The Moore to Yarraman, Esk to Toogoolawah, Lowood to Coominya and Fernvale to Lowood sections of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail have been re-opened. The remaining sections of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail are closed until further notice due to the January 2011 floods.

The section from Hardings Paddock to Flinders Peak in the Flinders Goolman Conservation Estate and the section in Mount Joyce Recreation Park of the Boonah to Ipswich Trail are currently closed due to wet weather.

Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan

On 18 December 2010 the draft plan for the Boonah to Ipswich Trail (BIT) was released for public consultation with an extended consultation period till 18 March 2011 due to the January floods. The department received feedback from written submissions, BIT Steering Committee responses and workshop attendees which provided valuable guidance for developing the final BIT Plan.

On 26 November 2011 the final Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan was released at the official opening of the Flinders Goolman Conservation Estate section of the trail.

Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan

• Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan ( 3.32 MB)
• Boonah to Ipswich Trail Plan maps ( 2.18 MB)
• Appendix 1 ( 233 KB)
• Appendix 2 ( 34 KB)
• Appendix 3 ( 284 KB)
• Appendix 4 ( 4.72 MB)

About the trail

Once completed the Boonah to Ipswich Trail will be a 74 kilometre multi-use recreation trail linking the communities of Ipswich and Boonah and connecting to the 40 kilometre network of recreation trails developed as part of the Wyaralong Dam precinct and Ipswich City Council’s Flinders Goolman Conservation Estate, including Hardings Paddock picnic area and Flinders Plum picnic areas.

Features

Major features of the trail include:

• Flinders Peak
• ridges forming the watershed between Purga Creek and the Logan River system
• Teviot Brook
• Logan River
• Bundamba and Deebing Creeks
• Wyaralong Dam.

Elevated points along the trail have views south and west to the Scenic Rim, east to the greater Brisbane area and Moreton Bay and north to the D’Aguilar Range.

Trail benefits

The trail delivers recreation, social and health benefits to its users. Families, bicycle tourists, mountain bike riders, outdoor education groups, horse riders and walkers can experience a major part of South East Queensland’s landscape. Like other regional recreation trails, the Boonah to Ipswich Trail also provides opportunities for local businesses such as bed and breakfasts, tour guides, equipment hire and camping.

The following section of the Boonah to Ipswich Trail is now open to the public:

Boonah to Lilybrook Station 20 kilometres ( 2.2 MB)

View a map of the Boonah to Lilybrook Station Trail ( 1.1 MB)

Communities benefited

The trail provides outdoor recreation opportunities for current and future populations of South East Queensland, particularly the communities of:

• Greater Ipswich and the Western Corridor
• Southern Logan City
• Boonah
• Beaudesert
• proposed urban centres of Greenbank Central, New Beith, Ripley Valley and Flagstone.

Current projections indicate these neighbouring communities will have a combined population of 640,000.

Partnering with local governments

The department is overseeing the design, construction, management and maintenance of the Boonah to Ipswich Trail in partnership with the Scenic Rim Regional Council and Ipswich and Logan City councils. A total of $2.4 million is available for development of the Boonah to Ipswich Trail, including design and construction of infrastructure such as horse yards, toilets, water tanks, fencing, gates, car parks, road crossings and signs for safety, information and direction.

The trail is part of the state government’s investment in outdoor recreation and protection of our environment in South East Queensland to manage the impacts of growth. The implementation of the trail demonstrates how the state government, through Growth Management Queensland, is protecting more land for public recreation and is delivering sustainable outcomes for Queenslanders.