Flannel Flower (Antinotus Helianthi) in the Morton National Park NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY INC. Inaugurated 1960 Aims and Objects of the Association Office Bearers and Committee Promotion of national parks and of measures for the President protection of fauna and flora, scenery and natural Kevin Frawley, 4 Shiels PI., Curtin. 2605 features in the Australian Capital Territory and else­ 82 3080 (H). 68 8309 (W) where, and the reservation of specific areas. Vice-President Vacant Interest in the provision of appropriate outdoor re­ Secrefary creation areas. Julia Trainor, 2 Hill Corner. Yarralumla, 2600 Stimulation of interest in, and appreciation and enjoy­ 81 1 195 (H), 62 1514 (W) ment of, such natural phenomena by organised field Treasurer outings, meetings or any other means. Jan Gatenby, 16 Goodparla St., Hawker. 2614 54 3094 (H) Co-operation with organisations and persons having Publicity Otlicer similar interests and objectives. Glyn Lewis 95 2720 (H) Promotion of. and education for, nature conservation, Bulletin Editor and the planning of land-use to achieve conservation. Judith Simondson, 106 Jackie Howe Cres., Macarthur. 2904 91 6201 (H) Outings Convenor CONTENTS Other Committee Members Neville Esau 86 41 76 (H). 49 4554 (W) President's Foreword 3 Philip Gatenby 54 3094(H) Committee News 3 Kevin Totterdell 81 4410 (H), 63 3270 (W) New Members 3 Peter Roe 91 9535 |H) The Northern Cotter Catchment 4 immediate Past President Gudgenby Grazing Controversy 6 Ross Carlton 86 3892 (H) Eden Forests: New Parks 9 Public Olhcer Report to Minister of Lands 10 Charles Hill 95 8924 (HI Trees. Birds and History 1 1 Annual Subscription Rates (1 July - 30 June) Just Briefly 1 2 Household Members $20 Don't Fence Me In 14 Single Membe- • 11 5 Namaagi Matters 14 Corporate f\i 1 •>>-•;L-, SiO Recent Arrivals in NPA Library 14 Bulletin On-, ..) 1 : F;lm Projectionist Wanted 14 Concessi >. all Above Rates For new subscriptions ;oining between: Letters to the Editor 1 5 1 January and 31 March - half specified rate The Alps in Flower 16 1 April and 30 June - annual subscription The Wildlife Parks ot Africa 18 (up to 15 months membership benefit) Books for Sale 18 Flies and Lizards 1 9 ACF Environment Conference 19 Membership Enquiries welcome. Please phone Laraine Frawley at the NPA office on 57 1063. Cover Photo: Courtesy of Russ Kefford The NPA of the ACT office is located in Kmgsley Street. Acton. Office Hours: 1 0.00am to 2 00pm Mondays 9.00am to 2.00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays Telephone: 57 1063 Postal Address: Box 457 GPO. Canberra 2601 DEADLINE DATES for NPA BULLETIN contributions: 1 5 October, 1 5 January. 15 April. 15 July Articles by contributors may not necessarily reflect Association opinion or objectives Attention All Members ! Printed by Derek Kelly 54 1 226 Typesetting & Layout by Top Typesetters 51 6550 Contributions of between 200 and 300 words, with or without photographs (black and white preferably) are sought eagerly for the Bulletin. Of course we need longer items as well, but short ones are popular... with everyone 1 Share with us your camps, trips and pack walks, your trials and tribulations and adventures of all kinds. President's Foreword Ian Fraser's report outlining the case for the conservation and reservation of the northern Cotter area of the ACT is now with the Association, lan's thoroughly researched document clearly details the naturaf and cultural values of the study area It shows that the potential timber values of the wet sclerophyll forest zones have been the major obstacle to the area's reservation, even though the realizable timber value appears quite small. The wet sclerophyll forests are of high habitat value and the Eucalyptus delegatensis (Alpine Ash) and E. fastigata (Brown Barrel) forest is itself of special ecological significance. Reservation of the area is a logical complement to Namadgi National Park and would contribute to the completness of the tri-state 'Alpine Parks' complex. Copies of the report are available from the NPA Office. Any comments or observations on the report would be welcomed by the committee. Committee News ACT Parks & Conservat­ Outings Environment ion Service Consultative The Committee accepted with The report on the lower Cotter Committee Meeting regret the resignation of Ian Haynes, has been published under the title and thanks him for his excellent The Northern Cotter catchment, The ACT Parks and Conservation contribution to the Association as ACT: a case for its conservation and Service has informed the meeting Outings Convenor. reservation, by Ian Fraser. Copies that they are conducting rabbit have been distributed to members control in Grassy Creek, and have While we continue oursearch for of the ACT Parks and Conservation let contracts for the spraying of a new Outings Convenor, Stephen Consultative Committee, and it will blackberries to commence in May. Forst has kindly agreed to prepare be used as a lobbying document. The Square Rock track near the next outings programme. Copies are available at cost, i.e. Smokers Gap is now completed. $6.00 each. Copies of the ACT Tourism Strategy Heritage Week In an effortto publicise the values are available from the Office. of the proposed Brindabella Nat­ Heritage Week 1988 saw a ional Park, the Committee plans to renewed effort by Glyn Lewis and publish acolour brochure describing his Publicity and Education Sub­ New Members the area. committee. An exhibition was held The following new members are Further afield, but in an area at the Albert Hall, and there was an welcomed to the Association: much visited by our members, the essay competition and a full outings National Parks and Wildlife Service Andrea Allen, Lyons; Mrs Jan Bruce, programme. of New South Wales is planning to Fraser; Richard Callan & Vicky restore tracks and camping areas Mackay, Kambah; Anne Cochrane, General Meetings in the Budawangs, especially in the Weetangera; Nada Dobrijevic, Monolith Valley area The Comm­ Deakin; Trevor Francis, Pearce; The Association's general meet­ ittee has resolved to support this Kay Griffiths, Dickson; Graham ings are always addressed by inter­ proposal with appropriate lobbying Hatherley, Fyshwick; R. Holt, Camp­ esting speakers, and the Committee effort. bell; Andrew Lyne, Waramanga; is seeking ways to publicise our Barry McHugh, Queanbeyan; David meetings more widely, for example Pryce & Barbara Rae, Wanniassa; on local television and radio stations AN PC Meeting Alexandra & Maria Pukalskyj, which might offer free announce­ The Annual General Meeting of Queanbeyan; Tim & Lynn Pulford, ments. If you have any suggestions the Australian National Parks Curtin; Prof. Peter Self, O'Connor. for publicity, please contact the Council for 1988 will be held in Pat Treacy, Downer; Nina Wood, Office or a member of the Comm­ Canberra in October. Canberra; Mark Zanker, Lyneham. ittee. We currently advertise our general meeting in the Notes & Quotes column of The Canberra Times. The Northern Cotter Catchment, ACT A Case For Its Conservation and Reservation Some extracts from the recently completed report prepared for the Association by Ian Fraser The study area represents the northernmost extent of the main chain ot tne Australian Alps. Except for a very small portion in the north of the area (roughly north of the Blue Range Road) the whole area is in the catchment of the Cotter River. Two Sticks Rd STUDY AREA It is generally referred to as the Blue Range Northern, or Lower Cotter Catch­ Rd \ ment. (See map.) In accordance with the brief pro­ vided by NPA the report examines the area's: CANBERRA - physical characteristics (eg climate, geology, vegetation); - current management and legislation; - cultural values. Van it - natural values. The work was based on the premise that the area is worthy of conservation and reservation and is a presentation of the case in support of such action. lan's conclusion is that 'the area has high conservation value and is eminently worthy of legislative pro­ tection. There is also a high level of community and professional supp­ ort lor the proposed reservation. Indeed, in the course of my invest­ igations I was surprised by the number and diversity of people who willingly contributed to the prepar­ ation of this report, and to the intensity of some of the views expressed in support of protection for the area' Burkes Ck The case for conservation and reservation is set out in the following terms (text edited and modified Bushrangers Ck slightly for the Bulletin): 'The only way to ensure protec­ Namadgi tion of the area with statutory force would be to declare it a reserve National Park according to Section 51 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance 1980. In order to present a sound case Parrot Rd for proceeding with this, it is first necessary to understand why the area is not currently 'conserved', ie why it was not included in Namadgi National Park in 1984. There seems to be no disagreement that the reason for its exclusion lies in the marketable hardwood potential of the area. It should be noted that there is no short-term plan for is clear that 1) many, if not most, of While this is not necessarily an such a hardwood operation; it is them are associated with the wet exhaustive list, I believe that it is generally accepted that such a sclerophyll pockets underthreat of sufficiently comprehensive and proposition would be politically logging, and 2) these values are powerful to support an argument unacceptable at present. incompatible with logging. for the required preservation of the The commercial interest is not a 'The argument for retaining the area to be achieved by its formal general one; "the only forest types current values of the area are suff­ gazettal and prescribed manage­ within the catchment having an iciently strong I believe, and the ment.