Pencil Pine-Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 Pencil Pine - Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 Pencil Pine - Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 This site plan has been prepared under the provisions of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999, (p. 60, 171) and provides for the development and upgrading of facilities within the Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone. APPROVAL This Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 was approved by the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Ministerial Council on 9 March 2006. ISBN 0 9751743 6 3 © Parks and Wildlife Service Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, 2006 Published by Parks and Wildlife Service Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage, and the Arts GPO Box 1751 Hobart, TASMANIA 7001 Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................ iii Chapter 1 Introduction .....................................................................................1 1.1 Background.............................................................................................................1 1.2 The Visitor Services Zone ......................................................................................2 1.3 Planning Objectives................................................................................................5 1.4 Zone Plan Structure ................................................................................................6 Chapter 2 Existing Conditions .........................................................................7 2.1 Background to Current Conditions.........................................................................7 2.2 Physical, Biological and Cultural Values .............................................................11 2.2.1 Physical Values ....................................................................................12 2.2.2 Biological Values..................................................................................14 2.2.3 Cultural Heritage Values....................................................................20 2.3 Existing Facilities .................................................................................................27 2.3.1 Access, Roads and Parking.................................................................27 2.3.2 Structures and Facilities......................................................................28 2.3.3 Site Services ..........................................................................................34 2.3.4 Lease and Concession Arrangements ...............................................36 2.4 Current Use...........................................................................................................36 2.4.1 Visitor Statistics....................................................................................37 2.4.2 Visitor Opinion ....................................................................................39 2.5 Rehabilitation ........................................................................................................42 Chapter 3 Management Strategies for the Visitor Precincts.......................43 General Strategies for the Visitor Services Zone.........................................................43 3.1 Visitor Centre and Workshop Precinct .................................................................45 3.1.1 Background ..........................................................................................45 3.1.2 Role of the Precinct..............................................................................45 3.1.3 Management Strategies.......................................................................46 3.2 Waldheim Precinct ...............................................................................................46 3.2.1 Background ..........................................................................................46 3.2.2 Role of Precinct ....................................................................................47 i Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 3.2.3 Management Strategies ...................................................................... 47 3.3 Ronny Creek Precinct .......................................................................................... 49 3.3.1 Background.......................................................................................... 49 3.3.2 Role of Precinct.................................................................................... 49 3.3.3 Management Strategies ...................................................................... 50 3.4 Dove Lake Precinct.............................................................................................. 51 3.4.1 Background.......................................................................................... 51 3.4.2 Role of the Precinct ............................................................................. 53 3.4.3 Management Strategies ...................................................................... 53 3.5 Detailed Planning, Approval Processes and Implementation of the Zone Plan .. 54 Bibliography.................................................................................................... 55 Appendix A Assessed Service Levels For Cradle Infrastructure..................................................... 58 Appendix B Reserves Standards Framework Visitor Site Descriptions.......................................... 59 Maps 1.1 Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area ............................................................... 3 1.2 Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone ..................................................... 4 Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (the WHA) covers some 1.38 million hectares or about 20% of Tasmania and includes Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park. The framework for management of the WHA is the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999 (WHAMP). The WHAMP identifies a number of Visitor Services Zones and Sites where major facilities for recreation and presentation are to be provided, typically at the margins of the WHA and accessible by the State’s road network. Under the WHAMP, development within Visitor Services Zones is guided by detailed, non-statutory Visitor Services Zone or Site Plans which expand upon the general provisions of the WHAMP and give special consideration to the coordinated and integrated development of these small but intensively used areas. One of the key Visitor Services Zones identified in the WHAMP is the Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone (the VSZ). The Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone is one of the prime access points to the WHA – a destination that is likely to continue to increase in popularity in coming years. This Visitor Services Zone Plan (hereafter, the Zone Plan 2006) follows from a previous plan in effect since July 1993 hereafter, the 1993 Zone Plan) and is intended to provide a basis for planning and management decisions within the VSZ over the next 5-10 years. This Zone Plan has been developed by the Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS). It uses as its base and draws information from a Draft Visitor Services Zone Plan (hereafter the draft Zone Plan 2002) developed by Inspiring Place Pty Ltd, January 2002. The draft Zone Plan 2002 consulted widely with PWS staff, the Nature Conservation and Cultural Heritage Branches of the Resource Management and Conservation Division of the Department of Primary Industry, Water and Environment. Advice and information was also gathered from a range of other agencies and community based organisations including the World Heritage Area Consultative Committee, PWS Cradle Mountain Infrastructure Committee, the PWS District Community Consultative Committee and Friends of Cradle Valley. It was released for public comment in January 2002 and resulted in 53 written submissions, which have been taken into account in the present Zone Plan 2006. Copies of the "Review of Public Comment" for the draft Zone Plan 2002 can be made available on request. iii Pencil Pine – Cradle Valley Visitor Services Zone Plan 2006 In summary, the Zone Plan 2006 gives effect to the following concepts: catering for the increasing number of visitors – particularly their infrastructure, and access needs – without degrading the physical, biological or cultural heritage values of the park; developing and enhancing the special features and distinctive roles of the main visitor precincts within Cradle Valley to provide a range of quality experiences suitable for a broad spectrum of visitors; and presenting Cradle Valley as a showcase of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Although not formally adopted, parts of the draft Zone Plan 2002 were progressed to completion. Sections relating to the road sealing and the shuttle bus service trial only required minor pathway approval under the WHAMP’s New Proposals and Impact Assessment process. During 2003 the road and car parks from Pencil Pine Creek including Waldheim, Connells Avenue and Dove Lake were sealed and a park transport system was introduced as part of the Cradle Tourism Development Plan (Inspiring Place et al