NATIONAL PARKS ASSOCIATION (ACT) INCORPORATED Yerrabi Track tenth anniversary National Parks: new visions for a new century Tidbinbilla before the nature reserve NPA BULLETIN Vow34number3 September 1997 CONTENTS President's report 1996-97 3 Wilson's Promontory - The battle goes on 13 Timothy Walsh Eleanor Stodart More species added to ACT threatened list 13 Annual general meeting 3 Graeme Wicks Yerrabi Track tenth anniversary 5 Parkwatch 14 National Parks: new visions for a new century 6 Bournda car camp 15 Timothy Walsh and Stephen Johnston Trekking in the Karakorum and Tidbinbilla before the nature reserve 8 western Himalayas 16 Eleanor Stodart Len Haskew Counting, culling and conserving our Wildlife 19 Nil Desperandum 9 Syd Comfort Walking in the west coast wilderness — Part 1 10 Pete Tedder Nursery Swamp Aboriginal rock art site 12 Joss Haiblen National Parks Association (ACT) Incorporated Inaugurated 1960 Aims and objectives of the Association The NPA (ACT) office is located in Maclaurin Cres, Chifley, • Promotion of national parks and of measures for the next to the preschool and is staffed by Dianne Hastie. Office protection of fauna and flora, scenery, natural features and hours are: 10am to 2pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays cultural heritage in the Australian Capital Territory and elsewhere, and the reservation of specific areas. Telephone/Fax: (02) 6282 5813 • Interest in the provision of appropriate outdoor recreation Address: PO Box 1940, Woden ACT 2606 areas. Membership • Stimulation of interest in, and appreciation and enjoyment New members are welcome and should enquire through the of, such natural phenomena and cultural heritage by NPA office. organised field outings, meetings or any other means. • Cooperation with organisations and persons having similar Subscription rates (1 July to 30 June) interests and objectives. Household members $30 Single members $25 • Promotion of, and education for. conservation, and the Corporate members $20 Bulletin only $20 planning of landuse to achieve conservation. Concession $15 For new subscriptions joining between: Office-bearers and committee 1 January and 31 March—half specified rate President 1 April and 30 June—annual subscription Clive Hurlstone 6288 7592(h); 6246 5516(w) Immediate past president NPA Bulletin Eleanor Stodart 6281 5004(h) Contributions of articles, line drawings and photographs including colour prints are welcome and should be lodged with Secretary- the office or Syd Comfort (02) 6286 257S. Max Lawrence 6288 1370(h) Treasurer Deadline for December issue: 1 November 1997. Mike Smith 6286 2984(h) Articles by contributors may not necessarily reflect Yvonne Bartos 6231 5699(h) Association opinion or objectives. Len Haskew 6281 4268(h); fax 6281 4257 This bulletin was produced by the NPA Bulletin Working Group Stephen Johnston 6254 3738(h); 6264 3967(w) with assistance from Green Words. Funds provided by the ACT Robin Miller 6281 6314(h); 6201 2191(w) Government under the ACT Environment Grants Program Cover photo assisted in the production of this issue. Approaching the rusting hull of the Svenor at Wreck Bay on Printed by Copy-Qik Printers, Canberra, ACT on Day 7 of the Tasmanian west coast wilderness walk are recycled paper. (I to r) Judith Webster, Annie Tedder and Di Thompson. ISSN 0727-8837 Photo by Pete Tedder President's report 1996-97 with several deviations, and with Murrumbidgee River Corridor draft measurement and repair of damage. management plan and presented a Negotiations for another site for next case for more detail in that year's event are continuing. management plan at a public The event raised the profile of hearing of the Legislative Assembly mountain bike use in Canberra Standing Committee on Planning Nature Park generally, and in and the Environment. Members of particular the problems of safety NPA also took part in a workshop and conflict that walkers have with on management plans organised for unorganised recreational use of the Environment Advisory Com­ mountain bikes. NPA is taking part mittee. I would particularly like to in a working group trying to identify thank Ray Polglaze for his considerable contribution to several Once again NPA faced a number of clearly the problems and come up of the submissions, and Clive challenges through the year, had with solutions that can be made to Hurlstone, Stephen Johnston, Robin some notable achievements, and work. Mountain bikes at present are Miller and the other members of the continued its normal range of permitted only on firetrails but in Environment and Namadgi Sub­ activities for members, the general practice they are used on narrow committees who also made large meetings, outings and the quarterly walking tracks with damage to the contributions. Bulletin. tracks and risks to walkers. Parks and Conservation evidently do not One of the major challenges was The committee was very pleased have the resources to maintain the the use of mountain bikes in to see the new Environment tracks or control the bikes. Canberra Nature Park. This had two Advisory Committee set up at last major aspects: the holding of major The second major challenge was to advise the minister, and events and' daily, often individual, our continuing work to achieve the welcomed my participation in the recreation. NPAhas been involved in best possible management plans for Namadgi and Nature Conservation advising the Minister for the ACT public land. During the year, Subcommittee. Environment, Mr Gary Humphries, NPA, with the Conservation Council Although most of our efforts on the location of major events. After of the Southeast Region and towards promoting the protection of site inspections we advised that both Canberra, prepared detailed fauna, flora, scenery, natural first choice (through the bushland of submissions on the draft man­ features and cultural heritage have Black Mountain) and second choice agement plans for Canberra Nature been concentrated on the ACT, we (using the Casuarina Trail on Mt Park and Tidbinbilla Nature also supported Vic NPA in their Majura) were unsuitable on grounds Reserve. We also prepared a brief struggle to protect Wilson's of environmental damage. We submission on the preliminary draft Promontory from development and accepted a compromise for the final bushfire (fuel) management plan, the NSW Government's declaration choice, using the firetrail from the top and continued with consultations of new national parks in the of Mt Majura into the Majura Pines, with Parks and Conservation on the southeast. The efforts of NPA over a number of years have culminated in some Annual general meeting elects new committee significant landmarks this year. The Annual General Meeting of the NPA, held on 21st August, expressed warm Felling of the Boboyan Pines began appreciation of the work of the members of the 1996 committee with particular and we were very pleased to see the mention for retiring president, Eleanor Stodart.The following members were coordination and preparation for congratulated on accepting office for the coming year: rehabilitation so ably handled by the President Clive Hurstone project officer for Parks and Conservation, Ann Connelly. Immediate Past President Eleanor Stodart Secretary Max Lawrence Parks and Conservation and NPA combined to hold a ceremony to Treasurer Mike Smith mark the completion of the work Members Yvonne Bartos, Len Haskew, Stephen Johnstone, Robin Miller. restoring Orroral Homestead. It is Treasurer, Mike Smith, in presenting the financial statements which recorded sixteen years since NPA first set an operating surplus of $9094,drew attention to an outstanding payment for the itself the aim of seeing the lichen study of $6380 which reduces the surplus to $2714. homestead restored. Many members Following a most interesting address by Anne Connelly on the Boboyan Pines have worked on the site directly. rehabilitation project, members enjoyed a delicious gluhwein supper provided by committee members. Continued on page 4 President's report 1996-97 Continued from page 3 Others have lobbied to ensure that the Bulletin by establishing a NPA is finishing the 1996-7 year the work beyond our scope was working group. I thank all members in a strong position. We know there completed. 1 thank Peter Hann and of the working group, in particular will be continuing work to ensure Craig Richardson of Parks and Syd himself and Graeme Wicks. that the conservation of natural and Conservation in particular for the Their efforts in editing and typing cultural values remains of prime success of the ceremony, and up material have cut the costs of importance in the ACT. We Mr Gary Humphries for officiating. producing the Bulletin significantly, anticipate that our main challenge Another smaller ceremony was and the decision to print it by for the coming year will be to work held during the year to mark the photocopying cut costs further. through the implications of the establishment of the Yerrabi Track Greenwords is still supporting NPA Aboriginal native title claims in the 10 years ago. The track was another by preparing the layout at very ACT to ensure that the conservation NPA initiative. reasonable cost. of natural areas is enhanced in a Throughout the year a varied As a necessary backstop to enable framework of harmony between program of talks was arranged for all this activity to run smoothly the different cultural groups. general meetings. Topics ranged committee has met regularly, with Eleanor Stodart from the lighthearted, in a talk by minutes being regularly recorded by Tim the Yowie Man, to the more Max Lawrence. In managing the serious such as the pig program in office Dianne Hastie provides an Heritage listing for j Namadgi by Craig Richardson, and important and valued service to the a vision for Namadgi by Dr Colin general committee, to sub­ brumby yards I Adrian director of Environment ACT. committees and to individual Seven brumby trap yards in | Included also were reports from members when needed. Namadgi National Park were • members who had travelled to areas I thank the Treasurer, Mike Smith, gazetted in June to an interim of natural significance around the for his work in managing the ACT Heritage Places Register.