Council urges respect as horses enter Longreach Town Common

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Longreach Regional Council is urging people to take extra care using the Longreach Town Common when horses are agisted there later this month.

Council is closing its Cleeve Paddock agistment and relocating currently agisted horses to the Longreach Town Common. Agistment is one of the many uses of the town common under the Town Common Management Plan, which is currently under review.

The move is causing concern though, as facilities and infrastructure on the common have been frequently vandalised in the past. In particular, Council officers are concerned about a number of fences that have been repeatedly breached by vandals seeking to create unauthorised tracks and shortcuts. Illegal dumping and abandoned vehicles also pose a concern.

Council is asking all users of the common to use the gates and grids provided, and to close them after they’ve gone through.  

Mayor Tony Rayner said it was important users of the common respect fences and infrastructure designed to contain animals.

“We really need everyone to respect the many and varied uses of the Town Common” he said. “We need walkers to coexist with bicycles, paddlers with people fishing, motorbikes with drovers and horse-riders, and so-on.

“The common is just that – for the common good.”

He said the review of the Town Common Management Plan currently underway was an important one.

“That’s why it’s important that we get a wide range of public feedback into our Town Common Management Plan. We need to capture all the different uses of the common and manage our town commons to benefit as many different people as possible.”

Those interested in the Town Common Management Plan can complete an online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/Town_Common_Plan.  Council is also inviting all community groups, residents, landholders, indigenous groups, and other stakeholders to join in and have their say at a series of community consultation sessions.

The sessions will cover stock routes, recreational and indigenous land use, emergency management, lessees, adjoining landholders, plus travelling and agisting stock.

The community consultation sessions visit Ilfracombe on 15 July, Isisford on 16 July, Longreach on 20 July, and Yaraka on 21 July.

For more information, contact Council on (07) 4658 4111.