What’s happening on the Town Common?

Iconic image of the Town Common. Photo Daniel Zeh.

On our recent walk on the Town Common Marty McLaughlin, Operations Manager with the Dept of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing, spoke to us about works being done on the Common – see separate write-up on this blog. Marty has since provided us with a map showing current works and further information from the relevant planning document. Please have a look at text and map (click to enlarge)- and if you have any questions or comments you can send them either direct to Marty McLaughlin or send to Liz and they will be passed on.

Because some of the track names are hard to read, even when map is enlarged, I have interpreted them below:

Pale yellow: Shelly Beach walk, Purple: Seaview trail, Grey: Many Peaks trail, Orange: Many Peaks shared trail, Light blue: Freshwater shared link trail, Pale green: Wetland walk, Beige (bottom right): Forest walk, Pink: Forts and Graves circuit (at Cape Pallarenda)

Map including current works on the Town Common – courtesy of Dept. of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. Click to enlarge.


Lying so close to the city, the Common is a great urban and wildlife resource. Photo Jo Brasher.

Specific principles for management of recreation at Pallarenda (including the Town Common):

  • Develop and manage the Townsville Town Common and Cape Pallarenda conservation Parks as one place
  • Provide better public access to the opportunities within the conservation parks throughout the 12 months of the year
  • Prioritise local participation in activities in the conservation parks with tourism a secondary benefit
  • Connect Cape Pallarenda to the proposed Rowes Bay Sustainability Centre (which in turn will be connected to Kissing Point and the Strand)
  • Capitalise on the natural and cultural heritage values and landscape vistas

Part of the Many Peaks trail. Photo Jo Brasher.

Work planned between now and the end of the calendar year include:

  • Establish 9.5 km of single purpose cross country mountain bike trail
  • Upgrade 6.6 of management road to establish formal shared trails for mountain bikes and walkers (includes the Many Peaks Trail loop)
  • Clearly define the Shelly Beach Track as a shared trail for mountain bikes and walkers
  • Upgrade access to the Observation Tower and Melaleuca Viewing Area
  • Re-establish the Aboriginal Plant Trail as the Wetland Walk
  • Install signs to ensure trailheads and nodes are clearly identified and directional information is clear and simple.

Thanks to Jo Brasher and Daniel Zeh for photographs taken on our July 22 field trip.

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