Preston ‘lookout’ a local shame long before body was found

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A long-time resident has called on two local councils and landowners to do something about the sorry state of the ‘lookout’ where the body of Blake Riley was found on Thursday.

Police are investigating a suspicious death in bushland near Preston. Picture: Kevin Farmer

To the Editor,

The Preston Lookout, just off Preston Boundary Road, boasts panoramic views of the Lockyer Valley, Mt Campbell and Tabletop and has long been a favourite for casual sightseers and nightt time party goers.

Unfortunately it has also been treated as a rubbish dump and disposal area for car wrecks.

But it dropped to new lows last week when a body was found there.

The tourists who discovered the body will not take away very good memories of Toowoomba.

The Lookout is a bit of an orphan.

It’s in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area but across the road is Toowoomba Regional Council area.

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The point of land comprising the lookout has two owners, with the boundary running pretty much down the middle.

There is not enough room on the point for anyone to build anything but the smallest of houses.

It may be surmised, therefore, that neither the owners or the councils have much invested in this area.

This is a great pity because, rubbish aside, it is a great spot.

Attempts have been made in the past to block vehicle access to the Lookout by dropping logs across the track but they were circumvented.

Might I suggest that the LVRC and the TRC get together with the owners and get a fence built, a strong one that can’t be cut or bypassed, put in a locked gate but leave a pedestrian gate so people can walk the short distance in and enjoy the view, even have a picnic or campfire but NOT dump rubbish or car bodies.

Surely it can’t be all that hard to fence it off?

I appreciate that the lookout is private land but the state of it with rubbish down the sides – admittedly not as bad as it used to be – is an embarrassment to all of us; the general public and Gatton and Toowoomba councils alike.

A R KENNY