NATIONAL PARKS ACT ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 Acknowledgement of Country Aboriginal people, through their rich culture, have been connected to the land and sea, for tens of thousands of years. Parks Victoria respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners, their cultures, knowledge and their continuing connection to and cultural obligation to care for their Country. Copyright © State of Victoria, Parks Victoria 2019 Level 10, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 ISSN 2652-3183 (print) ISSN 2652-3191 (online) Published on www.parks.vic.gov.au This report was printed on 100% recycled paper. This publication may be of assistance to you but Parks Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication Notes • During the year the responsible Minister for the Act was the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change. • In this report: – the Act means the National Parks Act 1975 – DELWP means the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning – the Minister means the Minister responsible for administering the Act – the Regulations means the National Parks Regulations 2013 – the Secretary means the Secretary to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Cover image Greater Bendigo National Park (image: Tanya Smith) Foreword This report on the working of the National Parks Act Other highlights of the year included: 1975 (the Act) for the 2018–19 financial year is presented to the Minister for Energy, Environment and • adding 245 hectares of land with high conservation Climate Change, the Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, under values to Greater Bendigo National Park section 35 of the Act. • completing first Joint Management Plans in Victoria The Act establishes a network of national parks and with the Gunaikurnai and Dhelkunya Dja Traditional other protected areas that are representative of Owners Land Management Boards which cover Victoria’s diverse natural environments and sets out several parks under the Act the legal framework for their protection, use and • undertaking considerable work aimed at controlling management. invasive plants and animals, including an increase in Parks Victoria manages a system of more than 100 efforts to control deer parks under the Act totalling approximately 3.46 • significant environmental watering in several parks, million hectares on behalf of the Victorian including the Alpine, Barmah, Gunbower and Government, and works in close partnership with the Snowy River national parks Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) in their management. • improving visitor facilities in several parks across the state, including as a result of recovery works Notably, this reporting period saw a significant change following natural disasters in the responsibilities under the Act with the commencement of the Parks Victoria Act 2018 on • increasing the accessibility provided for people of 12 September 2018. The new Act re-established Parks all abilities through initiatives including the Victoria as a strengthened and more independent park Volunteer Sherpa and TrailRider programs. management agency and transferred statutory responsibilities and powers under the National Parks Victoria also experienced a protracted and active fire Act from the Secretary to DELWP to Parks Victoria. season, with major bushfires impacting many areas managed under the Act including the Alpine and Yarra Ranges national parks, Avon Wilderness Park and Bunyip and Holey Plains state parks. Parks Victoria looks forward to continuing to work with partner organisations such as DELWP in 2019–20 to ensure that Victoria’s splendid parks system continues to be appropriately protected, managed, accessible and enjoyed by an increasing number of visitors. Jeff Floyd Chair Parks Victoria National Parks Act Annual Report 2018–19 1 Contents Foreword 1 A representative parks system 3 Areas managed under the Act 3 Management and other planning 3 Managing natural and cultural values 4 Managing natural values 4 Monitoring natural values 7 Researching natural values 8 Managing cultural values 9 Managing fire and other emergencies 10 Managing fire 10 Managing recovery from bushfires and other emergencies 12 Encouraging visitors, tourism and community involvement 13 Enhancing visitor enjoyment and tourism 13 Visits to parks 14 Supporting visitors with disabilities 14 Parks for health and wellbeing 14 Informing, interpreting and educating 14 Volunteers 15 Partnering with Traditional Owners 16 Joint management 16 Co-operative management 17 Other Traditional Owner partnerships 17 Supporting park management 18 Management arrangements 18 Legislation 18 Authorities under the Act 19 Enforcement 20 Interstate cooperation 20 Advisory bodies 20 Appendix 1 – Areas managed under the National Parks Act 21 Appendix 2 – Location of parks and other areas 28 2 National Parks Act Annual Report 2018–19 A representative parks system Areas managed under the Act Management and other planning As at 30 June 2019 there were 139 areas with a total As at 30 June 2019 there were approved management area of approximately 3.46 million hectares managed plans for all or parts of 45 national parks, 3 wilderness under various provisions of the Act. Appendix 1 lists parks, 26 state parks, 20 other parks and reserves, the areas and Appendix 2 shows their location. 13 marine national parks and 11 marine sanctuaries. The 139 areas comprised: A highlight of the year was the completion of the inaugural Joint Management Plans in Victoria by the • 124 areas listed on various schedules to the Act Gunaikurnai and Dhelkunya Dja Traditional Owners – 45 national parks (Schedule Two) Land Management Boards. The Partnering with Traditional Owners section of the report includes – 3 wilderness parks (Schedule Two A) further information on management planning for – 26 state parks (Schedule Two B) jointly managed parks. – 5 coastal parks, 3 historic parks, 1 nature The River Red Gum Parks Management Plan, referred conservation reserve, 8 regional parks and to in last year’s report and covering all or part of five Haining Farm (Schedule Three) national parks, a state park and four other parks along the Murray, Goulburn and Ovens rivers, was released. – 3 marine and coastal parks, 2 marine parks, 1 marine reserve, 1 national heritage park and Parks Victoria committed to renew management 1 nature conservation reserve (Schedule Four) planning for the Grampians landscape, which includes – 13 marine national parks (Schedule Seven) the Grampians National Park and Black Range State Park as well as several other reserves not under the Act. – 11 marine sanctuaries (Schedule Eight) Other key planning matters included: • 15 non-scheduled areas to which particular provisions of the Act apply. • updating the Cape Conran Coastal Park Master Plan to incorporate challenges to the existing The Act also defines the following areas within essential infrastructure in the park particular national parks: • work on amendments to the existing management • 19 wilderness zones (Schedule Five) in 7 national plan for the Great Otway National Park to incorporate parks (see Appendix 1) the Anglesea Heath addition to the park. • 22 remote and natural areas (Schedule Six) in 12 national parks (see Appendix 1) • 4 designated water supply catchment areas in the Great Otway, Kinglake and Yarra Ranges national parks. The only change during the year was the addition of 245 hectares to Greater Bendigo National Park on 5 October 2018. This addition of former freehold land with high conservation values helps to consolidate the significant Kamarooka section of the park. National Parks Act Annual Report 2018–19 3 Managing natural and cultural values Managing natural values Invasive species Strategic priorities for environmental management in Managing invasive species, such as introduced weeds, areas under the Act are informed by Parks Victoria’s predators and grazers, is critical to protect native State of the Parks Effectiveness Evaluation Program and habitats and species that have not evolved to be relevant conservation action plans. These are developed resilient to the damage that invasive species cause. in consultation with Traditional Owners, partner During the year there was a significant increase in agencies and experts. On-ground works are prioritised direct investment and resourcing in targeted invasive to protect the highest environmental values at greatest species programs to address some of the most risk. Examples of projects in the various environmental significant issues in high priority parks. management program areas are provided below. Landscape-scale conservation programs, often cross- Parks Victoria is continuing to roll out conservation action tenure and involving several partner agencies, are the plans for each of Parks Victoria’s 18 park landscapes to cornerstones of invasive species management in parks. guide investment in environmental conservation. These plans clearly define conservation outcomes and priority The Weeds and Pests on Public Land Program includes on-ground strategies and actions. They are designed to the long-running Eden, Ark and Mallee Bounceback enable monitoring of landscape health and to guide the programs. evaluation of conservation activities. The Eden programs aim to control high-threat invasive Conservation