New campground may be unveiled for CQ national park Carnarvon Gorge
Hundreds of individual campsites could be added to one of the region’s most iconic natural tourist hot spots, if a new proposal gets the green light from the council. Here’s what’s planned.
Central Queensland
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A popular Central Queensland national park could soon be home to a camping ground with hundreds of individual campsites.
A total of 345 campsites are proposed for Carnarvon Gorge in a development application lodged to the Central Highlands Regional Council last month by Reel Planning Urban and Rural Strategies on behalf of Woodfield Securities Pty Ltd.
An application was successfully lodged with intent to take the roughly 94 hectares of vacant land and turn it into a tourist park that is separate from Takarakka Bush Resort, which will act as an area designed for caravans and camper trailer guests.
Woodfield Securities Pty Ltd company, who previously owned and operated the Takarakka Bush Resort, has designed this potential site to work alongside the abovementioned business.
Tourism body Capricorn Enterprise CEO Mary Carroll said the council would assess the development application as necessary, and “it is not appropriate to pre-empt those deliberations”.
“Carnarvon Gorge is an iconic national park experience, which continues to attract more visitors each year which in turn is driving increased demand for accommodation options,” she said.
“In the domestic market over the past two years, particularly when the Queensland borders were closed, demand for caravan sites outstripped supply to Carnarvon Gorge.
“Demand from tour bus companies seeking accommodation also increases each year.”
Capricorn Enterprise is a tourism business in Rockhampton and CQ area.
The DA acknowledges the rise of the need for short-term accommodation in the domestic eco-tourism market.
Access to the Carnarvon Gorge National Park has been improved to allow tourists to get to areas of the park and see it without causing any undue harm to the environment.
The applicants have mapped out walking trails in Carnarvon Gorge, and amenities will be available to those who plan to stay and either don’t have their own amenities, including a shower and toilet.
The campsite would be a circular arrangement of five sections linked via a round road system.
The circles will be created in different stages and each circle may be opened or closed to the general public at any given time during the year to the demand from the tourists and the maintenance of the sites.
The report was properly made as of January, 20, 2023 and is current.
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