Category: Range Road Information

PDCA email to Minister re Range Road Permits

Having received no response from the Director General and no meaningful response to our questions in the last Range Road Update, the PDCA has now written to the Minister asking for a response to our original questions and some additional ones that arose from information provided in the last update.

Wed 21/05/2025 9:17 PM

The Honourable Brent Mickelberg MP,
Minister for Transport and Main Roads

Dear Minister,

On Monday morning I wrote, on behalf of the Paluma and District Community Association, to the Director General of TMR  asking for clarification on a number of matters relating to the opening of the  Mt Spec Range Road (see attached). We asked that TMR provide answers to the Community through its regular update on several important questions regarding the opening of the road and the implementation of a restricted permit system to allow interim access to selected residents.  We are very disappointed that there has been no departmental response to our email and that the latest Range Road Update has failed to substantially address any of our questions, while at the same time providing new information which only serves to raise more concerns and questions.

Our initial questions as per the email of May 19 were:

  1. Will TMR share with the community the engineering reports and risk assessments that are being relied upon to deny public access?
  2. What are the specific criteria and the underlying logic for each criterion which will be applied when determining who will get a permit?
  3. Is it TMR’s intent to provide permits to high-frequency users of Paluma – including weekenders who are not property owners?
  4.  Is it TMR’s intent to regulate the number or identity of passengers in vehicles driven by permit-holders?
  5. How long will it take to issue permits?
  6. Will TMR undertake to implement the system by a specific date and to process all permit applications within a specific time?
  7. When does TMR anticipate allowing unrestricted use of the Mt Spec Road, and what are the criteria that will be applied to that decision?

The update repeatedly provided assurance that information on who would be provided a permit and how the permit system would be overseen would be provided “soon”.  This vague timeline does not provide any comfort to the residents of Paluma and district, who have been without all-weather and all-vehicle access to and from Townsville and Ingham for nearly 4 months. We believe TMR should permit access to the range road during daylight hours through to at least 7pm to all property owners and residents in the district.    

 TMR has now indicated that there will be daily vehicle limits, but does not indicate what that limit will be, how the limit will be calculated, and how vehicle limits serve to increase public safety (as opposed to reducing administrative costs).

TMR has only committed to giving “priority” to permanent and part-time residents for permits, implying that it may deny some residents permits if this would result in the daily limit being exceeded. We ask that TMR clearly define “residents” and confirm that all home owners as well as those renting homes as their primary domicile be given equal access to permits.

The Community is also very concerned that no information has been provided as to when and under what circumstances the range road will be opened to the public. Public access is absolutely essential for the viability of several businesses in the District who are already severely stressed by the closures to date.

We ask, as a matter of urgency, that your department:

  • fully answer all the questions above
  • provide additional clarity on how the permit system and vehicle limit will be administered
  • provide copies of the internal TMR Policy and Operational Standard which it states governs the permit system
  • commit to allowing permit access to the range road during the early evening to cater for shift workers and weekenders who travel to Paluma after work on Fridays

Yours sincerely,

 Jamie Oliver
President, Paluma and District Community Association

Cc:  The Honourable Bob Katter MP, The Honourable Nick Dametto MP, Cr. Paul Jacobs, Acting-Mayor Cr. Anne-Maree Greaney.

Att: email to TMR Director General, May 19, 2025

PDCA Letter to TMR re Range Road permits

Attached is the text of an email from the PDCA to the Director General of Qld Transport and Main Roads regarding the lack of clarity on the proposed permit system and the plan for full opening of the range road.

From: Jamie Oliver <j.k.oliver@outlook.com>

Sent: Monday, May 19, 2025 7:17 AM

To: director-general@tmr.qld.gov.au <director-general@tmr.qld.gov.au>

Cc: ann-maree.greaney@townsville.qld.gov.au <ann-maree.greaney@townsville.qld.gov.au>; paul.jacob@townsville.qld.gov.au <paul.jacob@townsville.qld.gov.au>; engagement.northern@tmr.qld.gov.au <engagement.northern@tmr.qld.gov.au>; Bob.Katter.MP@aph.gov.au <Bob.Katter.MP@aph.gov.au>; Nick Dametto <hinchinbrook@parliament.qld.gov.au>

Subject: Permit System for Mt Spec Range Road

Dear Ms Stannard

The Paluma and District Community Association supports and represents the residents of Paluma Village and surrounding districts including Black Friars and Hidden Valley.  

The community acknowledges TMR’s efforts to keep residents of the District informed about progress to reopen the Mt Spec Range Road since the closure in early-February.

After more than three months we were disappointed to be informed that a full road opening is not presently contemplated (nor apparently scheduled). The current alternate routes have provided infrequent access to some members of the community but are not acceptable means of access in the medium- or long-term because they are rendered impassable by adverse weather, are not suitable for all vehicle types and are unusable by persons with health issues that make them sensitive to the rough surfaces.

The advice that there will be a limited opening of the road under a permit arrangement did assist the community to continue the significant patience that it has exhibited to date. However, TMR’s approach to the implementation of the permit system – as outlined in TMR’s update 22 of 16 May 2025 – has caused great concern. 

The failure by TMR to detail the criteria that will be applied when determining whether a permit is to be issued is unacceptable.  That failure leads the community to the view that TMR is either unsure what criteria will be applied or is unprepared to provide the detail necessary to openly discuss the merit of any decision.   Given TMR’s corporate experience, it would be very surprising if TMR does not already know what criteria it will apply.  In that regard we note references in prior TMR updates to the decision being made in compliance with established policies and processes. We observe that our review of TMR’s website does not disclose a relevant policy.  To assuage community concern, we also ask that TMR detail the logic that underpins its adopted criteria.

Further, TMR’s advice to date about the permit system leads to views that:

  • permits will not be equally provided to “full-time” and “occasional” residents.
  • permits will not be issued to non-residents, even if those people are high-frequency visitors to the district.

The advice states that travel will only be permitted between 6 am and 6 pm.   A Friday night closure of the road prior to 7pm, effectively prevents weekenders from utilising their properties until Saturday, reducing their weekend visits to one-night only.  That this  impact is unacceptable was made very clear to TMR during TMR’s road works campaign some years ago and TMR has adequately accommodated the community’s concern until now.  It is disappointing that lesson has been ignored (we assume in the interest of managing budgets and 12-hour shifts).

We ask that TMR provide the following information to the community in its next Update scheduled for Tuesday May 20 – the urgency arising from our desire to not further delay the opening of the road:

  1. Will TMR share with the community the engineering reports and risk assessments that are being relied upon to deny public access?
  2. What are the specific criteria and the underlying logic for each criterion which will be applied when determining who will get a permit?
  3. Is it TMR’s intent to provide permits to high-frequency users of Paluma – including weekenders who are not property owners?
  4.  Is it TMR’s intent to regulate the number or identity of passengers in vehicles driven by permit-holders?
  5. How long will it take to issue permits?
  6. Will TMR undertake to implement the system by a specific date and to process all permit applications within a specific time?
  7. When does TMR anticipate allowing unrestricted use of the Mt Spec Road, and what are the criteria that will be applied to that decision?

Yours sincerely

Jamie Oliver
President Paluma and District Community Association

Cc:  The Honourable Bob Katter MP, The Honourable Nick Dametto MP, Acting-Mayor Cr. Anne-Maree Greaney, Cr. Paul Jacobs.