THE CANBERRA BUSHWALKING CLUB INC. NEWSLETTER it GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 39 August 2003 NUMBER 8 AUGUST GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 20th Members' Slide Night & Gear Sale Slide Show: Members are invited to show 20-25 excellent slides from their local, interstate or overseas trips. Gear Sale: Bring along any gear you'd like to sell at the meeting. The sale will take place after the slide show. Shine Dome, Australian Academy of Science Gordon Street, Canberra City Make the most of the evening and join other members at 6.00pm for a convivial meal at the Vietnam Restaurant, 8-10 Hobart Place, Canberra City (opposite Canberra House Arcade, next to Aussie Home Loans) Try to be early to ensure there will be ample time to finish and still get to the meeting in good time down of the club’s traditional The Confederation of Bushwalking PRESIDENT’S activities erodes the skills base of Clubs is currently seeking its own the club, and undermines its PRATTLE “above the snow” insurance cover, constitution, which supports and so we are still hopeful that by “bushwalking and other activities”. The proposed motion at our general next year a more reasonable The motion was carried by a small meeting led to some prolonged insurance cover will be possible. majority. debate, with the audience fairly Public liability issues have had a divided on whether to support the In the past months I have ap- very destructive impact on many proposal to seek extra insurance to proached two insurance companies aspects of community life, and on provide public liability cover for seeking this extra cover for the the life of our club. We continue to leaders taking walks above the club. Snowsports AC T recom- hope that government initiatives snowline. Some speakers felt that mended a Sydney firm who were will lead to a saner approach to an extra payment by all club unable to help but Triton Sports public liability. There is a strong members would only benefit a few have given a quote (only delivered feeling in the community, and walkers who chose these activities; in the week of the general meeting) certainly in our club, that people some wondered whether a further of about $11 per member. As this need to take responsibility for their request would then be made for is well above the level we had own actions when embarking on fees to cover other adventurous initially expected, and quoted in adventurous activities, and not fall activities like canyoning. the proposal to members, we will back on blaming others and not be pursuing this quote. seeking litigation when accidents Those in support of the motion occur. argued that a continual narrowing Canberra Bushwalking Club IT August 2003 page 1 Further to this discussion of benefited greatly from the ment authority has moved to insurance, a question was raised at wonderful outdoor opportunities it remove the wilderness designation the meeting about the status of our offers, give some serious thought from a legally declared wilder- traditional Christmas party. You to standing for one of the positions ness.Therefore I regard this as a might recall that last year we listed on the back of the newsletter. potential threat to wilderness discovered that our insurance cover All positions are available for open throughout the nation. did not extend to “Christmas election on the night of the Wilderness protection is surely one parties in private dwellings”. We meeting. Perhaps you know of the greatest achievements of our are relieved to say that since then, someone who would make a good civilisation, ranking above even the insurers have clarified our committee member, but is reluctant museuems, public libaries and art position, and now extend full to put themselves forward. Please galleries.When we enter wilderness public liability cover to any club contact me if you would like to we experience the environment of function, including Christmas nominate someone in advance. our seven million year human parties. evolutionary journey. In keeping Jenny Horsfield Our July speaker Allan Norman, of these areas free from the demands President NPWS, presented us with an open and impacts of modern technologi- invitation to become involved in cal society we are in effect work parties in the Morton THREAT TO demonstrating our sanity . Not Budawang National Park, and thus BIMBERI everything, we are saying, is uphold the good name the club available to meet the voracious earned in this area for its work in WILDERNESS demands of economic growth. Not the late 1980’s. Allan had strong every area, is available for reservations about the re-opening A CALL FOR HELP motorised access. There will still of the Admiration Point track, be wilderness areas where you can which are summarised in Gavin Not all CBC members may be move through the landscape only Ford’s account of the meeting in aware of it but the ‘The Bimberi on foot. this bulletin. There are many other Wilderness’ is seriously threatened. In the 1960s both the ACT tracks in the park that do need Environment ACT is moving to National Parks Association and our maintenance work, and he would eliminate the name wilderness even Club independently proposed be very pleased to see some club though it is a part of a larger wilderness areas in the southern work parties organised to this end. wilderness area shared with New part of the Territory but it was not I have put an advertisement in the South Wales. My purpose in until it was zoned wilderness in the walks program and it would be writing is to alert as many people 1986 Plan of Management (POM) great if some club members could as possible to this threat in the hope for Namadgi National Park that the organise a weekend for this that they will help to oppose it. Bimberi Wilderness was given purpose. NPWS would provide the I should make it clear that I have a official recognition. In 1989 its tools and other logistic support. personal interest. As an office legal status was strengthened when The closure of much of Namadgi holder of the Club in the 1960s and it was declared through gazettal has led to people finding new later as Director of the Australian under the wilderness provisions of walking areas. Saturday afternoon Conservation Foundation I was one the Nature Conservation Act of walk led by Mike Robbins, to Mt of the people pressing for the 1980. Rob Roy, revealed beautiful declaration of Bimberi as wilder- The context for the imminent threat wooded slopes of dry stringybark, ness. The organic development of to the ACT part of the Bimberi and a delightful (mainly dry) Bimberi as a jointly controlled Wilderness is the review of the creekbed leading off the mountain, wilderness area was, I thought, a 1986 POM which is being carried in almost pristine condition until a marvellous example of the way out by Environment ACT with the few hundred metres before the new forward in cooperation between the assistance of the Interim Namadgi development at Banks was reached. two responsible Governments. Advisory Board. From perusal of It’s well worth a trip if you don’t Now the wayward course being the documentation associated with know this feature in southern followed by Environment ACT the review and from contacts with Tuggeranong. threatens both the wilderness and the cooperative spirit. those involved it is clear that the As the Annual general Meeting aim is to eliminate the wilderness draws round again, we need new What makes this attack on designation and that the first public people to nominate for positions on wilderness doubly serious is that as advice of this will be its omission the committee. If you enjoy being far as I am aware this is the first in the draft management plan a member of Canberra Bushwalk- time in the history of protected which is currently set for release in ing Club, and feel you have areas in Australia that a Govern- early November. Canberra Bushwalking Club IT August 2003 page 2 How this is being done is of water body, the ACTEW Corpora- concurrently with that for significance in itself because while tion may have had some influence Kosciusczko in November. There the review is supposed to be an on the move. If so it is a misguided cannot be a properly integrated, exercise in public consultation it is effort because continued exclusion coherent approach if Environment clear that there has been an anti of the impacts associated with four ACT persists with its attempt to wilderness bureaucratic agenda wheel drive access and trail bikes swim against the conservation tide. from the outset. Through repre- can only benefit the water supply. Three recent official wilderness sentation of the facts in a certain The only reason actually given for surveys of the ACT have shown way the public has been prepared contemplation of the move is that that there is much more land of or ‘tutored’ for acceptance of this the name wilderness is offensive to wilderness quality in the Territory outcome. some Aborigines because they feel than is currently declared as As an example of this the Discus- that it denies their prior occupation. wilderness. The obvious course is sion Paper published in March If this is indeed a perception of the to extend the wilderness but here a 2002 avoided any mention of meaning of the name which is held word of caution. If Environment wilderness values even though they by some it is not well founded. In ACT remains true to its own nature are a prominent feature of the POM the four decades that I have been and not the one it is supposed to which is being reviewed (see pages researching wilderness history and conserve it will no doubt dangle a 67 to 72).