O'Reilly's Campground case study

O’Reilly’s Campground, Lamington National Park

Tier classification	Medium Tier
Project Category	State-led EOI
EPBC referral	Yes – referred but assessed as not a controlled action

Classification reason

While the O’Reilly’s Campground project required developing new facilities and infrastructure, all activity and the subsequent impacts was confined to a site that was previously disturbed. The site was previously a public campground managed by the Queensland Government, and access roads and walking tracks to the site were already established. Changes to the infrastructure and management of the campground generated significant community interest in the project.

About O’Reilly’s Campground

O’Reilly’s Campground is in Lamington National Park which is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. It features 17 powered safari-style tents, 24 tent sites, 15 campervan/camper trailer sites, a communal camp kitchen and fire pit, amenities block and a multi-purpose meeting room. All communal facilities are accessible for people with disability as are two of the safari-style tents, ensuring a wide cross-section of the community can enjoy a camping experience.

The Queensland Government released the (former) Green Mountains campground ecotourism opportunity to market through an Expression of Interest (EOI), with O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat being the successful proponent.

The campground, under the newly established O’Reilly’s management, experienced a major refresh in 2020, enhancing the visitor experience and the sustainable tourism offering in Lamington National Park. The project supported Queensland's broader goals of promoting ecotourism while preserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of the region.

The O’Reilly’s Campground project was designed and developed in accordance with the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) criteria, notably:

NCA Criteria (i): The use will be in the public interest

Proponents must prove the long-term viability of the facility, demonstrate financial capacity to meet all obligations, and showcase a successful history in delivering tourism infrastructure projects

O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat is a family business with a long history of delivering successful ecotourism experiences in Lamington National Park.

The campground, managed by O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, is directly adjacent to the retreat, supporting business continuity, ensuring that its maintenance and management is treated with the same high level of service, and supporting the long-term viability of the facility.

NCA Criteria (ii): The use is ecologically sustainable

The ecotourism operation minimises its footprint on the site

The architecturally designed campground was planned in such a way that it utilised the previously disturbed footprint to minimise the impacts on site. This includes the design and placement of permanent infrastructure within the disturbed area footprint and repurposing the original national park amenities block as a new meeting room. Footpaths also direct campers to communal facilities to minimise the use of informal tracks.

The campground and its facilities are designed with zero-waste management principles in mind. The bathrooms are linked to O’Reilly’s Membrane based Sewage Treatment Plant that produces A+ Class water that is then piped back and reused back through the bathroom toilets at the Retreat, The Mt Villas, the Cafe and the Campground.

NCA Criteria (iii): The use will provide, to the greatest possible extent, for the preservation of the land’s natural condition and the protection of the land’s cultural resources and values

The ecotourism operation is compatible with the natural and cultural values of the national park

From its inception, O’Reilly’s Campground was established to be compatible with the natural and cultural values of the surrounding World Heritage Area.

As part of the O’Reilly’s campground application process, the application needed to demonstrate compliance with the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003, ensuring effective recognition, protection and conservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage. Other relevant legislation included:

• Cultural Heritage Acts (Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Heritage Act 2003)
• Cultural Heritage Duty of Care Guidelines
• Human Rights Act 2019.

The campground is located on a previously disturbed site, on what was a Queensland Government managed national park camping area, so any clearing and environmental disturbance was contained to pre-disturbed areas. Additionally, due to the preexisting campground and adjacent O’Reilly’s Retreat, access to the site had already been established and did not require new access roads.

The structures featured in the campground, including the safari tents, toilet amenities and the communal kitchen area were designed and built to be elevated to minimise the impacts and ground disturbance.