National park turned into a toilet after closure of picnic area at Mt Glorious

Angry visitors are turning part of a southeast Queensland national park into a toilet by defecating on walking tracks and taking other extreme measures to relieve themselves following an unpopular move by the Department of Environment and Science.

The closure of the Maiala picnic area at Mt Glorious, and its toilets, is causing problems.

Visitors have turned part of a national park into a toilet after the Department of Environment and Science (DES) closed a popular picnic ground, and its toilet block, three weeks ago.

One resident has even had people coming to her home asking if they can use her toilet.

Mt Glorious B&B operator Bernadette Chapman said two people had told her they had seen evidence people were defecating on walking tracks.

“You know it’s not an animal, they are using toilet paper,” Ms Chapman said.

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: SIGN UP FOR 12 MONTHS AND RECEIVE A SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A 8.0 (MIN COST $390)

Her partner, Elm Haus Café owner Karl Woelkerling, said there had been a big increase in the number of people using his cafe’s toilet, located outside the building, since the Maiala picnic area was closed.

Mr Woelkerling said this was a problem as they were not on town water and the cafe’s biocycle waste system had a limited capacity.

“We don’t mind them going to the toilet but we have to pay for the water (usually one $250 load every three weeks),” he said.

Mr Woelkerling said a lady who lived beside the cafe even had desperate people asking to use her toilet on days when the cafe was closed.

Ms Chapman said that with the closure of Maiala, visitors were also having trouble finding other walking track starting points.

Mt Glorious residents halt the demolition of picnic shelter

There was no indication that tracks were open and no signs to show where access points were, she said.

“We’re receiving the brunt of a lot of angry people up here,” she said.

“If it was a few months we wouldn’t care, but it’s going to be six months apparently.”

DES said alternate facilities were available at Bellbird Grove, Camp Mountain and Jollys Lookout. These are at least 10km from Mt Glorious.

A DES spokeswoman said rangers had worked with the Mount Glorious Community Association and communicated the closures to the community in person, via a leaflet drop, as well as online through park alerts and Facebook posts.

The spokeswoman said signs were also in place at the site and on the walking tracks advising of the closure.

The picnic shelter in the Maiala picnic area in D’Aguilar National Park. Photo: Karen Hutt

“The closures barricade off the car parks for safety reasons and QPWS is not promoting use of the tracks by the general public at this time,” she said.

“The department asks visitors to observe all signage, barriers and directions from rangers, and not to enter closed areas.”

Maiala will be closed until March 2020 while facilities are upgraded.

Work will be carried out on the picnic and barbecue facilities, toilets, car park and the entrances to the Rainforest Circuit, Greene’s Falls and the Western Window walking trails.

For more information, see parks.des.qld.gov.au/park-alerts