Creation of the Parks - Parks Victoria

Alpine Planning
help guide the future of Victoria’s parks
FACT SHEET
CREATION OF THE GREATER ALPINE PARKS
The creation of the Greater Alpine parks and historic
areas tells an important story about the history of land
management, community involvement in the creation of
the parks, the role of the former Land Conservation
Council (LCC) and changes to the parks over time.
Alpine National Park
The significance of the natural environments of the
Victorian Alps has long been recognised. The concept of
a Victorian Alpine National Park was first put forward in in
1949 when the then Town and Country Planning
Association proposed a park of over 500 000 ha in the
State's north eastern highlands.
Twenty years later, the Association's successor, the
Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), made a
detailed submission to the State Government for an
Alpine National Park. In 1974, the VNPA published a
case for a park extending from Mount Baw Baw to the
New South Wales border in its book "The Alps at the
Crossroads".
In 1979, following studies which involved lengthy public
consultation, the LCC recommended the creation of a
series of national parks and other reserves in the alpine
area. Bogong, Wonnangatta–Moroka and Cobberas–
Tingaringy National Parks, Wabonga Plateau State Park,
and the Avon Wilderness were established as a result.
Following a special investigation of the alpine area, the
LCC further recommended, in 1983, that these parks be
extended and linked to form a large contiguous Alpine
National Park. Legislation for the Alpine National Park
was passed in the Victorian Parliament in May 1989 and
the park was proclaimed on 2 December 1989.
Since the park was proclaimed, several areas have been
added, including the Wongungarra wilderness (12 850
ha). An area at Mount Typo (825 ha) was added to the
park on 20 August 2010, bringing the total area of the
park to 661 375 ha.
Avon Wilderness Park
The Avon Wilderness Area was recommended by the
LCC as part of its Gippsland Lakes Hinterland Area and
Alpine Area Special Investigation in 1983. The area was
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proclaimed as a Wilderness Park under the National Parks
Act in 1987. The LCC’s 1991 Wilderness Special
Investigation recommended the continuing use of the Avon
Wilderness Area in accordance with minor boundary
amendments, bringing the total area to 37 950 ha.
Baw Baw National Park
The southern portion of the Baw Baw Plateau, above 1220
metres elevation, was originally reserved for alpine
purposes in 1959 under the Forests Act 1958 (Vic.). The
northern portion was reserved three years later under the
Land Act 1958 (Vic.). Additional Crown land was
reserved in 1964 and a Committee of Management
managed the entire Baw Baw Plateau under the auspices
of the former Forests Commission.
Baw Baw National Park was included on Schedule Two
of the National Parks Act (13 300 ha originally) in 1979
as a result of the government’s acceptance of the LCC’s
1977 Melbourne Study Area Final Recommendations.
There were some changes to the boundaries in 1997
bringing the area to 13 530 hectares. The boundary
changes accorded with the LCC 1994 Melbourne Study
Area District 2 Review Final Recommendations accepted
by government and included additions and also several
small excisions to rationalise the boundary.
Errinundra National Park
Errinundra National Park was included on Schedule Two of
the National Parks Act 1975 (Vic.) on 15 July 1988.
The park was established following Government
decisions on the LCC’s detailed review of public land use
in East Gippsland in 1986. Three other areas were also
included: Coast Range South, the upper Brodribb River
(north branch) and the Bonang River (south branch). A
further area, in the Goolengook catchment, was added to
the park in 1991.
Since the release of the management plan in 1996, the
Ellery Creek Catchment (1275 ha) was added to the park in
1999. A further 12 340 ha was added on 20 August 2010,
linking the park to Snowy River National Park, and bringing
the total area of the park to 39 870 ha.
Mount Buffalo National Park
The Victorian colonial government temporarily reserved
1165 ha around the Eurobin Falls as a ‘site for a national
park’ in 1898. In 1908 the park was expanded to over 10
500 ha, with a further 526 ha added in 1934. The historic
Mount Buffalo Chalet was built in 1910. Following
Government acceptance of the recommendations of the
LCC’s 1977 North Eastern Study Area, Districts 3,
4 and 5, the National Parks Act 1978 provided for
the addition of 20 000 ha. A small area of 2 ha was
added in 1995, and further areas totalling 22 ha
were added in 2010, bringing the area of the park
to 31 020 ha.
Snowy River National Park
Snowy River National Park was initially proclaimed
on 26 April 1979 (26 000 ha) following LCC studies
of East Gippsland in 1977 and the Alpine area in
1979. Further additions were made in 1981 (200
ha), 1987 (15 100 ha), 1988 (54 100 ha) and 1991
(3300 ha) following further LCC studies. Additions
were made in the Warbisco Creek, Home Creek,
Swamp Creek and Good Hope Creek catchments,
the latter two as part of decisions on national
estate issues in 1991. Since the release of the
management plan in 1995, a small area of 26 ha
was added to the park. A larger area of 16 005 ha
was added to the park in 2010. This addition links
the park with Errinundra National Park and bring
the total area to 114 600 ha.
Tara Range Park
A new park, Tara Range Park (7620 ha) was
proclaimed on 20 August 2010. Tara Range Park
was included on Schedule 4 of the National Parks
Act, and will be linked to the Snowy River National
Park.
Historic Areas
The five Historic Areas in the planning area are
managed to protect the important relics and
historical associations they contain. These areas
have a range of land tenures and although not
formally reserved, they are managed in
accordance with the LCC recommendations.
Walhalla Historic Park comprises 3 areas (2660
ha) recommended by the LCC in the 1994
Melbourne District 2 Review. The LCC
recommended that these areas be permanently
reserved under section 4 of the Crown Land
(Reserves) Act 1978 (Vic).
Grant Historic Area (7434 ha), Mount Wills
Historic Area (8802 ha), Howqua Hills Historic
Area (1111 ha) and Mount Murphy Historic Area
(618 ha) were all recommended by the LCC in its
1983 Alpine Special Investigation to be reserved
as Historic and Cultural Features Reserves.
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