By Jenel Hunt
The Killarney Area Promotions Association has presented a veritable bucket list of wishes to the Southern Downs Regional Council.
According to KAPA president Paul Stumkat, this is the year to make a start, when there is a possibility to begin tapping into Olympic and Paralympic funding for the regional outreach projects of the Brisbane Olympics 2032. He could visualise people running in a marathon while their partners enjoyed the scenic attractions of the region.
At a council information session last week (15 February), Paul and the organisation’s vice-president Tony Pearson shared their vision with the councillors.
Tony’s presentation was big and bold.
“The money is going to start flowing this year for the disability side of the Paralympics and we’re hoping the council can incorporate disability access for three areas.”
The first was to build a concrete pathway from Browns Falls Park through the tunnel under the road and over to the base of Browns Falls.
“It would make it disabled accessible. Browns Falls is a great asset to Killarney but while it’s wonderful how natural that walk is, it’s slippery when it’s wet and having to crawl under and over logs does mean it’s not as accessible to children and disabled people.”
He said KAPA’s second wish was to revisit the concept of completely redesigning the Dagg Falls carpark to make it disabled accessible.
“It’s so rough and dangerous trying to get a wheelchair off the bitumen and onto the platform,” he said.
“We could level the carpark, take away the sharp edges on the bitumen and have properly marked-out areas for parking. We’re talking about completely redesigning the area and putting in picnic tables as well.“
He said Carrs Lookout, a popular area for visitors to enjoy a panoramic view, needed new signage and to become wheelchair friendly.
“Even though council has put gravel down, when it’s wet people still get bogged up there. We’d like bitumen carparking and access for wheelchairs,” he said.
He congratulated the SDRC on doing Killarney’s urban design framework but said now it was time for the council to pick a couple of ideas featured in the design and start implementing them.
“It’s really difficult to pick out just a couple of things but we’d like council to start on the street lighting, especially the poles that the lights will be attached to. They’ve been designed to fit in with our town clock in front of the CWA so it all looks similar. Having the light poles will allow us to put banners up for events.”
He was also keen to have areas tidied up near the creek.
“I believe the River Trust would have to be involved, but we’d like to see it happen,” he said.
Easier said than done, said one of the councillors who is on the River Trust.
Cr Ross Bartley said if the large amount of exotic growth was removed, the banks could be destabilised.
“Getting access to the growth is nearly impossible. We’re had blackberry controlled carefully with herbicides. The River Trust has invested huge amounts of money over a long period of time just trying to keep that area clear of invasive weeds.“
Tony said it had been his dream for many years to utilise local supplies of sandstone to be placed for 100m either side of the bridge.
“My vision is for big Roman steps made from sandstone blocks, and we’ll never have another problem with weeds or access. People could access the river and sit on those steps early and late in the day to view the platypus,” he said.
Cr Bartley offered another cautionary comment.
“That is a high velocity flow area. Whatever you did, you’d have to be very careful,” he said.
KAPA had a fourth longstanding wish. Killarney still doesn’t have a library.
