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Binna Burra Lodge reopens to guests seven years after bushfire destroyed it

41h

Summary

  • Binna Burra Lodge, a heritage-listed lodge in Queensland's Gold Coast hinterland founded by conservationists in the 1930s, has reopened to overnight guests.
  • A September 2019 bushfire burnt through 6,000 hectares of Lamington National Park, destroying the lodge and 11 homes.
  • The rebuild took seven years and was delayed by setbacks including the pandemic and a cyclone.
  • The new lodge was built with concrete structures wrapped in timber facades to better withstand future fires.
  • An internal Queensland Fire and Emergency Services report found the blaze more likely began at a nearby shooting range, not a discarded cigarette.

Reactions

  • Chairman Steve Noakes said welcoming guests back was 'a long time coming' and that recovery from disaster is not a short-term process.
  • Noakes said the new concrete-and-timber design means the basic infrastructure would remain for repair if fire struck again.
  • Bushfire-mitigation expert Eldon Bottcher said building design is only one piece of the puzzle, alongside managed vegetation and a dedicated water supply for firefighters.
  • Noakes said a news report was his first confirmation the lodge had been destroyed.

Timeline newest first

  1. Binna Burra Lodge reopened to overnight guests after a seven-year rebuild, reported on 2026-11-13.
  2. An internal Queensland Fire and Emergency Services report found the 2019 blaze was more likely started at a shooting range in bushland than by a discarded cigarette, as police initially reported.
  3. The internal report contained evidence that firefighters left one containment point during the fire, logging it as 'under control' when it was not.
  4. Steve Noakes was evacuated three days before the 8 September 2019 blaze destroyed Binna Burra Lodge and 11 homes.

Sources newest first

  • Historic lodge destroyed in blaze reopens after seven-year rebuildabc.net.au· 41h

    An ABC Gold Coast article reports that Binna Burra Lodge, the heritage-listed Gold Coast hinterland lodge founded by conservationists in the 1930s, has reopened to overnight guests seven years after the September 2019 bushfire that razed it and 11 homes in Lamington National Park. Chairman Steve Noakes says the rebuild was designed with concrete structures wrapped in timber to better withstand future fires, while an internal Queensland Fire and Emergency Services report found the blaze more likely began at a nearby shooting range.