State pays $4M for Earl Hill
CAR parking facilities could be on the horizon for Earl Hill at Trinity Beach, after it has finally been purchased by the State Government.
Developer Consolidated Properties has sold the 54 hectare property and its popular walking track to the government for $4 million, with the sale finalised two weeks ago.
Barron River MP Craig Crawford admitted the final sale price, obtained after land valuations were carried out by both parties, was a bit “inflated” for a bushland area.
However he believed it was well-priced, in terms of the area’s development potential.
“This will be turn into a nature conservation area,” he said.
“It will be managed by the Department of Environment and Science, and it will be part of the vast array of parks and areas that the department manage all across Queensland.
“A key point about this park, being a nature conservation area, is that dogs are not automatically excluded from this, so there will be the capacity for dogs to be taken into this area with some limitations, of course.”
While the 1km walking track is popular among hikers and pet owners, there is limited parking at its base.
Mr Crawford said this could change, with the hill to be assessed by the environment department for potential infrastructure upgrades.
“I think everyone wants to see the track beefed up a little bit,” he said.
“There’s some safety areas that can be improved.
“There’s some wet weather areas that can be improved, and I think at the top of the summit, there’s an ideal opportunity for a nice lookout area, with some rubbish bins and interpretative signage – but I’ll leave that up to the department.
“All in all, it will be a great asset for locals and for tourists.”
Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said it was important to protect areas like Earl Hill, to ensure Queenslanders could continue to enjoy the natural beauty it provided.
“Initial works by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers will focus on formalising walking tracks, allowing visitors to continue walking up to the summit,” she said.