A project to help Mon Repos Conservation Park visitors better appreciate marine wildlife has been boosted by $14,350 as part of a Newman Government grant program awarded today. 
The $500,000 Friends of Parks initiative offers grants of between $5000 and $25,000 to not for profit community groups as part of the Newman Government’s commitment to enhance volunteering and “voluntourism” in Queensland’s national parks.
I’m delighted to congratulate the Burnett Mary Regional Group of NRM Ltd, one of 31 organisations to be awarded funding totalling $503,350.
The Burnett Mary Regional Group of NRM is working on a ‘Locals Loving our Loggerheads’ project to help keep beaches attractive to turtles and help visitors better appreciate marine life at Mon Repos Conservation Park.
The group is developing a park guide and orientation map that will assist visitors in planning their activities while they learn fascinating things about marine life in the park.
The group will also be restoring the vegetative barrier along the nesting beach and undertaking turtle research and guided tours.
Importantly, the project will enhance park visitors’ experiences both in and out of turtle nesting season.
The grants scheme will help to increase recreational access to parks and boost tourism, delivering on a key election promise.
Many of the projects will result in improved walking and mountain biking tracks in some of Queensland’s most scenic parks, as well as better visitor experiences for tourists and park users, including support for Traditional Owners sharing their culture on guided tours.
Fourteen of the projects will provide recreation or visitor services and 18 will deliver wildlife, heritage and conservation management services.
The Newman Government is encouraging Queenslanders to learn about, care for and appreciate our natural environment and to work with us to help manage these precious assets.
95 applications were received from 80 organisations.
It’s great to see so many Queenslanders are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and help care for our amazing and diverse parks and forests.
Successful applicants applied from across Queensland, with 16 in the southeast, nine in the Great Barrier Reef region and seven across central and north Queensland.
Approved projects will begin within three months and be delivered over 12 months. For more information about the Friends of Parks initiative and opportunities to volunteer for parks, visit www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/about/employment/volunteering/friends-of-parks