More than 20 fines have been handed out to 18 people over an unauthorised hut and other illegal activity at Curtis Island National Park.
Targeted patrols conducted in the national park in August 2024 led to the discovery of the hut.
Rangers from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) have now identified the people who built the hut in a remote area of the park.
The group’s illegal activities included:
- Illegal fires in a protected area putting rangers, neighbours and other park users at risk
- Bringing domestic dogs into a protected area impacting the environment and native wildlife
- Hunting, including the use of firearms and other weapons putting rangers, neighbours and other park users at risk.
- Multiple driving offences including driving in restricted access areas, use of unregistered vehicles and traveling with unrestrained people.
- Illegal clearing and harvest of trees to construct the hut.
Regional Director Great Barrier Reef and Marine Parks Region Tina Alderson said it is illegal to build any structure in a protected area and rangers will have the hut removed.
“Building an illegal structure in a protected area essentially excludes others from the area and causes damage to the environment. This hut was also used as a base for other illegal activities,” Ms Alderson said.
“People who want to build a hut for their own personal use for activities such as fishing, hunting and vehicle-based activities can do so on private land but not in a national park.
“So far we have issued 22 penalty infringement notices totalling $7606, which includes two people receiving fines of more than $1000 each for their role in the offending.”
