Serpentine National Park - Department of Environment and ...

23. RECREATION AREAS AND
EXISTING USE
The objectives are to:
1. Provide a range of high quality and maintained
recreation sites.
2. Ensure that all recreation sites are capable of
sustaining expected levels of use.
3. Design sites to minimise safety hazards.
4. Manage sites to protect the natural environment
and maintain each site's attractiveness to visitors.
The proximity of the Park close to Perth, its wide
variety of attractions and facilities, makes it a very
popular day trip venue for people of all ages. The
increase in the numbers of people who are likely to
seek recreation opportunities in the Park has the
potential to degrade those values that attract them in
the first place. For this reason, recreation use of the
Park will be managed according to the zoning plan
(see Zoning) that aims to protect the Park's
conservation values by allocating recreation facilities
and activities to those areas capable of sustaining
use.
The needs of visitors should be periodically reviewed
in order to determine how the opportunities provided
in the Park meet these needs. Monitoring provides a
useful tool to ensure the continued enjoyment of
visitors.
The Park's two established barbecue and picnic sites,
at Serpentine Falls and Gooralong, will remain focal
points from where people have the opportunity to
walk along tracks to other Park features. Rather than
develop new recreation sites in the Park, the two
existing sites will be consolidated and redesigned.
Camping is allowed at Gooralong (but not at
Serpentine Falls, the Pipehead Dam or the Serpentine
Dam sites). A commercial caravan park is situated
just outside the Park on the corner of the South West
Highway and Falls Road, and CALM provides for
camping at Langford Park on State forest 3 km to the
north east of the Park. No camping or caravan
grounds are provided at Jarrahdale. Numerous
institutional and commercial accommodation
facilities adjoin the Park.
Other recreation sites adjoining the Park include:
• the "Jarrahdale Scenic Drive" with associated
pull-overs at view points;
• Serpentine Pipehead Dam and Serpentine Dam;
• the historical towns of Jarrahdale and Serpentine;
• Langford Park on State forest, 3 km to the north
east; and
• Jarrahdale Eco-experience site, 4 km east of
Jarrahdale.
Campfires outside designated fire-places are not
encouraged in the Park because of the risk of wildfire
and also damage to native vegetation during
firewood gathering.
33
STRATEGIES
Management for Recreation
1. Separate incompatible uses where possible
(see Zoning). (H)
2. Use the following criteria to assess requests
for use of the Park for new recreational
pursuits:
• Appropriateness in a national park.
• Appropriateness in the Regional
context.
• Compatibility with existing uses.
• Likely environmental impact.
• Availability of alternative
opportunities.
• Management and enforcement
capability. (H)
3. Maintain recreation sites in a safe, clean and
tidy condition. (H)
4. Monitor vehicle numbers and patterns of
use at the Falls and Gooralong. Conduct
periodic site surveys and interviews to
determine visitor patterns, preferences and
satisfaction with Park management. These
findings will be considered for modifying
management practices and assessing
requests for alternative uses. (H)
5. Promote and initiate the strategy "Take
your rubbish home" to visitors. (H)
6. Manage sites to minimise the incidence and
effects of vandalism. (M)
7. Encourage Park visitors to provide their
own gas barbecue cooking facilities. (L)
8. Liaise with individuals and organisations
that provide complementary recreation and
accommodation facilities on nearby or
adjacent lands. Ensure that their activities
do not adversely impact on the Park, and
that they are aware of the potential of their
activities on the Park's values. (H)