Mole Creek Karst National Park and Conservation Area Management Plan 2004 Mole Creek Karst National Park and Conservation Area Management Plan 2004 Mole Creek Karst National Park Management Plan 2004 MOLE CREEK KARST NATIONAL PARK AND CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN 2004 This management plan for Mole Creek Karst National Park and Conservation Area has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Part 3 of National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002. The Appendices provide additional information and are not part of the statutory management plan. Unless otherwise specified, this plan adopts the interpretation of terms given in the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002. The term ‘Minister’ when used in the plan means the Minister administering the Act. The term ‘park’ refers to Mole Creek Karst National Park. The term ‘conservation area’ refers to the Conservation Area at UPI 0962 and UPI 0963. The term ‘PWS’ refers to the Parks and Wildlife Service. In accordance with Section 30 (1) of the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002, the managing authority for the park and the conservation area, in this case the Director of National Parks and Wildlife, shall carry out his or her duties in relation to the park and conservation for the purpose of giving effect to, and in accordance with, the provisions of this management plan. A draft of this plan was released for public comment in accordance with statutory requirements from 12 May 2001 to 16 July 2001. This plan is a modified version of that draft, having been varied to take account of public representations, the views of the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Council and the advice to the Minister provided by the Resource Planning and Development Commission report of October 2002. Parts of the park have previously been included in other management plans. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999 contains management prescriptions for the Marakoopa Cave block and the Kubla Khan State Reserve Management Plan 1994 contains prescriptions for the Kubla Khan Cave block (formerly Kubla Khan Cave State Reserve). In accordance with Section 19(12) of the National Parks and Reserves Management Act 2002 this plan is considered a ‘specific plan’ and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Management Plan 1999 is considered a ‘general plan’. The provisions of the specific plan will prevail over the provisions of the general plan to the extent of any inconsistency. This plan replaces the Kubla Khan Cave State Reserve Management Plan 1994 for the Kubla Khan Cave block. APPROVAL This management plan was approved by His Excellency, the Governor-in-Council, on 23 December 2003 and took effect on 18 February 2004, being seven days after publication of that approval in the Government Gazette. Those provisions that authorise the exercise of other statutory powers (Section 8.6) are of no effect until their inclusion is approved by both Houses of Parliament. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This plan has been prepared by Rolan Eberhard, Ian Houshold and Vicky Schilvock with assistance from Nick Sawyer in analysis of public comment on the draft plan. Many people have assisted in the preparation of this plan by providing information and comments on earlier drafts (see Appendix 2). Their time and efforts are gratefully acknowledged. Published by Parks and Wildlife Service Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts GPO Box 1751 Hobart, Tasmania 7001 ISBN 0975059998 Cite as: Parks and Wildlife Service (2004). Mole Creek Karst National Park and Conservation Area Management Plan 2004. Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, Hobart. © Crown in Right of State of Tasmania Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced for any means without written permission from the Department of Tourism, Parks, Heritage and the Arts, GPO Box 1751, Hobart, Tasmania 7001. Cover photograph: Calcite speleothems, Marakoopa Cave, Mole Creek Karst National Park (Geoffrey Lea). ii Mole Creek Karst National Park Management Plan 2004 Summary Located on the slopes of the Great Western Tiers in northern Tasmania, the Mole Creek Karst National Park and Conservation Area protects a relatively small part of an internationally significant karst system. The park is a disjointed, noncontiguous reserve with the majority of the karst system outside the park. This situation presents a particularly challenging context for management. The karst system is renowned for its numerous spectacular caves, two of which are developed as show caves and are important local attractions. The majority of the caves are undeveloped, however, and are visited primarily by recreational cavers, who regard Mole Creek as a mecca for their sport. Surface karst features such as sinkholes, blind valleys and major springs form a conspicuously different landscape to non-karst systems. A management approach that recognises the three dimensional nature of the karst system is essential. The Mole Creek karst system is highly significant from scientific and conservation perspectives. The caves it contains are also very sensitive places which can be readily degraded by a range of potential impacts. Careful management is required if the caves and karst system are to be protected and maintained. The park contains notable areas of white gum Eucalyptus viminalis grassy forest, E. viminalis wet sclerophyll forest and swamp gum E. ovata shrubby forest found on the well drained, fertile soils overlying limestone. The Regional Forest Agreement process identified these as priority communities, which are poorly reserved elsewhere in the State. It also protects a number of threatened flora and fauna species, including invertebrate cave fauna such as Cockerills cave beetle Tasmanotrechus cockerilli, the cave harvestman Hickmanoxyomma gibbergunyar and the extremely rare cave false scorpion Pseudotyrannochthonius typhlus. All three are endemic to the Mole Creek karst and are listed in the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. Tourism to the caves in the early 20th century has left visible remains, including carbide lighting generators, stairwells and piping. The park also contains important European cultural sites, including a snarer’s hut and parts of a significant heritage landscape. The park will be managed to protect its natural and cultural values, and provide for a range of recreational opportunities, including guided cave tours, recreational caving and walking. Visitor facilities will be high quality and reflect the nature of the area. To these ends, the management plan prescribes: • a site plan for the Wet Cave area, to address visitor facilities including an interpreted karst walk; • upgrading walking tracks at Marakoopa Cave and King Solomons Cave; • a business plan to guide the operation of the show caves; • environmentally appropriate toilets at Marakoopa Cave and King Solomons Cave; • a cave classification process as a framework for managing undeveloped caves; • access protocols and a range of other measures to promote sustainable management of undeveloped caves; • a program to monitor impacts at show caves and undeveloped caves; • implementation of a joint protocol with Forestry Tasmania for the management of caves and karst in the Mill Creek-Kansas Creek catchment; • liaison and collaboration with neighbours and catchment users to better manage the karst system; and visitor research to build a comprehensive visitor management model to better predict and respond to visitor growth and impact trends, over the long term. iii Mole Creek Karst National Park Management Plan 2004 CONTENTS 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 An Overview of the Park .................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 The Park and Conservation Area.........................................................................................1 1.1.2 Importance of the Park and Conservation Area...................................................................2 1.1.3 Threats.................................................................................................................................2 1.2 Creation of the Park ............................................................................................................ 3 1.2.1 Reservation History............................................................................................................3 1.2.2 Area and Boundaries ...........................................................................................................3 1.2.3 Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area......................................................................4 1.3 The Management Plan ........................................................................................................ 4 1.3.1 Preparation of the Plan ........................................................................................................4 2 Vision and Objectives.....................................................................................................8 2.1 The Vision for the Park .......................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Purposes and Management Objectives of National Parks..................................................
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