April 20, 2016
Visitor numbers at Bjelke-Petersen Dam and Lake Boondooma have risen between 8 and 12 per cent over the last year.
Deputy Mayor Cr Kathy Duff reported at Wednesday’s SBRC meeting that between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015 Yallakool played host to 11,624 campers who stayed an average 2.3 nights at the tourist park.
But in same period last year, visitor numbers had risen 8 per cent to 13,055 and the average stay had grown to 3.2 nights.
Lake Boondooma Tourist Park had seen even higher growth, with visits increasing from 17,222 in 2014-15 to 18652 last year – a rise of more than 12 per cent – and average stays lengthening from 2.7 to 3.3 nights.
Kingaroy Airport has had a busy month too.
Cr Duff said between March 24 and April 13 this year, the airport had 306 aircraft movements, an average of about 100 per week.
Cr Gavin Jones said this was remarkable and asked if it was due to any specific activity at the airport.
Cr Duff said the figures combined all activities ranging from normal movements by local flying clubs to helicopter rescue services and visiting aircraft.
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Cr Duff also reported that work on the Murgon-Kingaroy Rail Trail is still on target and there are now only three bridges remaining to built: Memerambi North, Crawford South and a bridge across Barambah Creek.
Remaining fettler’s sheds at Kingaroy and Wondai have been pressure cleaned, scraped, sanded and repainted; and a new round of Work Skills trainees are due to commence their 16-week Certificate I course on the Rail Trail shortly.
More than 1000 trees had been planted at the Murgon end of the Rail Trail between Annings Road and Zermer Road over the last three weeks, and further plantings are planned around the Crawford district.
Cr Duff said Rail Trail surface construction has also started, and should be in full swing within a few weeks.
