Draft Proposals Paper - Full - Victorian Environmental Assessment ...

3 Public land use
recommendations
A
National parks
Victoria’s national and state parks are the cornerstone
of the state’s protected reserve system. Parks currently
comprise approximately 62,100 hectares or about 23
percent of public land in the Investigation area. These
areas are set aside to protect natural values whilst
providing a range of visitor experiences. These activities
include education, recreation and inspiration as well as the
sense of rejuvenation experienced in natural environments.
For many years, national parks in the Investigation area
have been popular with tourists for visits ranging from
day trips to extended camping holidays. The River Murray
and major tributaries are a major focus for recreation
and tourism but other environments also offer a range
of different experiences.
National parks are generally, although not always, larger
than state parks but the two categories of parks are
otherwise established and managed for the same
objectives under provisions of the National Parks Act 1975.
For the River Red Gum Forests Investigation area there are
no state parks recommended and existing state parks are
proposed as part of larger consolidated national parks.
Although national and state parks have the same
management intent and level of protection, the objectives
of national parks are generally better understood by the
general public and the park visitor. As such, Council
believes that state parks larger than the internationally
accepted size should generally be redesignated as national
parks.
VEAC is proposing to establish a number of new national
parks and nature conservation reserves to meet nationally
agreed criteria for a comprehensive, adequate and
representative reserve system. These proposals will protect
threatened species habitat and other outstanding natural
values. New park areas will expand the area currently
within national and state parks from ~62,000 hectares
to a proposed area of some 152,000 hectares. The
substantial change reflects the shifting priorities for
public land use since the last systematic assessments
in the Investigation area, the majority of which were
more than 20 years ago. In proposing this change, Council
has endeavoured to design a robust national park system
that represents and protects the different ecosystems
and natural values from the potential effects of climate
change. In choosing areas as proposed national parks,
Council has emphasised the need for improved
connectivity and habitat links across bioregions.
Strengthening the links along the vegetated corridors of
major waterways in the Investigation area was a key
consideration, particularly given that the River Murray
forms an important biolink traversing a range of inland
environments across south-eastern Australia. In such areas
where the public land is narrow or discontinuous, private
protected areas may be established to achieve similar
objectives.
As described in Chapter 2 General Recommendations,
there is a danger that increasing visitor numbers to the
Investigation area will over time reduce the natural values
that initially attracted people to the area. This is
particularly the case for peak periods around long
weekends, the Christmas/New Year period and Easter.
To strengthen the protection of natural values in national
parks, changes are proposed to the distribution of
camping sites and amenities. A ban on solid fuel campfires
is proposed. Harvesting of forest products, hunting and
grazing by domestic stock are not consistent with national
park objectives and will not be continued where they
currently exist in proposed national parks. Mineral
exploration licences may continue, be renewed (if they
do not lapse), and proceed to a mining licence and work
authority, with appropriate consent, but no other new
exploration or mining licences can be granted once the
proposed national parks are established.
As a result of altered flooding regimes and other
management practices, the condition of some ecosystems
has changed or is continuing to change. For example,
Giant Rush and River Red Gums are invading the Moira
Grass plains in Barmah Forest as a result of summer
flooding of these areas. In such instances, park managers
need the flexibility to undertake adaptive management to
restore ecosystems or to return them to a condition more
closely resembling their natural condition. Such
management should be based on clearly defined,
transparent and scientifically supported ecological
objectives.
As well as the general national park recommendations
below, which apply to all new or expanded national parks,
specific recommendations may apply to individual parks or
areas within parks. A detailed description of the location,
values, uses and implications of proposed public land use
changes for each proposed new or expanded national
park is provided on the following pages.
24 River Red Gum Forests Investigation July 2007