Townsville’s Boulder Protection Project stops vehicles from damaging land and creating a safety risk

The ambitious program aimed at protecting Townsville’s parks will now be extended. Do you support the boulder program? VOTE IN OUR POLL.

Horrifying videos of car thieves threatening the safety of Townsville’s park users could become a thing of the past, thanks to the successful deployment of a multimillion-dollar council project installing boulders at fields.

Based in Heatley Park, community groups including Crocs Touch Football, Western Lions Rugby League, the Canine Obedience Club and the Townsville Outdoor Agility Dog Sports Club have benefited from upgrades to their field, irrigation, and facilities in recent years.

Sadly, that positive step forward has come with two steps backwards, with hoons driving onto Heatley Park on multiple occasions, tearing up fields and destroying fences.

Long-serving President of Crocs Touch Football Denise Weier said their excitement about the park’s upgrades quickly turned to heartbreak.

“The fields were really good and then we had two incidents where somebody had gotten on the field and had dug it all up with a vehicle,” Ms Weier said.

Stolen cars knocked down fencing and ripped up Heatley Park's fields in September 2020. Picture: Supplied.

Hoons have hit Heatley Park multiple times. Picture: Supplied.

“It became an issue for us as players, because it left ruts in the ground, so we ran the risk of knee and ankle injuries and stuff like that.”

After seeing video footage of sports players being sent scattering after two stolen vehicles were driven onto an Aitkenvale sporting field last year, Ms Weier said safety fears were in the back of all park user’s minds.

“We don’t know whether some random idiot started to come screaming onto those fields when we would be training, which is a real shame,” she said.

Fortunately, Townsville City Council has tackled the problem head on, investing $2m on their Boulder Protection Project to prevent vehicles from damaging land and posing a safety risk to residents by installing basalt boulders around eight parks over the past year.

Since May 2022, Heatley Park, Charles Moroney Park, Warrina Park, Melrose Park, High Vista Park, Illich Park, Gill Park and Western Lions Park have been protected, with Peggy Banfield and Renecol Parks completed by June.

“Having those boulders put in I think has made a huge difference, it does feel a lot safer being there,” Ms Weier said.

At last week’s full meeting of Townsville City Council, the boulder project was hailed as a success after reports of a vehicle attempting to push a boulder at Heatley Park, only managed to budge it about 4cm.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the boulder program was introduced after “considerable debate about what’s the best way to protect our community without looking like our parks aren’t friendly and welcoming”.

“This is the first stage of the rollout, but there’s more work to be done … it’ll be a discussion for budgets for the second stage,” Cr Hill said.

Residents and community groups wanting to have their parks protected were encouraged to contact their local councillors.

Originally published as Townsville’s Boulder Protection Project stops vehicles from damaging land and creating a safety risk