Escarpment parks project pedals ahead with upgrade to Amos Road complete

Mountain bikers and nature lovers can now access Jubilee Park more safely and easily with an upgrade of Amos Road, a major link to Toowoomba’s escarpment, complete.

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) Environment and Community Portfolio Leader Councillor Tim McMahon said Amos Road was an important link to Jubilee Park and integral to delivering the Toowoomba Escarpment Parks Upgrade (TEPU) project.

“Amos Road provides the only access to and from the eastern side of the escarpment for vehicles and was very narrow, creating a number of safety issues, particularly during mountain bike events," Cr McMahon said. 

The $870,000 upgrade was funded by the Queensland Government, Lockyer Valley Regional Council (LVRC) and TRC through the Queensland Government’s Building our Regions with works completed by LVRC.

Assistant Minister for Local Government Nikki Boyd said the Building our Regions program continues to improve the liveability and deliver jobs for regional Queensland.

“The upgrade means safer access to Jubilee Park and has many flow-on benefits for the community, including more jobs for locals” Assistant Minister Boyd said.

“This project is only one of many our Government has helped fund for the Toowoomba Escarpment Parks Upgrade, and it’s fantastic to see it complete.”

LVRC Infrastructure Portfolio Councillor Janice Holstein said she was pleased to see the upgraded access to the carpark at the base of Jubilee Park.

“Council officers completed a range of projects at Jubilee Park, including widening of the existing road formation and upgrading the storm water drainage, while the carpark area also received improvements to accommodate vehicles, buses and vehicles with trailers,” Cr Holstein said.

“The road surface was protected with a bitumen seal and Council officers also completed line marking and the installation of safety signage.

“The safe and all-weather access to Jubilee Park will ensure the overall safety of all users of this facility."

Cr McMahon said Jubilee Park sprawls across 31 hectares of bushland and is one of Toowoomba's largest parks.

“It’s is very popular with bush walkers, runners and mountain bikers and the number of visitors to the park continues to increase,” he said. 

“Many mountain bikers complete the trail at Amos Road where they are picked up by car. It had reached capacity and needed to be upgraded to improve accessibility and increase safety for all road users. 

“There are growing demands being placed upon Jubilee Park and it is being developed to service not only the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley regions, but also provide a wider South East Queensland mountain bike trail experience, in addition to the other uses of bushwalking, trail running and horse riding.

“Our Region is growing rapidly and Jubilee Park will continue to expand as a destination for residents of the two Council regions, as well as a recreational tourism destination for visitors from further afield.”

Works to upgrade Amos Road commenced in October 2020 and were completed in March.

The Escarpment Parks Upgrade project includes improvements to Picnic Point Parklands, Redwood, Jubilee, McKnight, JE Duggan and Glen Lomond parks, and the Tabletop Bushland Reserve.

“These upgrades will help make the most of the Great Dividing Range’s spectacular scenery,” Cr McMahon said.

 “Many tourists visit our region seeking new nature and adventure opportunities, and thanks to the Queensland Government’s funding we can continue to attract new visitors.”

The total funding package for the $7.4 million Toowoomba Escarpment Parks Upgrade project includes $4.46 million from Toowoomba Regional Council, $2.71 million from the Queensland Government through its Building our Regions program, and $218,000 from Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

CAPTION: Mountain bikers and nature lovers can now access Jubilee Park more safely and easily after a $870k upgrade to the carpark and Amos Road.