Caring for Country — The Otways and You - Parks Victoria

2 BASIS2.1 Regional contextThe coasts, rivers, mountains, heath lands andforests of Great Otway National Park andOtway Forest Park are some of the manydiverse highlights in this region known as theOtway Ranges. Agricultural land, timberplantations, the Great Ocean Road, coastaltowns and rural towns are also prominent inthe landscape. This landscape, the parks, andplaces in the parks have special value to manypeople, including Aboriginal communities,local residents and visitors.Aboriginal tradition indicates that the parks arepart of Country of the Gadubanud,Wathaurong, Gulidjan and Kirrae Whurrongpeople. Relevant local Aboriginalorganisations include the Traditional Owners(Kirrae Whurrong, Gulidjan and Wathurong).The Framlingham Aboriginal Trust andWathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative are alsoimportant local Aboriginal groups with astrong interest in the parks. Many Aboriginalpeople residing in the region may not beassociated with any of these groups. OtherAboriginal people may reside outside theregion but have an historic or traditional linkwith it.Together, Great Otway National Park andOtway Forest Park provide a complementarysuite of opportunities for enhanced natureconservation, protection of cultural andlifestyle values and outstanding recreation andtourism experiences on public land.Great Otway National Park is a park ofnational significance, and was establishedbased on national criteria for conservation. Thecoordinated management of Great OtwayNational Park and Otway Forest Park furtherenhances the network of parks and provides fora regional, landscape-scale approach tomanaging biodiversity, natural resources andthe provision of ecosystem services.The two parks contain an enormous diversityof life, with ecosystems ranging from oceanbeaches to cool temperate rainforest. Sevennational and Victorian bioregions arerepresented in the parks. Most ecosystems arein good condition and are protected in areaslarge enough to sustain largely naturalecological processes.Several important water catchments are withinthe parks: the majority of the Otway CoastBasin and part of the Barwon Basin. Thesecatchments, part of the CorangamiteCatchment Management Authority Region(section 4.4) contain important water supplycatchments for townships betweenWarrnambool and Geelong (section 8.4).The parks are a keystone for managing crosstenureland management issues in the Otwayssuch as road management, recreation, pestplants and animals, and wildfire. Cross-tenureco-operation and integrated planning withother authorities and private land owners iscrucial to delivering outcomes.The parks are within the Surf Coast,Corangamite and Colac Otway Shires. Thecreation of these parks and the cessation ofsawlog and pulpwood harvesting on publicland in the Otways in 2008 had significanteconomic and social implications for theseshires and the Otways region. There are nowincreased opportunities in plantation forestryand a strengthened future for key industriesassociated with tourism and recreation.Great Otway National Park is an integralelement of Victoria’s most popular regionaltourism destination. The Great Ocean Road, anAustralian National Landscape (section 2.2)and internationally recognised touring route,winds through Great Otway National Park andprovides access to many of the park’sattractions.Other nearby parks include:• Port Campbell National Park• Twelve Apostles and Point Addis MarineNational Parks• The Arches, Marengo Reefs and EagleRock Marine Sanctuaries• Anglesea Heath (Alcoa lease area).2.2 Park significance and valuesGreat Otway National Park and Otway ForestPark make a valuable contribution toVictoria’s parks and reserves system, which4 Great Otway National Park and Otway Forest Park Management Plan