Conservation groups’ concerns around proposed sites for cabins and campsites in the Cooloola Great Walk project have caught the Environment Minister’s attention.

Campsites at Poona Lake and on the Noosa River are a peak focus of the groups after the Minister’s department raised ecological concerns in March 2021.

The groups have pushed Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon to request immediate, “detailed advice” from her department.

Dr Noreen Breakey told Sofie Formica it’s important to get the balance right when considering ecotourism.

“It doesn’t all have to happen, obviously, in our national parks, even with our state forests, there’s private land that’s also under management with the government and then you’ve got private land that’s completely separate,” she said.

“One of the aspects we definitely need to take into account is how people have used the park and what’s important to them about that particular area.

“Therefore, we make sure that we’re still reinforcing and supporting people’s appropriate use of these beautiful places and that any new activity doesn’t block those types of things.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview 

Image: Getty