National Parks Service Annual Report 1982-83 Ordered to lie on the Table and to be printed by the Legislative Assembly 1 December 1983. Parliamentary Paper No. 120, Session 1982-83. Errata Sheet 1 Page 14 Donations and Assistance from Volunteers. Column 2, paragraph 3, line 9: Delete "Mt. Worth Nati(lnal Park". Page 25 Under Recreation Heading Column I. paragraph 2. line 3: delete "office", substitute "traffic". Page 34 AppendiX l (b) North East District (foot oi page): Subst;nae amended table below for existing table. North East Distri~t District Office 3,677 6,481 6,481 Burrowa-Pine Mountain 3,701 3,701 Mt. Buffalo 289,320 297,204 96,420 393,624 W arby Ranges 40 2,058 2,058 Beechworth 12,787 12,787 Chiltem 3,481 11,771 11.771 W abonga Plateau 1,114 1,114 Bogong 13,700 14,659 75,133 89,792 Wonnangatta-Moroka 1.531 1,531 Page 35 Appcn;:!ix I (b) continued. Substitute amended table below for existing table. Location Park Revenue Wages & General Improvement & Combined Maintenance Development Works Expenditure (including protection) $ $ $ $ UpperGoulburn District District Office 738 Frdser 64,698 70,135 70,135 Eildon 6,588 6,588 Cathedral R<.nge 12,190 12.190 Kinglake 15,982 26,511 3,788 30,299 Mt. Samaria 6,255 6,255 North West District District Office 2,288 317 317 Hattah~Kulkyne 1.554 57,921 57,921 Little Desert 2,635 16,767 16,767 Wyperfeld 7 ,71ll 53,385 4.839 58,224 BigDes.:m 45 747 747 Lake Albacutya 10 21,338 21.338 Pink Lakes !18 9,185 9,185 South West District District Office 766 427 427 Cape Nelson 64 64 Discovery Bay 1,513 25.835 25,835 Lower Glene1g 40,222 62,392 62,392 Mt. Ec..:lcs 2,101 3,451 3,451 Mt. Richmond 7,231 7,231 Geelong-Otway District District Office 7,613 1,686 1,686 Brisbane Ranges 1.202 39,865 39,865 MelbaGully 3,827 3,827 Pm1 Campbell 58,640 45,383 45,383 Werribee Gorge 10,617 10,617 Steiglitz ~ 148 6,076 10,395 16,471 Otway 48,809 48,809 VICTORIA Annual Report ofth~ NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE for the Year ended 30 June 1983 Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed MELBOURNE FD ATKINSON GOVERNMENT PRINTER 1983 No. 120 National Parks Service 240 Victoria Parade East Melbourne Vie. 3002 The Honourable R.A. Mackenzie, MLC Minister for Conservation Forests & Lands Dear Mr. Minister In accordance with Section 35(1) ofthe National Parks Act 1975 (No. 8702) I hereby submit a report on the activities of the National Parks Service for the year ended 30 June 1983. D.S. Saunders Director of National Parks 2 Contents Introduction 5 Parks and Other Areas Managed by the Service 7 Finance and Staffing 8 National Parks Advisory Council 9 Advisory Committees 9 Legislatio~ and Regulations 10 Mineral Exploration 11 Staff Development and Training 12 Donations and Assistance from Volunteers 14 Administration Division 22 Resources Division 24 Resources and Planning Branch 24 Research Branch 24 Historical Services Branch 25 Interpretation Branch 26 Management Division 28 Park Management Branch 28 Operations Branch 29 • Park Protection Branch .30 Appendices l(a) Receipts and Expenditure 33 l(b) Park Revenues and Expenditure 34 2 Organisation Chart 36 3 Advisory Committees 37 4 Land Under Control of National Parks Service 38 Map of National Parks Service Areas centre pages Cover photo: Display area,lnformation and Education Centre, Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory National Park. 3 Introduction The year ended 30 June 1983 provided a great challenge • Australian Museum of the Year Awards 1983 for the National Parks Service- the challenge being to Best New Exhibition in Australia; (for the manage an expanding and increasingly complex parks Information and Education Centre at Wilsons system while the resources for management continued Promontory). to decrease. • Premier's Prize for the Best Exhibit in the Victorian For the third successive year, the Service's full-time Government Expo Centre, Royal Melbourne Show work force was reduced due to lack of Works and 1982 (in conjunction with Fisheries and Wildlife Services funds. This has occurred despite the fact that Division.) three major national parks and five other parks have • A Merit A ward from the Royal Australian Institute been added to the Service's responsibilities during that of Architects for the Service's interpretive time. Although Rangers have been appointed to all new publications, displays and programs. national parks, the number of full-time employee positions in parks has been reduced by l 0% in the last • The Roadside Conservation Committee A ward for three years. the Euchre Valley Nature Drive in Lind National Park. The Parks Access Employment Initiatives Scheme which was approved and implemented during the year In January 1983 Mr John Brookes resigned from the certainly helped the Service to fulfill its management position of Director of Conservation. Prior to holding responsibilities. However it must be recognised that that position he was Director of National Parks during such schemes are not an adequate substitute for full­ the period 1975-79. In both of these positions, he time trained staff, particularly in the long term. contributed a great deal to the development of the National Parks system in Victoria. There is little doubt that the highlight of the year was the opening of the new Information and Education Centre The constraints on staff and funds at a time of increasing in Wilsons Promontory National Park. The entire responsibility has placed a great burden on staff project, including displays and audio-visuals, was throughout the last 12 months. It is indicative of the funded by Hillview Quarries Pty. Ltd. through the R.E. hard work and dedication of the Service's staff that we Ross Trust. Planning, design and construction of the have continued to protect the valuable parks of this State building was undertaken by the Service and the under these conditions. All of the Service's staff are to Ministry for Conservation architect, and all display and be commended for their efforts in 1982/83. audio-visual material was prepared by Service staff. It has proved to be an outstanding success, as evidenced by visitor satisfaction and a number of awards which the Service has received. Another highlight of the year was the commissioning of the new dairy at Haining Farm, a very important aspect ofthe Service's environmental education program. This was also funded by a very generous private donation, and as a result, the Farm now has a top class rotary dairy which has been specially designed to enable large groups and handicapped persons to readily observe the milking process. Wild fires were a devastating feature of the 1982/83 summer and some parks were affected. Although the Ash Wednesday fires had very little impact on parks, a large fire in East Gippsland during early March severely burnt 45,000 hectares of Croajingolong and Alfred national parks. An earlier fire in December 1982 burnt 16,000 hectares of Wyperfeld National Park. In all, 83 wild fires affected or threatened parks, 71 ,000 hectares of parks were burnt and Service employees spent over 16,000 man-hours on fire suppression, much of it outside parks. The Service was very pleased to receive a number of awards throughout the year, most of these relating to the Service's interpretation work. These were: • Australian Museum of the Year Awards 1983 Best New Exhibition in Victoria; (for the Information and Education Centre at Wilsons Promontory) 5 Parks and other areas managed by the Service Details of all land managed by the National Parks Crown land under Section 14 of the Crown Land (Re­ Service are given in Appendix 4, and the location of the serves) Act 1978. parks is shown on the map in the centre of this report. Section 19A: Management by the Director of land Under the National Parks Act 1975 there is provision for subject to a management agreement with the Victorian the National Parks Service to manage various types of Conservation Trust. Section 19B: Management by the Director of reserved land. Crown land under Section 18 of the Crown Land (Re­ serves) Act 1978. National Par~ Section 19C: Management by the Director of land In defining National Parks, the Act provides: subject to a management agreement with a public "that certain Crown land characterized by its pre­ authority. dominantly unspoilt landscape, and its flora, fauna Section l9D: Management by the Director of land or other features, should be reserved and protected subject to an agreement with the Commonwealth or permanently for the benefit of the public." another State. At 30 June 1983 the area reserved as National Parks Section 32AA: Management by the Director of "Gle­ under Schedule Two of the National Parks Act was nample" Homestead, leased by the Crown. 685,808 ha. This area has not changed since the ad­ At 30 June 1983, land was being managed under the dition of Wonnongatta-Moroka National Park on July provisions of Sections l9A, 19B, 19D and 32AA of the 1, 1982. Act. Other Parks Significant tracts of land which are being managed by The Act provides: the Service for conservation and/or recreation under one "that certain areas of Crown land with landscape or of the above provisions include Pirianda Garden, Lang­ other features of particular interest or suitability for warrin Flora and Fauna Reserve, Nyerirnilang. Gelli­ the enjoyment, recreation and education of the pub­ brand Hill, Glenample Homestead, Long Forest Flora lic or in matters appertaining to the countryside Reserve and Sorrento First Settlement site.