Mount Kilcoy Creek Camp in Mount Kilcoy | Camp site

Mount Kilcoy Creek Camp

Locality: Mount Kilcoy

Address: Mount Kilcoy Road 4515 Mount Kilcoy, QLD, Australia

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25.01.2022 One step closer to allow a few families who cannot afford a self-contained caravan the opportunity to enjoy a weekend around a campfire at the Lowndes Zoo... Now to work on the process of changing local laws with support from QLD EPA... #fightthegoodfight

25.01.2022 Hi guys... I’ve been working hard documenting many intricate Overlays and Code Assessments (Rural; Tourist Park and relocatable home park; Services, works and Infrastructure code; Transport, access and parking; Agricultural Land; Biodiversity; Koala Conservation; Bushfire; Catchment Management; Flood Hazard; Landslide Hazard; Scenic Amenity) that apply to our property. Also, Local Law Application, State Laws, COVID requirements/declarations, Somerset Regional Planning Sch...eme, Amendment requests, Approval Application, Impact Assessments, Complaints, Exemption Certificates, Property Rules, Detailed Maps, the Tourist Park Accepted Development option, Eco-tourism for Kilcoy, lack of options for self-sufficient campers, documenting the non-compliance of the council owned RV Site/Showgrounds and the Fire Safety Act. Be assured my silence is because I’m working hard on council requirements and putting an application to council to invite campers back to the Lowndes Zoo. My aim is to pave a easier way for our struggling farmers to legally allow campers on their land, earn a bit of coin with limited council fees. This process has been extremely overwhelming for farmers in the past. Time for change. Not to mention the much needed income for our Kilcoy businesses. And I’m willing to offer my services to farmers/land owners to make this happen. I’ll get back to it and keep you posted. Cheers, Nat.

24.01.2022 Awesome afternoon exploring fresh tracks up the backyard with boss in the RZR and Chilli on Mr Pickles. So proud of this beautiful little chick. This is our ...Lookout. One day we will build a cabin up here. Sensational afternoon. We sure live in paradise. 17 years and we are still in awe. #giddyup See more

22.01.2022 It’s not a five-star caravan park with all the bells and whistles, it’s a Bush Camp under a MILLION stars... It’s a great opportunity for city folk to experienc...e country life. So many kids live in high-rise buildings and have never seen a camp fire, a fresh running creek, a sunrise over the mountain and some haven’t seen stars! Camping on a farm gives them a great opportunity to experience nature and country life at its best. These towns and destinations are seeing the value in the self sufficient camping tourist market and are responding to that, and in turn the small towns are making thousands of dollars in revenue from travelers and families who are prepared to spend. Campers invest money directly into the economy by supporting small businesses and local jobs. This is why this type of Bush Camp is so important, it’s not about just providing diversity for my fellow avid campers, it’s about the entire economic benefit to our Somerset Region in these challenging times. My mission is to get Somerset Regional Council to accept Bush Camping as a stand alone entity with self-sufficient campers, and make it affordable for the average farmer to generate some much needed funds with limited council fees. PROPOSAL SENT TO COUNCIL TODAY. Now we wait.

20.01.2022 PLEASE SHARE... I was Misrepresented by the Somerset Council Director of Planning in the long awaited Councillors Meeting on Wednesday 24th February, to decide ...the outcome of our Bush Camp. Our Proposal is for 2 sites, not 10 as stated by the Director in the public meeting and live streamed. A copy of my proposal was not included in the public Agenda, nor was the property rules, exemptions etc. How can Councillors/public make a informative decision without all the information? As stated by council, it’s gained a great deal of publicity, so why not allow community involvement/feedback with all the information publicly? Give farmers a fair go. They pay their rates and put food on our tables. Give them the opportunity to earn a little bit of money by opening up their beautiful properties to a few environmentally friendly Self-Sufficient Campers. Design a template of property rules and a code that’s relevant. Make it affordable with minimal fees. Sure there’s codes, overlays and laws they need to conform to, but it’s the old out-dated legislation and unrelated use codes that is making this process so difficult. Farmers work their farm during the week, and weekends are an opportunity to accommodate campers if they need a little extra income for bills and help our small town with tourists. This little bit of income can be the reason our Australian Land stays in Australian Hands. Be Australian. Be human. Limit the red tape and show farmers and landowners, council support their rate payers! $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ $$$ Council has requested I apply for a MCU (Material Change of Use). A Code Assessment has been triggered as our site down the creek is within a High Catchment and Potential Flood Zone. Also, we’re zoned Agricultural. These overlays are common for most properties with creeks, and therefore council say they require a DA for allowing a few campers to camp on their property. We are not talking about 100 caravans crammed into a Tourist Park, in our case, we are talking about only a few vans, maximum of 15 people on 65 acres! Flood Zone A Code Assessment has been triggered by a Potential Flood overlay down at the creek. Not Extreme/High or a Significant area, but Potential. I understand that no-one would not want to build Tourist Park within in a flood zone. This makes absolute sense. The last thing you want to see is your jumping pillow floating away down the creek in floodwaters; your park office and printer floating out the office window and downstream; your toilets and showers underwater polluting our waterway and drinking water or your electricity supply submerged, potentially killing your guests, or furry pets. Makes complete sense! Our place, well, it’s a paddock. We do not have buildings, structures, electricity supply, sewerage, water supply or storage of any form or dangerous goods that could potentially release hazardous materials into floodwaters. All guests are not only self-sufficient, but also strictly self-contained near the creek. Technology is wonderful, and predicts weather days, even weeks in advance. All bookings are cancelled if there is heavy rain predicted. The BOM (Bureau Of Meteorology) app is checked regularly. If there is 15ml or more of rain predicted, bookings are cancelled. We don’t want you getting bogged in the paddock and need to get the trusty tractor out! Our last flood that effected all of Brisbane, was 9 years ago. In the event of an emergency, the assembly points are situated at all the entry gates. These assembly points are not affected by flood level. Assembly points are specified in the property rules, together with an evacuation map and a manager is on-site at all times. As an extra precaution, I am a member of the online Somerset EWN early warning network, and alerting system for extreme weather. High Catchment Zone A Code Assessment has been triggered as the site down the creek is within a High Catchment Zone. This code is to ensure the development does not adversely impact the quality of water in our creek. Within this area, it requires developments to have a 100m buffer zone from the high bank of a watercourse. If building a Tourist Park in as High Catchment Zone, you have many red flags. Firstly, you have buildings and sewerage. Sewerage and toilets being the biggest concern. Vegetation clearing and erosion from building the individual small sites and supplying electricity, drainage and water. We don’t have any of this. All around Australia there are many places you can camp right along side a creek. It’s common sense not to park too close to a high bank. You wouldn’t want to step outside you van, roll and ankle, and tumble down the hill into the creek! Property rules include:- 25m back from highest embankment (to be reviewed); no vehicle access to the creek; no soap/detergent/shampoo or washing products are to be used within the creek; 3 access entries to creek are (signed) to minimize erosion; cancellation of booking on arrival if guests are not self-sufficient and self-contained. Local Law Unless we have toilets, council will not give us approval. SS SC campers all have their own amenities and potable water. And during these COVID times, last thing farmers have time for is cleaning toilets 3 times a day, as per Covid rules. We don’t want or need toilets. Full stop. Councillors/Council can alter that local law at their discretion. We are not a Tourist Park, hence why council require an MCU and a code assessment at great expense to the landowner/farmer. A bare paddock can never be compared to a Tourist Park, that’s why there is so many exemptions requested. Council agree they need to catch up with the times and technology. It is unfair you require us rate payers to pay extra fees because your codes/overlays/laws and legislation are out-dated. We want a use code that relates to Self-Sufficient/Self-Contained Camping or a TLPI (Temporary Local Planning Instrument). A temporary change to the Planning Scheme until such time an Amendment is designed. We are not a Tourist Park. Nat Lowndes. Have your say.... Mayor Graheme Lehmann, 0419799770 Somerset Regional Council PO Box 117 ESK QLD 4312 [email protected] Audio: https://fb.watch/3WQcCpaDop/ Agenda: https://www.somerset.qld.gov.au//2021-02-24-agenda-ordinar Minutes: https://www.somerset.qld.gov.au//2021-02-24-ordinary-minut

19.01.2022 Visit Kilcoy! Bush Camping, Beef, Beer and Breakie at the BlackRack! What a great slogan! Ebony put together Bacon & Egg Sandwiches takeaway for the 5 teenagers still in bed... What an awesome town we live in!!!

16.01.2022 If you love 4x4 or off-road motorbike riding, here’s a mud map you can explore just down the road from Mount Kilcoy Creek Camp. You can go all the way through the forestry to Kennilworth or Imbil for a pub lunch or famous Kennilworth foot-long donut! Kids and I have made so many memories doing this for many years!!! (All vehicles/bikes must be registered). Jimna State Forest/Imbil State Forest/ Conondale Ranges/Bellthorpe Ranges

15.01.2022 Bush Camp Update... I must say, I’ve enjoyed learning so much about town planning and the many many laws! Very very time consuming, so I might have to thank my... mate Karen!!!! Bush Camping is not new to most of us, but it’s new for the Somerset Council. It’s a grey area, so hopefully when I’m finished, a new amendment will be in place to make it easier for farmers to legally have campers and gain some much needed income in these tough times... As it stands right now, I would have to fork out over $14,000 in fees etc just to APPLY for a Development Approval to become a Tourist Park with under 10 Bush Campsites!!!! No one has applied for this before in this region as most can not afford that, and at $12 a head/night, is it even worth it? Not sure about you, but if I arrived at a Tourist Park I’d want to see a jumping pillow, bbq, bike racks, potable water, power, swimming pool, (oh yeah, got the communal pool - all welcome) 4 wheel buggy’s, bins, sealed roads, and at least a hot shower and toilet!!!! Bush Camping doesn’t fit into their current schemes, and therefore it has been impossible for anyone to legally pass through council. It takes one complaint, and council has to respond. Council are only doing their job. Our community needs them. If I am limited in the future as to who camps here, so be it. My main objective is to help out the real farmers, our town and my fellow avid campers. There’s a lot to gain mentally from family time under the bright stars around a campfire during these difficult times... Proposal nearly complete. Town Planning department need to sign off, then Environmental Dept with local laws, and finally Councillors will vote at the next Councillors meeting. It sure is a tedious process!!!!! I’ll get back to it...

14.01.2022 Hi guys... Sorry, but I’m still unable to book any campers in atm. Still negotiating hard with Somerset Council... Will keep you posted... In the meantime, t...ry:- Yandilla Camping & Farmstay 0754981220 in Mt Kilcoy; Sandy Creek Campin’ 0754981032 at Sandy Creek; Bellbrooke Farm 0427810026 at Caboonah; Running Parklands 0405930702 at Stanmore; Webb’s Break Rainforest Campground at Mt Archer - [email protected]. Cheers, Nat. Ps. I’m more frustrated than a chameleon in a bag of skittles...

13.01.2022 Somerset Councillors Meeting, Wednesday 24th Feb The recommendation from our COUNCIL is to NOT support the our request for an exemption. Will our Councilors look at the depth of the Application, see its actual worth and reject the recommendation? They can, they do not have to follow the Council line......... FARMERS CANNOT AFFORD YOUR COUNCIL FEES!!!! WE ARE NOT A COMMERCIAL TOURIST PARK!!!!... Well, as an RV Friendly Region with a free 20hr location in Kilcoy alongside the Kilcoy Creek, where Self-Contained vehicles are allowed, yet not monitored in any way for grey water runoff, my application has the support of QLD Environment Dept etc. Included is a full DA enclosing a complete and detailed performance outcome notification and explanation. No cost to Council. One of our local million dollar Agri properties in Somerset is up for sale and lists Bush Camping as an ASSET with an income threshold. Yes, we do have other Bush Camping in our Region without approval, and they all do a fantastic job injecting income into our communities. This application is not about self interest, it is about supporting the rural community to gain exposure and support for Bush Camping whereby all guest are vetted, monitored and insured, unlike the 20hr stopovers that can go on for days and even months. This 20hr stopover is located in a High Catchment, High Flood Zone and High Bushfire Zone. Different rules for others, same council...? We need our RV, Caravan, domestic tourists to enjoy their experience in our District and across our region. The cost to the community from this is insignificant, the benefits are substantial. Every Q and A from Council and councillors has been appropriately and firmly addressed with evidentiary purpose. A copy of our proposal is available upon request... PM me your email. 45 pages + additional rules/maps/plans etc. Community Involvement very welcome. Here’s the Councillor Meeting Agenda for Wednesday 24th Feb and advice from Councils Dept of Planning... The council meeting will be streamed live at 9am on the day via their website.

12.01.2022 Property Rules and Information for MKCC. A clear emailed doc. version with all links will be sent upon acceptance and prior to your booking dates.

12.01.2022 No toilets = No campers, says Somerset Council. There’s always winners and losers in these circumstances , states Somerset Council. Nats response... The lo...sers here would be our struggling farmers, small businesses fighting to stay open in Kilcoy and families wanting to bush camp on private property in our Somerset Shire. Nothing changes for us here at the Lowndes Zoo. Our family and friends will continue to do what we have always done. We just want to share our 412 acre farm with a limited amount of self-sufficient campers and help our little community get back on their feet with a small influx of tourists spending money in our town. This isn’t about financial gain for us, the cost to camp doesn’t even cover diesel in the tractor to mulch the campsites, it’s about eco-tourism, farmers ability to gain some financial help in our shire with campers on their private land during tough times, diversification for campers, mental health and keeping up with current challenges in the world. Self sufficient campers have their own amenities. Considering that, we wouldn’t lose at all, no matter what the outcome is. My only loss is personal. The 5 months so far of my time fighting the good fight with red tape. And I’m going to continue until we reach an outcome that is favourable for all involved. Cheers, Nat. Councillors meeting 9th December.

11.01.2022 A bit of venison hanging out at Shady Camp. They’re liking the freshly mulched grass... Thanks for the video Ashley!

09.01.2022 It was great to see family and friends enjoying a family weekend catch-up here at the Lownds Zoo! Great pics guys! Another council meeting tomorrow. Lookin...g forward to discussing our submitted Bush Camping proposal, allowing us and other farmers to offer families a special camping experience. See more

08.01.2022 UPDATE!!! Awesome news my fellow avid campers!!! After a very positive and constructive meeting with Somerset Council today we are back up and running to invite... self-sufficient campers to our Mount Kilcoy Creek Camp - Lowndes Zoo!!! Extremely grateful for everyone’s support. I will update the HipCamp website as soon as I get a chance! It will be a slightly different look to fall within the Council Planning Scheme. See you soon at the Lowndes Zoo! A very special thankyou to Bronwyn Davies from Kilcoy Commerce for sharing her knowledge and expertise. Bronwyn helped me navigate a great outcome for our farmers, camping community and our awesome little Kilcoy Community. #nevergiveup

07.01.2022 Mount Kilcoy Sunrise...

06.01.2022 Self-Sufficient Bush Camping isn’t new to most of us, but it’s new to our council and does not fit into a check-box template they have. It’s a grey area, and... they are only reactive when they receive a complaint. HipCamp and Air B&B technology platforms are also new to them. For us, it’s all about council changing/altering their local laws to accommodate self-sufficient camping. (Eg. No amenities/facilities or potable water onsite, allowing certain areas to have a bush shower and disperse greywater). Making changes to local laws and templates are tedious and don’t happen overnight. Councillors vote and decide the outcome. Consideration needs to be taken for existing small scale accommodation restricted by council requirements in the past. Council know this is the future. The public want it. Farmers/landowners want to provide it. They know it’s great for our shire, eco-tourism, mental health and diversity for fellow avid campers. We offer an experience, not a crowed caravan park or campground. Spacious surrounds with very limited campers. Somerset Council put a workshop together last week to investigate my detailed proposal/exemption requests on bush camping and researched various other councils. I believe I’m the first to get this far for changes to be made in our shire, and I’m thankful for the hard work by all involved. Hopefully we get an outcome that is fair for all involved, or I’ll think seriously about taking steps to get more involved in our council and media. This isn’t about a financial gain for me, but it is important to a lot of farmers doing it tough. It can be the reason our farms stay in Australian hands and they can afford their repayments. That’s what I’m all about.

06.01.2022 Mount Kilcoy Shiraz from Mount Kilcoy Millawa Ranch on Mount Kilcoy!!!!! Life’s bloody great!!! Thanks Hugh!!! https://millawaranch.com.au/

04.01.2022 Our town in struggling. We need tourism or our businesses will close. We need a strong leader. We need someone who will listen to the community, encouraging community input, stand strong and represent Kilcoy at Council. Now that, would be a fresh new approach. ... Nat Lowndes.

02.01.2022 Neat van! This was filmed here at Mount Kilcoy Creek Camp.

02.01.2022 The calm after the storm...