Forest Trails Access

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=150 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="32400960dvldxa.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#660033" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="326a09e3.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="qhcthisweek.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="QHC This Week"><B><IMG SRC="561962c0.gif" border=0 width="150" height="44" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Queensland Horse Council Inc">Home</A></div> <div> <A HREF="mission.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Mission">Our Mission</A></div> <div> <A HREF="equinews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="NEWSLETTERS eQuiNEWS">NEWSLETTERS - eQuiNEWS</A></div> <div> <A HREF="genreports.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="General Reports For Members">General Reports For Members</A></div> <div> <A HREF="news.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News">News</A></div> <div> <A HREF="notices.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Notices">Notices</A></div> <div> <A HREF="comingevents.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coming Events">Coming Events</A></div> <div> <A HREF="membership.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Membership">Membership</A></div> <div> <A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links">Links</A></div> <div> <A HREF="gallery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery">Photo Gallery</A></div> <div> <A HREF="contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Board Of Directors">Board Of Directors</A></div> <div> <A HREF="eadrahorselevies.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="EADRA Horse Levies">EADRA & Horse Levies</A></div> <div> <A HREF="hendravirus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hendra Virus">Hendra Virus</A></div> <div> <A HREF="eiinfo.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="E.I. INFORMATION">E.I. INFORMATION</A></div> <div> <A HREF="ahic.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Australian Horse Industry Council">Australian Horse Industry Council</A></div> <div> <B>Forest Trails Access</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=330 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="697" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="693"><div> <B>Queensland Horse Council Inc</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="693"><div> <B>FOREST TRAILS ACCESS</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="693"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="693" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 695 WIDTH="693"><div> <B><U>QHC Forest Trails Access Committee</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Meeting with Dr. Marc Hockings-Chairman Scientific Advisory </B><B>Committee</B></div> <div> Author Dr. Fiona Thompson BVSc CEO Qld Horse Council Inc.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Date</B>: Thursday 13th November</div> <div> <B>Attended</B>: </div> <div> <I>QHC Forest Trails Access Committee</I> - Neal Mathers, Julie de Visser, Fiona Thompson.</div> <div> <I>QHC Hon Secretary</I> - placeStateLorraine Decker</div> <div> <I>Guest </I>- Peter Gamble representing ATHRA Qld.</div> <div> <I>EPA </I>- Julie Northage, Jenny Curnow, Emma Hobbs, Gordon Guymer</div> <div> <I>Scientific Advisory Committee</I> - Associate Professor Marc Hockings</div> <div> <B>Venue</B>: addressStreetEPA Building Ann St CityBrisbane</div> <div>      </div> <div> The meeting began with Assoc. Prof. Marc Hockings giving an overview of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and explaining that it was not the Committee's role to design or implement the trails monitoring program however they were to advise the Minister for Sustainability, Climate change and Innovation, Hon Andrew McNamara about the monitoring program.  Assoc. Prof. Hockings emphasized that all of the SAC positions are voluntary.</div> <bR> <div> A question asked by the QHC team was whether a formal summary had been produced by the EPA from the workshop held on 9-10 July 2008.  The EPA said that the workshop details were not for general distribution and it was held to provide guidance to them on the design of the trails monitoring program. </div> <bR> <div> The EPA advised that the first draft of the monitoring program design should be completed by early 2009.</div> <bR> <div> Marc Hockings and the EPA both agreed on the importance of identifying the different trail user groups.  There will be approximately 400 sites monitored with monitoring starting next year.</div> <bR> <div> Analysis of the monitoring program results will be carried out and reported by the EPA and then the SAC will interpret this and report to the Minister.  </div> <bR> <div> The idea of research between industry, the University and EPA was raised at the meeting.  The QHC Forest Trails Access Committee is hoping to look into the idea of coordinating research between these three groups into topics such as trail design, construction and maintenance.  Another important research area that was raised at the meeting was the social implications of forest trails.  Key social factors such as nature patterns and levels of trail use, user conflict and user compliance are important to evaluate.</div> <bR> <div> The QHC believes an important issue that should be carried out is awareness and education of horse riders utilising SEQ Horse Trail Network including responsible riding and trail care as this will ultimately determine future access to trails.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="693"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="693" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 695 WIDTH="693"><div> <B><U>QHC Forest Trails Access Committee</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Meeting with Dr. Marc Hockings-Chairman Scientific Advisory </B><B>Committee</B></div> <div> Author Dr. Fiona Thompson BVSc CEO Qld Horse Council Inc.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Date</B>: Thursday 13th November</div> <bR> <div> <B>Attended</B>: </div> <div> <I>QHC Forest Trails Access Committee</I> - Neal Mathers, Julie de Visser, Fiona Thompson.</div> <div> <I>QHC Hon Secretary</I> - eLorraine Decker</div> <div> <I>Guest </I>- Peter Gamble representing ATHRA Qld.</div> <div> <I>EPA </I>- Julie Northage, Jenny Curnow, Emma Hobbs, Gordon Guymer</div> <div> <I>Scientific Advisory Committee</I> - Associate Professor Marc Hockings</div> <bR> <div> <B>Venue</B>: EPA Building Ann St Brisbane</div> <div>      </div> <div> The meeting began with Assoc. Prof. Marc Hockings giving an overview of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and explaining that it was not the Committee's role to design or implement the trails monitoring program however they were to advise the Minister for Sustainability, Climate change and Innovation, Hon Andrew McNamara about the monitoring program.  Assoc. Prof. Hockings emphasized that all of the SAC positions are voluntary.</div> <bR> <div> A question asked by the QHC team was whether a formal summary had been produced by the EPA from the workshop held on 9-10 July 2008.  The EPA said that the workshop details were not for general distribution and it was held to provide guidance to them on the design of the trails monitoring program. </div> <bR> <div> The EPA advised that the first draft of the monitoring program design should be completed by early 2009.</div> <bR> <div> Marc Hockings and the EPA both agreed on the importance of identifying the different trail user groups.  There will be approximately 400 sites monitored with monitoring starting next year.</div> <bR> <div> Analysis of the monitoring program results will be carried out and reported by the EPA and then the SAC will interpret this and report to the Minister.  </div> <bR> <div> The idea of research between industry, the University and EPA was raised at the meeting.  The QHC Forest Trails Access Committee is hoping to look into the idea of coordinating research between these three groups into topics such as trail design, construction and maintenance.  Another important research area that was raised at the meeting was the social implications of forest trails.  Key social factors such as nature patterns and levels of trail use, user conflict and user compliance are important to evaluate.</div> <bR> <div> The QHC believes an important issue that should be carried out is awareness and education of horse riders utilising SEQ Horse Trail Network including responsible riding and trail care as this will ultimately determine future access to trails.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="693"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="693" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 772 WIDTH="693"><div> <B><U>Forest Trails Access</U></B></div> <bR> <div> The QHC Forest Trails Access Committee met on Friday 3rd October with EPA’s representative, Rob Hughes. </div> <bR> <div> The sub committee comprises of:</div> <div> Anne Warmbrunn</div> <div> Dick Collyer</div> <div> Julie de Visser</div> <div> Teena Dewar</div> <div> Neal Mathers</div> <div> Graeme Sleeman</div> <div> Anne Barlow</div> <div> Greg Johnson</div> <bR> <div> These committee members will act as direct liaison officers with the EPA in the event that negotiations are required on specific trails.</div> <div> For many years the QHC, various equine associations and local Councils and many, many private individuals were involved in extensive negotiations with the EPA to retain access to the State forests, which under the Regional Forest Agreement process were being transferred to National Park or Conservation Park. At the start of the week the Environmental Protection and other Legislation Amendment Bill was being put forward, seeking to amend the Nature Conservation Act 1992 to include reference to the SEQ horse riding trail network, thereby allowing access for horse riding on Forest Reserves within National Parks. This is a great outcome for the horse riding fraternity.</div> <bR> <div> You can access the SEQ horse riding trail network via the following the link:<A HREF="http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/activities_in_parks_and_forests/southeast_queensland_parks_horse_trail_network/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_fore"><B>Click Here for link.</B></A></div> <bR> <div> It must be noted however that the Bill requires the Chief Executive to review the trails and remove a trail from the SEQ horse riding trail network if it appears that the trail is not sustainable. </div> <bR> <div> To assist with the review of the horse trails the Bill formalises the establishment of an independent Scientific Advisory Committee to monitor the impact of horse riding on these trails.</div> <bR> <div> The QHC Forest Trails Access committee will meet with the Chair of this Scientific Advisory Committee, Dr Marc Hockings on 13th November. </div> <bR> <div> Local member for Noosa, Glen Elmes spoke regarding the Bill raising concerns that the Scientific Advisory Committee will not include any members of the horse industry and called for a review of the committee in approximately three years time.</div> <div> To see his speech regarding this Bill <U> <a href="HTMLobj-1379/enviro_bill_noosa.pdf"><u>click here.</u> </a>  </U></div> <bR> <div> Whilst the SEQ horse riding trail network are a positive outcome, of concern is the potential transfer of tenure of many State Forests to become National Parks in Central and North Queensland. You can look at the list of parks designated to become National Parks or National Parks Recovery, which means they will become National Park tenure eventually and horse riding will not be permitted unless people speak up now. QHC would like to see a similar process of consultation that has occurred with the SEQ horse riding trails network be extended to these affected parks in Central and Northern Queensland. <A HREF="http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/managing_parks_and_forests/forest_transfer_processes_in_queensland/wet_tropics_forest_transfer/tenure_for_the_wet_tropics_forest_transfer_lands/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_fore"><B>Click Here for link</B></A><B>.</B></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>