guests have to treated luxuriously. How can their needs for water, toileting, meals and laundry not have an impact on what is supposed to be a place of tranquillity and undisturbed natural processes? The parks in the US you mention have development OUTSIDE the park and visitors are bussed in. This is not a welcome direction for our Parks.