Pony club anger at shock land clearing

BLACK River Pony Club says it will be seeking compensation for what it claims is the illegal clearing of its land as part of a $100m Bruce Highway upgrade project.

The incident is the latest in growing community unrest since the design of the Townsville Northern Access Intersections Upgrade was revealed this month, causing angst with the club, businesses and residents, mostly about what is considered to be dangerous Uturn facilities being installed on the highway to save on the cost of an overpass.

The upgrade is being managed by the state government’s Department of Transport and

Main Roads, which is claimed to have directed the clearing of the club’s land over the weekend without notification.

The clearing has been required to extend Nora Rd, where properties will become landlocked when an intersection with Church Rd is closed to the Bruce Highway.

Black River Pony Club president Deanne Lawrence said the club discovered on Sunday that its cross-country course had been illegally accessed and cleared to make way for the Nora Rd extension.

About 4ha has been levelled and trees pushed into a mound in readiness for burning.

Ms Lawrence said the club had just been successful in obtaining a grant to upgrade the course’s jumps. But now, with the club facing a delay and the need to redesign the upgrade, that grant was in jeopardy.

“We will be seeking compensation and rectification of this illegal clearing,” Ms Lawrence said.

A TMR spokesman did not respond to questions as to whether the department failed to contact the club but did say it was prepared to discuss compensation.

In a statement, the spokesman said: “As part of the project’s early works, clearing has been undertaken on a section of state-owned land under the custodianship of the Townsville City Council and leased by council to the Black River Pony Club. TMR will continue to engage with the Black River Pony Club and discuss any of its queries, including compensation.”

Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto, said the issue again highlighted the need for consultation over the highway project.

“Once again it seems there’s a breakdown in communication between TMR and stakeholders along this corridor upgrade,” he said.

A Townsville City Council spokeswoman said the council had received a notice of entry from the TMR for works occurring on recently acquired land in Black River.