Harpeng Road Access Log

[Member]

Ok Folks. It appears that a local landowner who wishes to see this historic public access point shut to the world are still bleating to anyone who will hear them trying to get this road closed to everyone except them for all eternity.

Tactics being used are claims that kayakers and anglers are:
- leaving rubbish all over the place including nappies
- damage to the river banks from kayaks and cars

The attempt it to claim the moral high ground while claiming to be concerned for the environment. YET, at the very same time an inspection of the site shows:
- cattle are freely walking into the river at random which caves in river banks
- cattle being permitted to defecate in our drinking water
- adjoining land owner driving their own cars & tractors down the banks of the river & through the shingle crossing
-

All the while the TWO fences arrected across the road are still there. They top fence had a gate put on it to appease council. This gate appears to have been intentionally put in a position away from the old road track going down to the river so that it was as hard as possible for anyone to drive down to a point where the second illegally placed fence blocks further access anyway.

Can we ask that everyone that accesses the Brisbane River via Harpeng Road post a report on the state of the site. Include any further damage to vegetation noted, also note any rubbish noted on the site. Pictures are valuable evidence to refute the lies being written about the public who access this important site. Be honest in your report.

If you do see any rubbish, please pick it up. ALSO, please drive slowly past local houses to keep noise and dust levels down. As always, we need to clearly demonstrate that recreational anglers, kayakers etc that access this site do so in a responsible and environmentally caring manner.


Below we have attached images supplied to us by concerned members showing actual riparian vegetation vandalism carried out on the site. Images clearly show native trees cut down, and it looks as if these same trees have been used for fence posts. Photos were taken in May 2012.

No rubbish was noted and no damage from cars or kayaks noticed.

Please add your own reports / updates here.

[Member]

I intend to use this access a bit soon, so I will take pictures when I go in each time if you want for evidence of no rubbish left by kayakers. Steven M and I toured the area a couple weeks ago and we saw those fences, pity the upsteam fence covers the area where Steven and Dave went to the trouble of making a launch area.

Oh and I will give them a wave every time I pass...

[Member]

Place was clean two weeks ago.

No single bit of rubbish anywhere.

Can I also ask if anyone does go down there, please dont park in front of any gates to restrict access to their property. There is enough room to park down there without doing that.

If you think there is not enough let me know and I will make the area larger and flatten some more grass by driving over it.

[Member]

I only seen rubbish on one occasion 3 empty lure packets left by a careless angler nat far from the waters edge. I was accused of parking to close to a gate, but I left room wider than the gate.

Dino

[Member]

we were down at the harpeng road access today, not knowing that it was "private property". Only there about 10 minutes when the apparent "land owner" came down and asked us to leave because we were trespassing and said he would call the police. Is this true? The actual gate that we had to climb over did NOT say no tresspassing but once over that gate, there was a SIDE gate that said Private Property. Since when is the river bank private property?

[Member]

This bloke is full of it !! He has a long history of verbally abusing and scaring people off . Let him call the cops, he hasn't got a leg to stand on and they shall inform him not to waste their time.

September the 1st is a Saturday, I hope plenty of people turn up to launch from there then.

Cheers,
Dave.

[Member]

Yeah we thought that was the case but the council wasn't open to call today so we cldnt verify. Do u know if it is ok to walk all the way along the riverbank to fish there?

[Member]

Yeah we thought that was the case but the council wasn't open to call today so we cldnt verify. Do u know if it is ok to walk all the way along the riverbank to fish there?

At the moment it is closed bass season, so really there should be no fishing there until the 1st of September.  Walking the bank you would be on private property except where the road reserve is.

[Member]

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

DERM
Email a complaint to slam-ipswich@derm.qld.gov.au
Subject: Harpeng Road - Wivenhoe Pocket. Reference 2012/000758

Local Council
Then email and phone your complaint to Somerset Regional Council
Subject: Harpeng Road River Access

MAYOR
Mayor Graeme Lehmann
M 0419 799 770
glehmann@somerset.qld.gov.au

DEPUTY MAYOR
Cr Daniel (Dan) Hall
M 0438 154 837
dhall@somerset.qld.gov.au
 
Cr Helen Brieschke
M 0438 149 954
hbrieschke@somerset.qld.gov.au
   
Cr James (Jim) Madden
M 0447 181 665
jmadden@somerset.qld.gov.au

Cr Kirsten Moriarty
M 0417 356 517
kmoriarty@somerset.qld.gov.au

Cr Micheal (Otis) Ogg
M 0457 128 000
mogg@somerset.qld.gov.au

Cr Neil Zabel
M 0409 628 825
nzabel@somerset.qld.gov.au

Or click HERE>>> and it should email all of the councillors in one go (the subject field should already be filled out for you.

State Member
Also email and telephone the member for Nanango Deb Frecklington

Email nanango@parliament.qld.gov.au
Phone 07 4162 1381
Street Address Shop 2/34A Alford Street, Kingaroy   Qld   4610


Police
Then, it is recommended that you contact Lowood police to let them know you've been the victim of intimidation & threats. This individual is on record for doing this already.
 
Lowood Police Station
52 Prospect St, Lowood, 4311
Operating Hours: Mon to Fri 8am-4pm
Phone Number: (07) 5426 1108 (of of hours this number diverts to Ipswich office)

Council have previously advised that if you are approached, threatened or intimidated by any persons at this location, that you should immediately call police on 000


Take your own river access into your own hands by doing the above and you will certainly make a difference.

If more did the above, this issue would have been resolved already.

[Member]

Yeah we thought that was the case but the council wasn't open to call today so we cldnt verify. Do u know if it is ok to walk all the way along the riverbank to fish there?

The map supplied to us by the state member shows the road reserve goes straight ahead through the newly constructed fences with the intentionally misplaced gate, straight ahead down past the end of the lagoon, takes a 90 degree right hand turn then goes all the way to the end of the island to a width of approx 10m. Stay on this and you're within the law.
Correspondance from Somerset Regional Council advises that any fences or barriers across your path may be "demolished or moved aside" to allow access, but not removed from the site. We don't support this view, prefering to wait for the process to take its natural course.

If you search further on this site you will find more specific information showing maps.

[Member]

I've recently been in contact with the CEO at Somerset, Mr. Robert Bain, try contacting him as well.  This landowner has also been reported for video taping children swimming in the river.  They had the area as their own private "clothing optional" swimming hole for too long!

[Member]

Chaps 

Just coming in on the back end of this post but last time we were down Harpeng  rd which was around March, we hit up the farmer who's house was on the right hand side, he is a young guy, I think his name was Andy. We had the courtesy of asking him if we could slide the yaks over his farm gate and access the river.

I was gobsmacked to hear him tells us of some people who cut down his fence!! Hence letting his cattle roam free down to the river etc.......

He also said that if we didn't ask he would have told us to knick off due to the example above.....

I must say that he was a really nice guy and didn't give us any hassle what so ever.......is it the same guy?? or are we talking about the farmer on the left facing the river?

If we can't access the river from there I will be pissed as I won't be dragging a PA12 up heartbreak hill!!!


Bryan

[Member]

Intersting story Bryan

dint think anyone that we know of has custany fence.

However, re access just go straight ahead through the gate at the end of the road (not the left or right) and launch your PA 12 there.

[Member]

I've been notified by council that the riverbanks are actually public property and the road acces is as we, so apparently I was not breaking any laws. And I was only fishing catch and release.

[Member]

Here is the area that IS the road reserve as well for your info.

As previously advised

The road reseve goes staight ahead and once it crosses the river does a 90 degree right hand turn