Cave and Karst Management in Australasia XX I Proceedings of the 21St Australasian Conference on Cave and Karst Management Naracoorte, South Australia, 2015
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Cave and Karst Management in Australasia XX I Proceedings of the 21st Australasian Conference on Cave and Karst Management Naracoorte, South Australia, 2015 Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association 2015 ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 i Proceedings of the Twenty first Australasian Conference on Cave and Karst Management 2015 Conference Naracoorte, South Australia, 2015 Cave and Karst Management in Australasia XXI Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association 2015 ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 ii Cave and Karst Management in Australasia XXI Editors: Rauleigh and Samantha Webb ACKMA Western Australia Publisher: Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association PO Box 27, Mount Compass South Australia, Australia 5210 www.ackma.org Date: August 2015 ISSN No: 0159-5415 Copyright property of the contributing authors: Copyright on any paper contained in these Proceedings remains the property of the author(s) of that paper. Apart from use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand) no part may be reproduced without prior permission from the author(s). It may be possible to contact contributing authors through the Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association Proceedings available: Publications Officer Australasian Cave and Karst Management Assn Cover illustration: Top photo: Fossil Bed (Pit A), Victoria Fossil Cave, Naracoorte Photo by Steve Bourne Bottom photo: Stalactites in Blanche Cave, Naracoorte Photo by Rauleigh Webb Conference: 10 May – 15 May 2015 Naracoorte, South Australia Organiser: Australasian Cave and Karst Management Association Convener: Deborah Craven-Carden, supported by: Decima McTernan, Snr Guide NCNP; Amy Macken, WH EO, NCNP; Ros Jones, Team Leader Caves Café; Phoebe McArthur and Jacqui Secker, Caves Café cooks; Brian Robins, District Ranger; Peter Tucker, Woodland Ecologist; Steve Clark, Wetland Ecologist; Tim Collins, Regional Manager – SE Region ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 iii Contents Papers ‘Caring for Country’ - Overview of Naracoorte Caves National Park and World Heritage Area (NCNP WHA) management and governance ................................ 5 Deborah Carden 1 and Nick McIntyre 2 Australian Fossil Mammal Sites – Naracoorte and Riversleigh ............................ 17 Dr Amy Macken The Wombeyan Karst: one hundred and fifty years of protection ........................ 19 Julia M. James Capricorn Caves, Cyclones, Caves and Conferences............................................. 31 Ann Augusteyn Coins in Cave Pools .............................................................................................. 52 Cathie Plowman Small mammal community change during the Last Glacial Cycle ....................... 71 Dr Amy Macken ‘GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN’ .................................................................... 74 Mary Trayes Environmental impacts on karst in Papua New Guinea ...................................... 89 Professor David Gillieson Cave Animal of the Year ...................................................................................... 101 Timothy Moulds 1 and Cathie Plowman 2 The positive power of connection........................................................................ 104 Sasa Kennedy Geotourism in the Limestone Coast of South Australia, an explorative study of interpretation. ....................................................................................................... 118 Nina Birss Southern Bentwing Bats Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii at Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia ............................................................................ 124 Steve Bourne Abstracts only ....................................................................................................... 144 Conference acknowledgements and introduction ............................................... 147 List of delegates ................................................................................................... 150 ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 iv ‘Caring for Country’ - Overview of Naracoorte Caves National Park and World Heritage Area (NCNP WHA) management and governance Deborah Carden 1 and Nick McIntyre 2 Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia Email: [email protected] 1 [email protected] 2 Abstract Effective management practices, the support of associates and experts, the involvement of community Naracoorte Caves National Park and World Heritage and improved and upgraded visitor and administrative Area (NCNP WHA) is administered by the assets will ensure that the site remains vibrant and Department of Environment, Water and Natural accessible to visitors for many future decades. Resources. In the past four years there have been a series of departmental restructurings, one of which resulted in reporting line changes for NCNP WHA staff. Today the surficial management responsibility lies with ‘Public Lands’ staff reporting to the regional office in Mt Gambier and responsible for initiating sustainable management practices and maintaining natural values by controlling threats such as fire and pest plants and animals. At NCNP ranger staff are responsible for the maintenance of grounds and are the first port of call when things breakdown. The responsibilities for the protection and conservation of subterranean values comprising megafaunal fossil deposits and geomorphological features, meeting World Heritage obligations and managing the commercial business entities lies with Corporate and Customer Services in Adelaide, delivered through the NPNC WHA Site Manager and Commercial Services staff. Key stakeholder involvement is provided by the Interagency- community Reference Group governance role established under a ‘Caring for Country’ Federal Government grant. NCNP WHA is a key ‘nature based’ tourist attraction in South Australia offering a range of experiences underpinned by palaeontological science and research and ecological protection. Interpretation of the site’s natural and cultural heritage is provided to visitors on daily guided cave tours, raising awareness and appreciation of the Park and its World Heritage values. In May 2013 ACKMA was presented with an update on the long-term planning that was taking place for NCNP WHA. In November 2014 the DEWNR Executive endorsed the Master Plan and agreed with the proposed refurbishment priorities. A business case is underway to confirm the priorities and establish costs for the proposed capital upgrades that will take place over several years. ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 5 Introduction caves and fossil deposits. The site has strong historical community links dating back to 1845 and it Welcome to Naracoorte Caves is an important business, tourism, scientific and Major features of Naracoorte Caves National Park conservation asset for the South East region of South and World Heritage Area (NCNP WHA) are the Australia. Figure 1: Thylacoleo Carnifex, Fossil Bed, Victoria Fossil Cave, NCNP WHA. Credit: Margaret Smith A World Heritage Site mitigate threats and maintain natural and cultural values balanced with encouraging visitation and 28 caves are currently recorded, with the natural enjoyment of the site. values of the caves complimented by various vegetation associations on the surface. Access to the Public Land Management caves complexes is managed. The Park has had varying levels of management since The Department of Environment, Water and Natural 1885. It was transferred to National Parks and Resources (DEWNR) administers the NCNP WHA. Wildlife in 1972 as a conservation park. Facilities and The Park comprises 660 hectares of which 297 services have been upgraded over time to create hectares are World Heritage listed. Two directorates demand and meet visitor needs. A Management Plan are involved - the Partnerships and Stewardships was developed in 2001 in response to being declared a Directorate (P&S), known at a regional level as South National Park and the document guides management East Natural Resources Management (SE NRM) is and conservation actions and balances visitation with responsible for the management of parks and reserves protecting and conserving heritage values. in the SE of South Australia (SA). The Corporate and Customer Services Directorate (CCS) is Land Management responsible for DEWNR’s commercial enterprises. Activities undertaken by SE NRM on the Park P&S and CCS work under an integrated management include fire management and the control of pest framework, the day-to-day work being co-ordinated at plants and animals. regional and site levels. P&S are responsible for the Fire management ensures response to wildfire and above-ground management and CCS hold protection of built and natural assets. Control responsibility for the guided tours, accommodation activities include the reduction of fuel loads, achieved and camping, the Caves Café, the World Heritage through prescribed burns undertaken by the project and below-ground responsibilities. DEWNR fire brigade. At Naracoorte Caves Sustainable management practices control and prescribed burns were undertaken in 2013 and 2015, ACKMA Cave and Karst Management in Australasia 21 Naracoorte Caves , South Australia , 201 5 6 reducing fuel loads