Environmentalist calls to rethink Redwood Park mountain bike plan

Redwood Park is home to an abundant population of native plants and animals that environmental groups fear will be become roadkill if the Toowoomba Regional Council moves forward with its plan for new mountain bike tracks

Hugh Krenske, President of Friends of the Escarpment Parks Toowoomba Inc called on the Toowoomba Regional Council to rethink its plan for the new Redwood Park mountain bike tracks. Photo Bev Lacey / The Chronicle

A group of concerned nature-lovers gathered at the Civic Green on Tuesday to register their objections to the Toowoomba Regional Council plan to build new mountain bike paths in Redwood Park.

Hugh Krenske spoke at the rally and said the planned route threatened native wildlife. He said the proposed track would cut the park in two.

“It is significant that our wildlife cameras picked up about three times more native animals, some threatened, than in the adjacent rainforest,” he said.

“Why? Because no one goes there, there are no fire breaks or bike, walking or horse tracks and there are very few weeds.”

Mr Krenske urged the council to build its new tracks on land it recently purchased between Jubilee and Redwood Park, near the quarry.

The rally was made up of members from the Darling Downs Environment Council, Toowoomba Field Naturalists, Friends of the Escarpment Parks, Toowoomba Bird Observers

Birdlife Southern Queensland, Lockyer Uplands Catchment, Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Society, Toowoomba Bushwalkers and Lockyer Community Action.

While the council endorsed a plan for new trails in 2019, in October of this year it employed Redleaf Environmental to survey the species that inhabit the Redwood Park.

“The data from the assessments (and other information) will be considered by the council before any decision is made,” a spokesman said.