A flood-prone free camping ground in north Queensland has reopened after being closed for months.
The Greenpatch camping ground in Gordonvale, just south of Cairns, has been closed since last November due to the increased risk of flash flooding during the wet season.
Cairns Regional Council took over the management of the campground – which sits on the banks of the Mulgrave River – several years ago after it was revamped from an ‘illegal camping ground’ to an established site.
The facility underwent an expensive transformation to create 42 formal campsites and a new amenities block, complete with floodwater siren installed on the rooftop.
Water levels can rise quickly. PIC: Pixabay
The warning system was installed to ensure there is sufficient time for evacuation of the campground before floodwaters potentially start to enter the lower areas of the site.
The site also has a dump point and day-use facilities such as picnic spots. The maximum stay at this campground is 72 hours.
However, the wisdom of spending $2.4 million to upgrade the camping ground, only to lock the gates and prevent campers from staying for several months a year due to flooding fears, has raised eyebrows.
And it’s also sparked considerable anger.
In the past, the campsite’s gates have been unhinged and broken down, forcing the council to put large boulders in place instead to keep would-be campers out.
Records from the Bureau of Meteorology show the area flooded 14 times in the 17 years to 2017.
There have been several successful evacuations at Greenpatch since the new campground was constructed and opened.
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Yes fabulous place to camp meet lots of people
I was there way before the wet season and they had already closed it. Woke council officials are everywhere
Yes it’s a great location close to day trips to Cairns. I do understand the need to close the area during wet seasons, yet these days there may be many “local” folks who use the area. Shurely the council knows when a flood is likely to happen and close it for that time only. Grateful that it is open again as I will be heading that way in a couple of months
Yes I will be going there in two days. My vehicle is getting serviced in Cairns and green patch is a great base.