One of South-East Queensland’s most visited waterfalls should be easier to get to, with a raft of works planned by Sunshine Coast Council.
Gardners Falls, near Maleny, is a favourite getaway for locals and tourists because of a 3m waterfall and large swimming hole.
It is relatively accessible, with a flat 300m walk from the car park.
A council spokesperson detailed how popular and important the site is.
“Gardners Falls is a well-loved natural attraction for locals and visitors and is an important cultural site for the Jinibara Peoples,” they said.
“It’s a great location for a quiet picnic on the grassy bank against the backdrop of native forest.”
It’s set to become even more reachable, thanks to some new initiatives that could be implemented by mid-2025.
“We are undertaking several projects that will significantly benefit the community and improve safety and accessibility into this much-loved Gardners Falls area,” the spokesperson said.
“These projects include road widening and car parking improvements along Obi Lane South (on the eastern side of the creek) as well as a low-level pedestrian bridge across Obi Obi Creek and trail upgrades to link the Maleny Community Precinct (on the western side of the creek) with Gardners Falls.
“These initiatives are part of our ongoing commitment to improving infrastructure and ensuring the safety and convenience of our community.”
About $100,000 in the council budget was announced for the Gardners Falls landscape plan implementation.
Road widening and car parking enhancements along Obi Lane South are expected to significantly improve access from the eastern side of the creek.
Obi Lane South is the formal access point to the falls but it is narrow and leads to just a basic 16-bay car park and a track to the falls.
Vehicles can be seen parked on the edges of the lane, for a kilometre or more on busy days, and many drivers have been fined for breaching no-parking zones.
Meanwhile, a pedestrian bridge across the creek and trail upgrades from the Maleny Community Precinct should provide improved access from the western side of the creek.
Some people currently walk from the community precinct, along the old Bulcock Track, before rock hopping or wading through the creek, to get to main trail to the waterfall on the eastern side of the creek.
The bridge should allow people to cross, when water levels are safe. They would arrive at the car park and the head of the main trail to the falls.
The council spokesperson said water level monitors and signs were planned as part of the crossing construction.
The planned upgrades would follow recent work by council to make Gardners Falls a safer destination, after a spate of injuries and some deaths there.
“Last year, we conducted a risk assessment and identified regulatory signage upgrades as well as educational signage to be installed to educate the community of the risks associated with accessing the falls,” the spokesperson said.
The work was recently commended as a nominee for the Local Government Mutual Services Risk Excellence Award 2024.
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The council spokesperson said the planned road, car park and bridge works could be completed by mid-2025.
“Timing of the works will depend upon the outcomes regarding environmental approvals. However, our goal is to complete the bridge and connecting trails during the current financial year,” they said.
The project is currently in the concept design phase.
“We plan to begin construction on the on road carparking project after summer and will be completed this financial year, weather permitting,” the spokesperson said.
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