Booderee National Park Management Plan 2002 (Cth)
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK
DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN
(Consisting of a description of Booderee National Park
and a management plan)
Booderee National Park Board of Management
Director of National Parks
June 2001
© Commonwealth of Australia 2001
Booderee National Park Board of Management and the Director of National Parks
Booderee National Park Management Plan, Jervis Bay
ISBN 0 642 54748 3
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Director of National Parks. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Park Manager, Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay Territory 2540.
The sea eagle in the Booderee National Park logo is the traditional guardian of the land and is a familiar sight in the skies above the Park. The presence of birds of prey is an indicator of a healthy environment.
BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK
Booderee National Park is a Koori owned place, Booderee being a Dhurga word meaning “bay of plenty” or “plentiful fish”.
VISION
To excel in the natural and cultural heritage management of Booderee by acknowledging and utilising traditional and scientific expertise.
KEY OBJECTIVES
To conserve the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the Park;
To provide for the appreciation and quiet enjoyment of the Park; and
To benefit future generations of members of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community.
FOREWORD
We believe visitors and all those connected with Booderee National Park recognise it as a very important and special part of Australia’s heritage which needs careful management and cooperation between all interested parties. It is home to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community, it is a National Park with considerable cultural and biological significance, and it is a valued destination for numerous visitors.
The management plan, which will be the first for the Park, will set out how the Park will be managed over the next seven years. First, however, this draft is being published to enable public comment and input. We encourage public submissions on the draft plan or specific provisions in order to achieve a plan which protects the interests of the Park’s owners, the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, provides for the conservation of the Park’s precious resources, and best meets the needs and aspirations of the wider community.
Public comment has already been taken into account in developing this draft management plan. In response to invitations in 1997, some 49 submissions were received. The Board of Management has carefully considered those submissions and a wide range of management issues.
With a sense of excitement, responsibility and pride, we present for public comment this first draft management plan for Booderee National Park. We look forward to receiving many contributions which will enhance the value of the finalised management plan which we shall present to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage for tabling in the Federal Parliament, together with the comments we receive and how these have been addressed in the final plan.
Annette Brown Peter Cochrane
Chair Director of National Parks
Booderee National Park
Board of Management
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD IV
TABLE OF CONTENTS V
WRECK BAY ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL VISION STATEMENT vii
DESCRIPTION OF BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK 1
Booderee — a unique place 1
Natural Features 1
History 2
Significance 7
Booderee – a centre of management excellence 10
Key issues for the Wreck Bay Community 11
DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK 14
PART 1 — INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS 14
1.1 Short title 14
1.2 Commencement and Termination 14
1.3 Interpretation 14
1.4 Legislative Context 16
1.5 Purpose and Content of a Management Plan 19
1.6 IUCN World Conservation Union Category 20
PART 2 – HOW THE PARK WILL BE MANAGED 22
2 Decision making 22
2.1 Consulting and Making Decisions 22
2.2 IUCN Categorisation and Zoning 24
2.3 Evaluation of Proposals 32
Telling people about the park 35
4. Cultural heritage management 39
5. Natural heritage management 43
5.1 Landscape and Geology 43
5.2 Marine and Freshwater Management 45
5.3 Fire 48
5.4 Native Plants and Animals 53
5.5 Introduced Species 57
6. The Booderee Botanic Gardens 60
Objectives for the Booderee Botanic Gardens 61
6.1 Living Collection and Natural Vegetation Management 61
6.2 Nursery Management 66
6.3 Management of Lake McKenzie 66
6.4 Weed Management in the Gardens 67
6.5 Pest and Pathogen Management 68
6.6 Scientific Use 70
6.7. Herbarium Management 71
6.8 Information, Education and Interpretation 72
6.9 Relationship with Australian National Botanic Gardens 74
6.10 Relationship with Other Botanic Gardens and Other Institutions 74
7. Visitor and recreation management 77
7.1 Visitor Use 77
7.2 Camping 80
7.3 Walking 81
7.4 Swimming, Snorkelling and SCUBA Diving 82
7.5 Boating 84
7.6 Recreational Fishing and Collecting Activities 85
8. Commercial activities management 88
8.1 General 88
8.2 Tours 89
8.3 Commercial Fishing 91
8.4 Other Commercial Activities 93
9. Administration 94
9.1 Operational Management 94
9.2 Resource Use in Park Operations 95
9.3 Capital Works and Infrastructure 98
9.4 Access and Roads 101
9.5 Essential Services 104
9.6 Staffing 107
9.7 Training 108
9.8 Compliance and Enforcement 110
9.9 Financial Management 112
9.10 Leaseholds and Other Occupancy Issues 114
9.11 Neighbour Relations 116
10. Research and monitoring 119
11. Evaluation of performance 123
PART 3 – MISCELLANEOUS 125
Appendix 1 — Significant Species 125
Flora 125
Fauna 127
International treaties and agreements 129
Appendix 2 — Australian IUCN reserve management principles (extract) 131
Bibliography 134
INDEX 135
List of Figures
Figures 1.1 & 1.2 ¯ – Location of Booderee National Park 3
Figure 1.3 – Booderee National Park 7
Figure 2.1 – Zoning
Figure 6.1 Booderee Botanic Gardens 60
List of Tables
Table 1 Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Timeline 4
Table 2.1 Description of zones 29
Table 2.2 Types of activities appropriate to zones 30
Table 3.1 Interpretation & Information Matrix 36
Table 9.1 Routine Operations 96
WRECK BAY ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL VISION STATEMENT
‘Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council seeks to be a respected equal and valued part of a culturally diverse Australian society. By controlling and managing its own lands and waters, the Community aims to become self sufficient and able to freely determine its future and lifestyle. The Community desires to do this by protecting its interests and values while preserving for future generations, its unique identity, heritage and culture.’
To achieve this vision Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council’s Goals are:
Sole ownership of all lands and waters within the Jervis Bay Territory.
Sole management of its freehold land and waters, allowing for Community responsibility, empowerment and self determination.
Sole representation of the Community’s united and democratically agreed interests, at all levels of Government and in all external dealings so as to protect Community and members rights.
Environmentally sustainable development, to allow a productive economic base for the Community. By managing Booderee as an ongoing park, the Community seeks to protect the land and waters while earning income, creating jobs and achieving financial security.
Social and cultural development, linked with appropriate cultural training and education, to improve Community empowerment and management, security and wellbeing, while preserving Community value.
Improved health, housing and living standards, to levels at least comparable with good practice in other Australian communities.
Recognition and support from the wider Australian community and Government, to achieve these worthwhile and positive goals.
DESCRIPTION OF BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK
Booderee — a unique place
Booderee National Park is located on the south-east coast of Australia, within the Jervis Bay Territory (Fig 1.1). It comprises most of the Bherwerre Peninsula (Bherwerre means a large area of water), on the southern side of Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin, and includes part of the waters of Jervis Bay (Fig 1.2).
Natural Features
Geological
The underlying rock of the Bherwerre Peninsula is Permian sandstone of the southern Sydney Basin, about 260 million years old. Near Vincentia and in a few small areas on the Peninsula there is evidence of an ancient landscape, Tertiary or older (more than 2 million years old), which overlaid the Permian rocks. About 130,000 years ago the sea was close to its present level but the Bherwerre Peninsula was probably quite different in shape from now. During the last ice age, 20–15,000 years ago, the sea level was about 120 metres lower than it is now, and the coastline was about 20 kilometres further east, near the edge of the continental shelf. Jervis Bay was an open, vegetated valley more than 90 metres above sea level, with Currambene Creek flowing between what are now Bowen Island and Beecroft Peninsula. The landscape as we know it, with its present coastline, dates from the stabilisation of the sea level about 6,000 years ago, after the ice age. Most of the surface of the Peninsula and Bowen Island is Quaternary sediments — sand dunes, swamp deposits and alluvium — younger than 10,000 years, overlying the Permian sandstone. The present shape of the Peninsula is due partly to the Permian rock and partly to the post-glacial deposits.
Climatic
Being coastal, temperature extremes are rare at Jervis Bay. Maximum temperatures range from an average of 24°C in February to 16°C in July, while average minimum temperatures range from 18°C to 9.5°C respectively. Annual rainfall is approximately 1200 mm, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year, although there is usually more rain in June and July and less in spring.
The prevailing winds in summer are north-easterly, while the main winter winds are from the south-west, but a clear diurnal cycle in wind patterns is superimposed on the seasonal changes.
Biological
The Park contains a diverse range of well preserved coastal plant communities including remnant rainforest, heath communities, woodland and coastal littoral communities. More than 600 species of naturally occurring terrestrial plants have been recorded. But Jervis Bay also has some of the largest and most pristine seagrass meadows on the NSW coast. Seagrass meadows affect physical and chemical processes and play major roles in the biology of coastal ecosystems.
Some 26 native terrestrial mammal species have been recorded in Booderee, though more are expected to occur there, and 13 marine mammal species. There is a diverse bird fauna with some 200 species recorded. In addition to 17 species of terrestrial reptiles, two species of marine turtle and one sea snake species have been recorded. There are also 15 amphibian species. At least 308 fish and marine macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded during shallow water surveys in Jervis Bay. The macrobenthic infauna of the Bay encompasses more than 500 species, including more than 150 polychaete species, 190 molluscs and 180 crustaceans.
History
Booderee is a Koori owned place. It is home to the people of Wreck Bay Community. It holds the evidence of the traditional owners’ ancestry, and with the wind, the water and all life reflected in the past, it is the home and spirit of the Wreck Bay people. Koori people are born of the land and have lived off the land forever.
Aboriginal people lived in this region long before the sea rose to its current level and the present Bherwerre Peninsula was created. The oldest archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the region includes a site at Burrill Lake, about 30 kilometres south of Jervis Bay, dating to more than 20,000 years ago. At that time, the coastline would have been about 20 kilometres east of the present coast, and evidence of coastal Aboriginal communities would have been submerged as sea levels rose to the present level.
More than 100 prehistoric Aboriginal sites have been recorded on the Bherwerre Peninsula, some probably dating back to the stabilisation of the sea level about 6000 years ago. The majority are shell middens, but there are also rock shelters, burial sites, ceremonial grounds, stone-flaking sites and axe-sharpening grooves. The distribution of these recorded sites emphasises the importance of the eastern end of Wreck Bay. The high density of midden sites here mirrors the preferred fishing zones of the present Community. Ceremonial bunan or bora grounds are known only from the immediate hinterland of this section of Wreck Bay, and nearly all known grinding groove sites are in the catchments of Mary and Summercloud Bays.
Early historical records describe meetings between explorers and Kooris in the area. In the 1830s the impact of settlement led to a significant reduction in the Koori population as groups were marginalised and their lands expropriated. Aboriginal reserves were established during the late 1800s and, with time, the sizes of the reservations were reduced or the reserves revoked as the demand for coastal lands grew.
Despite the continuing pressure of settlement in the area, the Wreck Bay settlement was established by Koori initiatives in the early 1900s (Table 1). They favoured the area because of strong traditional and cultural ties, its closeness to both the bush and the sea for collection of food and other resources, and its distance from non-Aboriginal settlements. Because of this initiative, Koori cultural practices of the Wreck Bay people have been able to survive.
Koori people of Wreck Bay have always strongly pursued and been committed to the recognition of ownership of their traditional home in the Jervis Bay area. This commitment and pursuit for recognition has not wavered and has persevered through a number of changes to Government administration and management of the area.
In 1791 Lieutenant Bowen named Jervis Bay after Sir James Jervis, his former naval commander. European settlement of the district began about 1827. Construction of the Cape St George lighthouse began in 1854, and the elegant structure was completed in 1856. Unfortunately the lighthouse was built in the wrong spot, and it came to be regarded as a navigational hazard, resulting in its partial demolition by naval gunnery in the early 1900s. Harriet Parker, the daughter of an assistant lighthouse keeper, was accidentally shot dead by a friend when they were looking for a horse near Green Patch in 1887. Her grave is in the Green Patch camping area.
Figures 1.1 & 1.2 ¯ – Location of Booderee National Park
Table 1 Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Timeline
From 1900 Aboriginal people stayed at Wreck Bay for fishing seasons 1920 Aboriginal people settled permanently at Wreck Bay and lived by fishing 1922 After the Commonwealth acquired Jervis Bay Territory it was realised that an aspiring Aboriginal station had been included in the purchase 1925 Release of report: "Aboriginals at Wreck Bay Federal Capital Territory, proposed transfer of". The Government was concerned about the cost of removal from Jervis Bay Territory 1928 Responsibility for Wreck Bay Community transferred to the NSW Aboriginal Protection Board 1943 Cottages built 1952 First Aboriginal Station Manager appointed 1954 166 people living at Wreck Bay 1961 Electricity connected 1966 Wreck Bay Progress Association formed 1967 Right to vote. Recognition as Australian citizens 1974 Wreck Bay Aboriginal Cooperative Housing Company formed 1975 The boundary of the lease offer extended to include Summercloud Beach 1976 Bill drafted enabling land to be leased in perpetuity to Wreck Bay Aboriginal Cooperative Housing Company 10 March 1987 Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Act 1986. Declaration scheduling land to become Aboriginal land. Formation of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council. 1992 Community aimed for self determination and self sufficiency 1993 & 1994 Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council sought land grants over the Park and Botanic Gardens 1995 Legislation passed by the Commonwealth to enable title of the Park and Botanic Gardens to be transferred to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council December 1995 Memorandum of lease between the Director of National Parks and Wildlife and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council was signed. 1996 The Park Board was established.
In the early 1880s, Jacob Ellmoos established what appears to have been the first European settlement, other than the lighthouse, in the Jervis Bay Territory. He selected 120 acres (48 ha) on the eastern shore of Sussex Inlet, where he and his family set up a fishing enterprise and farm. In 1890 the Ellmoos family opened a guesthouse there, named “Christian’s Minde” in memory of Jacob’s brother Christian who had died in 1888.
By about 1900 Octavius Beale owned a farm, “Bherwerre”, on the shore of Lake McKenzie, now within the Booderee Botanic Gardens. Almost all of the Park area became subject to grazing, although only small areas were cleared. Management for grazing included frequent burning to increase green growth.
The Jervis Bay Territory was surrendered by New South Wales to the Commonwealth in 1915 under the Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915, in order that the national seat of government would have access to the sea. In 1951, the Jervis Bay Botanic Gardens were declared as a frost-free annex of the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG). From 1954, forestry activities removed about 500 ha of the best blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) forest, some of which was replanted with pines. Most of the pines in the eastern area were destroyed by fire in 1972. Most of the remaining pines have since been removed to allow regeneration of native vegetation. In 1970–71 an area near Murrays Beach, now the carpark, was excavated and a sealed road built in preparation for planned construction of a nuclear reactor by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission.
In 1971, the Jervis Bay Nature Reserve was declared. The Reserve constituted two thirds of the Territory (4470 ha) and was declared a public park under the ACT Public Parks Ordinance 1928. The ACT Parks and Conservation Service managed the Reserve.
In 1975, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Conservation recommended that the Jervis Bay Nature Reserve be extended to include all areas of the Jervis Bay Territory not then reserved for use by the Department of Defence.
With the establishment of the Nature Reserve in 1971, conflict over land rights increased. The Reserve incorporated areas historically used by the Community. This conflict and the Wreck Bay people’s commitment to pursing ownership of their land, came to a head in 1979 with a demonstration on Australia Day at the popular public use area at Summercloud Bay, adjacent to the Wreck Bay village.
Further extensions of the reserve system occurred in the 1980s. In 1985, Bowen Island was declared a nature reserve under the ACT Nature Conservation Ordinance 1980. Also in 1985, the area of land around the Bay foreshore, which had been Defence land managed by the ACT Parks and Conservation Service, was declared as a nature reserve under the Public Parks Act 1928. Both these areas were included in the Jervis Bay Nature Reserve.
In March 1987, the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council was granted inalienable freehold title to 403 hectares of land under the Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Act 1986 (Land Grant Act). The Council was established as a body corporate under the Land Grant Act to hold title to land granted in accordance with the Land Grant Act.
In 1990, responsibility for management of the ANBG, including the Jervis Bay annex, was transferred from the Commonwealth Department responsible for Territories to the Director of National Parks and Wildlife (now the Director of National Parks). In 1991, the ANBG (including the annex) was proclaimed under the Commonwealth National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 (Parks Act) and title vested in the Director. The Botanic Gardens extended 1000 metres below the surface of the land.
On 4 March 1992 the Jervis Bay Nature Reserve, additional Commonwealth lands and the waters of Jervis Bay Territory, were proclaimed as the Jervis Bay National Park under the Parks Act (see Fig. 1.3). The Park extended 1000 metres below the surface of the land and 1000 metres below the sea bed. The title to the land vested in the Director of National Parks and Wildlife and the Director took over management responsibility from the ACT Parks and Conservation Service shortly after.
In 1993 and 1994, the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council pursued further land grants in the Territory – the area of the Park and the Gardens. However, as the areas were vested in the Director, they were not considered ‘vacant Crown land’ and could not be granted without amendments to the Land Grant Act and the Parks Act. The process also required the area to be recognised as ‘significant’ to the Wreck Bay people and that the grant was ‘appropriate’.
The ‘significance’ of the area and the ‘appropriateness’ of the grant were determined and negotiations were undertaken between the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the Commonwealth for the Park and the Gardens to be leased back to the Director of National Parks and Wildlife.
Amendments to the Land Grant Act and the Parks Act were passed by Federal Parliament in 1995. Subsequently, title to the Jervis Bay National Park and the Jervis Bay Botanic Gardens was conferred on the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, provided these areas were leased back to the Director of National Parks and Wildlife as a national park and botanic gardens. A memorandum of lease between the Director of National Parks and Wildlife and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council was signed in December 1995. The lease agreement provides for the Park and Gardens to be jointly managed between the Director and the Council, in accordance with the Parks Act and a management plan and consistent with decisions of a Board of Management (the Park Board). The Park Board was established in 1996 under the Parks Act.
In 1997, in line with provisions of the lease, the Council chose Booderee National Park and Booderee Botanic Gardens as the new name for the Park and Gardens.
With land ownership passing to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, the Booderee Botanic Gardens’ relationship with the ANBG altered significantly. In recognition of these changes, in May 2000 amendments to the original proclamations of the ANBG and the Booderee National Park had the effect that the Booderee Botanic Gardens ceased to be a part of the ANBG and were added to the area of the Booderee National Park. For practical management reasons, since 1995 the Booderee Botanic Gardens have been managed as part of the administration responsible for Booderee National Park. The amended proclamations have not altered that arrangement although the Gardens will be treated as a separate zone within the Park with special management prescriptions where required.
The Parks Act was replaced by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on 16 July 2000. This change has not altered the status of the Park, the lease or the management arrangements.
The Park covers an area of 6312 hectares, which includes 875 hectares of marine environment. The Botanic Gardens zone is 80 hectares in area (Figures 1.3 and 5.1).
Significance
The significance of Booderee is attributable to its rich natural and cultural heritage, the inclusion of both land and seascapes within a single protected area, and its location.
Cultural
Booderee is home to the people of Wreck Bay. Koori people have always lived in the area and have strong cultural ties. These cultural ties are evidenced today in both oral cultural history, the knowledge and practice of the use of natural resources for food and the making of utensils and crafts, and in the respect for the country. Koori people of Wreck Bay are proud of their association with the area and through strong family ties, have passed on the ancestral stories and creation stories. Parents recite such stories today to their children.
Figure 1.3 – Booderee National Park
A range of sites of archaeological significance, including middens and axe groove sites, have been identified. More significantly, the area is one of the few places in south-eastern Australia where recent and contemporary Koori lifestyles have continued within the setting of a substantially natural environment. The opportunities to educate visitors about Koori culture of the region are among Booderee’s most important assets. The Wreck Bay Community has extensive experience in cultural interpretation and prides itself on providing a quality and informative experience.
Natural
Jervis Bay is one of the major biogeographic nodes in Australia which contains a variety of relatively undisturbed marine and terrestrial habitats.
The Park protects a significantly large area of species-rich heath, a diversity of wetlands and extensive saltmarshes. The Park also protects one of the largest Posidonia seagrass meadows along the NSW coast. The large breeding colony of Little Penguins on Bowen Island is one the most significant in Australia. The Jervis Bay area, particularly the area of the Park, is an outstanding scenic location.
A number of plant and animal species which occur in Booderee have significant conservation status and warrant special protection because they are at the edge of their range, have limited distribution or are considered rare or threatened. A substantial number of fauna species are listed on NSW and Commonwealth threatened and endangered species schedules or are subject to international treaties (see Appendix 1 — page 125). Syzygium paniculatum is the only known naturally occurring plant species which is classified under the EPBC Act as vulnerable. Although not listed as threatened, the striking Grevillea barklayana is a naturally occurring endemic species, restricted to the Jervis Bay region. Four other plant species are considered rare nationally and another is too poorly known to classify. Management prescriptions in this plan reflect the conservation requirements of these species.
The area supports a population of bottlenose dolphins and the Bay is registered as a type locality for many marine invertebrates and algal habitats. The Park protects coastal dune systems and their associated habitats that are otherwise disturbed or potentially threatened in the region. The area is scientifically valuable, as it has not undergone the degradation that similar coastal sites (such as those surrounding Sydney) have suffered. The preservation as a southern representative of the sandstone ecosystems of coastal New South Wales is highly important.
The Booderee Botanic Gardens have special significance as the only Aboriginal-owned botanic garden in Australia, a feature which needs to be promoted and enhanced.
The living collection of the Booderee Botanic Gardens contains open ground plantings of some 1600 taxa, which are cultivated and displayed to facilitate the study, conservation, promotion and enjoyment of Australia’s plant heritage. Since the 1980s, the Gardens has been increasingly involved in ex-situ conservation of threatened species. More recent is the promotion of the Gardens as a centre for interpreting the cultural use of plants, with cultural interpretation activities occurring on a regular basis.
The Botanic Gardens also contain some species listed as endangered or vulnerable under the EPBC Act. One species (Syzygium paniculatum) occurs naturally on the site while others have been introduced into the living collection for display or conservation purposes.
Register of the National Estate listings
Specific listings on the Register of the National Estate under the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975 in the area of Booderee include: Bowen Island for well preserved prehistory sites and penguin and shearwater rookeries; Cape St George Lighthouse Complex ruins for historical importance to maritime navigation history; Jervis Bay Nature Reserve (in 1987) for the diverse range of well preserved coastal plant communities; and Booderee Botanic Gardens as an important example of mid-twentieth century botanic gardens established to display native plants.
The wider area of Jervis Bay was entered on the Register in 1993 in recognition of its outstanding landscape features, its diversity of flora, fauna and archaeological sites and its value to past and present communities for recreational activities (Australian Heritage Commission, 1993). While listing on the Register does not dictate specific management requirements in relation to Booderee, section 30 of the Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975 requires Commonwealth Ministers and authorities not to take action that will have an adverse effect on registered places, as part of the National Estate, unless there is no feasible and prudent alternative.
Visitors
The area of Booderee has long been a popular destination for visitors. Christians Minde Guesthouse on Sussex Inlet provided the first tourist accommodation in the area in 1896. Since then, the area has become a major tourist destination. People from Sydney and the large urban centres of Canberra and Wollongong use Booderee for recreation. They undertake many activities, with fishing, camping, bushwalking and visiting with relatives and friends being some of the most popular activities. Booderee offers recreational opportunities that are complementary to those offered in the other parks, gardens, reserves and attractions in the region and south coast.
Booderee – a centre of management excellence
Joint Management
The Wreck Bay people are the long term custodians of the area and it is in their interests, and the interests of their future generations, that they are actively involved in the management of the Park. The Wreck Bay Community also feels that it is important for their values, customs and beliefs to be maintained, promoted and enhanced at Booderee.
The Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community’s interests in Booderee are legally reflected in the lease agreement, the EPBC Act and the Land Grant Act.
The Acts provide for traditional use of the land in the Park for hunting, food gathering and ceremonial religious purposes. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (EPBC Regulations) permit the Director of National Parks to make areas of the Park available for use by the traditional Aboriginal owners. Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community members are committed to promoting their traditional skills and knowledge in the work place, and to park visitors.
The lease agreement (Appendix 2) places obligations on the Director of National Parks to manage the Park and to promote the interests of the traditional owners. The lease sets out the terms and conditions governing joint management and provides for payment to the Council of an annual rental and a proportion of income generated by the Park, in recognition of the use of the areas for conservation purposes. The lease covers a period of 99 years and the lease requires the Director to discuss possible variations with the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council every five years.
The Director of National Parks is a Commonwealth statutory authority under the EPBC Act. The Director’s main function is to administer, manage and control Commonwealth reserves, including Booderee. The Director is responsible for controlling activities in Commonwealth reserves, for example by issuing permits and making determinations under the EPBC Regulations.
The ten-member Booderee Board of Management (the Park Board), with a majority of representatives of the traditional Aboriginal owners, makes decisions relating to the management of the Park and, in conjunction with the Director of National Parks, prepares the management plan. As well as representatives of the Traditional Owners, membership on the Park Board includes the Director of National Parks; the First Assistant Secretary, Territories and Regional Support Division of the Department of Transport and Regional Services; a scientist familiar with the conservation values of the Jervis Bay region; and a tourism representative familiar with the Jervis Bay region.
The Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council concerns are wider than park management and extend into community development, housing and other social issues. Although these are not directly the responsibility of the Director of National Parks, these issues and how the Community deal with them have an impact on the joint management arrangements and the success of joint management. Often the Community’s focus on many Park issues relates to the outcomes that enhance the continued economic development of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community.
The implementation of joint management at Booderee continues to evolve. The joint management structure is set out in the EPBC Act. The Act sets out the establishment of the Park Board (the key decision making body for the Park) and the basic philosophy of the working relationship between the Government and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council. The success of the arrangements depends on a number of things, including: implementation of this (the first) management plan for Booderee which reflects the objectives and provisions of the lease agreement and the aspirations of the Wreck Bay people; further development of a shared decision making relationship; and the increasing involvement of the Wreck Bay people in the management of the Park.
Important functions of the following management plan are to clarify the roles of the new management arrangements, to provide for increased involvement in the management of the areas by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and to manage the areas for conservation of biodiversity. Specific to the Gardens is the need to also clarify its role in light of the changed relationship with the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
Key issues for the Wreck Bay Community
Sole management
The Community seeks sole management of Booderee National Park in the longer term. The requirements of the lease agreement support progress towards this goal. The Director is providing training and employment opportunities for Community members, which is enhancing the Community’s ability to eventually manage the Park.
Contracts and employment
The lease agreement requires the Director, subject to the management plan, to:
·take all reasonably practicable steps to promote the provision of services by the Council for the administration, management and control of the Park;
·to promote the use of the service of members of the Community in the administration, management and control of the Park;
·to contract the Council’s services and engage as many Community members as is practicable to provide services in and in relation to the Park; and
·to encourage appropriate business and commercial initiatives and enterprises by the Council and Community members within the Park.
More than half the Park staff are members of the Community and, in addition, Community members are employed in the Park through contracts for management of the Entry Station, road maintenance, horticultural maintenance and cleaning.
The Community is keen to gain further contracts, which the Director supports. In line with the Park lease agreement, the Director will engage businesses owned by traditional owners and/or their associations to provide contract services in the Park as much as possible, consistent with relevant Commonwealth purchasing procedures.
Depot/land ownership
The land on which the Park depot is located is not part of the Park. It is Commonwealth land managed by the Department of Transport and Regional Services, while the Park buildings are owned by the Director of National Parks. The Department of Transport and Regional Services is investigating options to give the Director secure tenure of the land.
Cultural/visitor centre
As a part of the negotiations between the Commonwealth and the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council prior to the hand-back of the area of the Park, a commitment was given to construct a Cultural Centre. As the only national park in the region which is owned by an Aboriginal community, Booderee has a special opportunity and responsibility to provide visitors with an integrated combination of culture and nature. The Cultural Centre’s interpretations and displays will constitute an essential vehicle for conveying messages, particularly about Aboriginal cultural and associated Park values, and the concept of joint management. This information is crucial to visitors’ understanding of the Park’s cultural and natural values, and will enhance visitors’ experience in the Park. The Cultural Centre is also expected to provide commercial opportunities as a focus of interpretive tours and appropriate retail sales. Excellent location and design are important for maximum effectiveness of the Cultural Centre. Careful planning, in close consultation with the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, will be necessary. Useful lessons may be gained from experience with the highly successful cultural centres in Kakadu and Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Parks. The design, construction and cost of the centre are subject to further negotiation (page 99).
Initial steps towards identifying the location and design of the Cultural Centre will occur during the first twelve months of operation of this plan. Subject to the availability of adequate funding, construction of the Cultural Centre, incorporating visitor services for the Park, will be completed during the life of this Plan (page 100).
Budget
The Community is keen to increase revenue from the Park. Taking account of the requirements of the EPBC Act and the lease, the Director, in conjunction with the Park Board, will consider and pursue new activities for the Park that have potential to supplement the Park’s annual budget. The Director, in conjunction with the Park Board, will develop a marketing plan for the Park, to provide for increased revenue raising opportunities to the extent consistent with the Park’s management principles (page 113).
Commercial
The Community has established a commercial company, Wreck Bay Enterprises Limited, which will be responsible for undertaking contracts awarded to the Council. It sees the company as a means of developing new Community business opportunities and securing further contracts, in and outside the Park, creating more employment opportunities for Community members. Existing contracts include operating the Entry Station, cleaning and road maintenance.
See also ‘Contracts and employment’ above.
Training
The lease agreement requires the Director to establish and implement a program for training reasonable numbers of the Community in skills relevant to the administration, management and control of the Park. An Aboriginal training officer is employed in the Park, and the Director will continue to initiate training opportunities for members of the Community (page 108).
Lease
The lease provides for review of its conditions each five years. An existing management plan cannot be amended other than by a new plan. Therefore, if changes arising from review of the lease require any change to the management plan, a new management plan incorporating the changes will be required. Synchronisation of lease review and development of the new management plan would enable any necessary changes to be dealt with promptly.
Resources/water
The Community is concerned that shortage of water could become a problem due to the large numbers of visitors in the Park during the summer.
Water conservation principles will be applied to all water use in the Park. As opportunities arise, facilities which use less water will replace existing facilities, particularly where water use is greatest. Water use efficiency will be considered when planning new buildings and horticultural infrastructure (page 95).
DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK
PART 1 — INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
1.1 Short title
This Management Plan may be cited as the Booderee National Park Management Plan.
1.2 Commencement and Termination
This management plan has been prepared for approval under section 370 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The Plan will cease to have effect seven years after commencement, unless it has already been revoked or replaced with a new Plan.
1.3 Interpretation
In this Management Plan:
‘Aboriginal’ means a person who is a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia;
‘Aboriginal tradition’ means the body of traditions, observances, customs and beliefs of Aboriginals generally or of a particular group of Aboriginals and includes those traditions, observances, customs and beliefs as applied in relation to particular persons, sites, areas of Booderee National Park, things and relationships;
‘ANBG’ means the Australian National Botanic Gardens at Canberra declared as a botanic gardens under the Parks Act and continued as a Commonwealth reserve under the EPBC Act by the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999;
‘Board of Management’ means the Board of Management for Booderee National Park established under the Parks Act and continued under the EPBC Act by the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999;
‘Booderee’ has the same meaning as Booderee National Park;
‘Booderee Botanic Gardens’ means that part of Booderee National Park formerly part of the ANBGand included in Booderee National Park by proclamation on 25 May 2000;
‘Botanic Gardens’ has the same meaning as ‘Booderee Botanic Gardens’;
‘Booderee National Park’ means the area declared as a park by that name under the Parks Act and continued as a Commonwealth reserve under the EPBC Act by the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999;
‘Commonwealth reserve’ means a reserve declared under Division 4 of Part 15 of the EPBC Act;
‘Community’ means the community known as the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community;
‘Council’ means the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council established and constituted by the Land Grant Act;
‘Director’ means the Director of National Parks under section 514A of the EPBC Act;
‘DoTRS’ means the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services;
‘EPBC Act’ means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, including Regulations under the Act, and includes reference to any Act amending, repealing or replacing the EPBC Act;
‘EPBC Regulations’ means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 and includes reference to any Regulations amending, repealing or replacing the EPBC Regulations;
‘Environment Australia’ means the Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage;
‘Gardens’ has the same meaning as ‘Booderee Botanic Gardens’;
‘IUCN’ means IUCN - The World Conservation Union;
‘Jet ski’ means a type of personal watercraft;
‘Koori’ means Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia;
‘Land Grant Act’ means the Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Act 1986;
‘Lease agreement’ means the Memorandum of Lease between the Director and the Council, unless otherwise stated;
‘Management principles’ means the Australian IUCN reserve management principles set out in Schedule 8 of the EPBC Regulations (see Appendix 3 — page 131);
‘Mining operations’ means mining operations as defined by the EPBC Act;
‘Park’ means the same as Booderee National Park. A reference to the Park means the Park including the Botanic Gardens unless the context requires otherwise;
‘Park Board’ has the same meaning as ‘Board of Management’;
‘Parks Act’ means the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 and the Regulations under that Act;
‘Parks Australia’ means that part of Environment Australia that assists the Director in performing the Director’s functions under the EPBC Act;
‘Personal watercraft’ means a power-driven vessel that:
(a) has a fully enclosed hull; and
(b) does not retain water taken on if it capsizes; and
(c) is designed to be operated by a person standing, sitting astride or kneeling on the vessel but not seated within the vessel
and includes a jet ski;
‘Traditional Aboriginal owners’ means those members of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council whose names are recorded on the Council Register as being members of the Council.
Acronyms
ACT Australian Capital Territory ANBG Australian National Botanic Gardens CLEB Commonwealth Law Enforcement Board DoTRS Department of Transport and Regional Services EA Environment Australia EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 GIS Geographical Information System IBIS Integrated Botanical Information system IUCN IUCN – The World Conservation Union NPWC Act National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975 NPWS National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW New South Wales SCUBA Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus TAFE Technical and Further Education College
1.4 Legislative Context
Booderee National Park is owned by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council under the Land Grant Act, leased to the Director of National Parks, and is a Commonwealth reserve under the EPBC Act. A Board of Management has been established for the Park. The EPBC Act (s.376) prescribes the functions of the Board to be:
·to make decisions relating to the management of the Park that are consistent with the management plan in operation for the Park; and
in conjunction with the Director, to:
·prepare management plans for the Park; and
·monitor the management of the Park; and
·advise the Minister on all aspects of the future development of the Park.
Schedule 4, Part 2, Item 3 of the Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999 assigned to Booderee National Park the following purposes:
(a) the preservation of the area in its natural condition; and
(b) the encouragement and regulation of the appropriate use, appreciation and enjoyment of the area by the public.
Administration and management of the Park are the function of the Director of National Parks under the EPBC Act (s.514B).
The EPBC Act requires the Board in conjunction with the Director to prepare management plans for the Park. When prepared, a plan is given to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage for approval. A management plan is a "disallowable instrument", and when approved must be tabled in each House of the Commonwealth Parliament. Either House of the Parliament may disallow a plan. A management plan for a Commonwealth reserve has effect for seven years, subject to being revoked or amended earlier by another management plan for the reserve.
The Director of National Parks must exercise the Director’s powers and perform the Director’s functions to give effect to a management plan; and the Commonwealth and Commonwealth agencies must not perform functions or exercise powers inconsistently with a management plan (s.362).
Under the EPBC Act (s.367) a management plan for a Commonwealth reserve must provide for the protection and conservation of the reserve and must assign the reserve to one of the following IUCN (World Conservation Union) protected area categories:
·strict nature reserve;
·wilderness area;
·national park;
·natural monument;
·habitat/species management area;
·protected landscape/seascape; or
·managed resource protected area.
In preparing a management plan the EPBC Act (s.368) also requires account to be taken of various matters. In respect to the Booderee National Park these matters include:
·the regulation of the use of the Park for the purpose for which it was declared; and
·the interests of:
- the traditional owners of the Park; and
- any other indigenous persons interested in the Park; and
- any person who has a usage right relating to land, sea or seabed in the Park that existed (or is derived from a usage right that existed) immediately before the Park was declared; and
·the protection of the special features of the Park, including objects and sites of biological, historical, palaeontological, archaeological, geological and geographical interest; and
·the protection, conservation and management of biodiversity and heritage within the Park; and
·the protection of the Park against damage; and
·Australia's obligations under agreements between Australia and one or more other countries relevant to the protection and conservation of biodiversity and heritage.
The EPBC Act (s.354) prohibits certain actions being taken in Commonwealth reserves except in accordance with a management plan. These actions are:
·kill, injure, take, trade, keep or move a member of a native species; or
·damage heritage; or
·carry on an excavation; or
·erect a building or other structure; or
·carry out works; or
·take an action for commercial purposes.
These controls and restrictions do not affect certain traditional activities by Indigenous people (s.359A). It is also noted that provisions of the EPBC Act do not affect the operation of s.211 of the Native Title Act 1993 which provides that holders of native title rights covering certain activities do not need authorisation required by other laws to engage in those activities (s.8 EPBC Act).
Mining operations are also prohibited in Commonwealth reserves unless the Governor-General has approved them and they are carried out in accordance with a management plan (s.355).
The EPBC Regulations regulate a range of activities in Commonwealth reserves, such as camping, use of vehicles and vessels, littering, commercial activities, commercial fishing, recreational fishing and research. The Regulations are applied by the Director of National Parks, subject to and in accordance with the EPBC Act and management plans. The Regulations do not apply to the Director of National Parks or to wardens or rangers appointed under the EPBC Act. Activities that are prohibited or restricted by the EPBC Act may be carried on if they are authorised by a permit issued by the Director and/or they are carried on in accordance with a management plan.
As noted earlier, the Park was declared under the Parks Act, which was replaced by the EPBC Act on 16 July 2000. The EPBC Act has also replaced four other Commonwealth Acts. They were the Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974, Endangered Species Protection Act 1992, Whale Protection Act 1980 and World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983. These other parts of the EPBC Act may also be relevant to the management of the Park and the taking of actions in and in relation to the Park.
In particular, actions that would or are likely to have a significant impact on a specified matter of “national environmental significance”, or environmentally significant actions involving Commonwealth land, will be subject to the assessment and approval provisions of the EPBC Act (Chapters 2 to 4).
The matters of national environmental significance identified in the Act as triggers for the EPBC Act assessment and approval regime are:
·World Heritage properties;
·wetlands of international importance (Ramsar wetlands);
·listed threatened species and communities;
·listed migratory species;
·nuclear actions;
·the marine environment; and
·such further actions as are prescribed by the EPBC Regulations under the Act.
Actions taken on Commonwealth land that have a significant impact on the environment, or actions taken outside Commonwealth land that significantly affect the environment on Commonwealth land, will also be triggers for the assessment and approval regime.
The land component of Booderee is Commonwealth land for the purposes of the EPBC Act and the marine component is a “Commonwealth marine area”. The taking of an action in the Park that will or is likely to have a significant impact on the environment, or the taking of an action outside the Park that will or is likely to have a significant impact on the environment in the Park, will be subject to the assessment and approvals provisions of the EPBC Act. Responsibility for compliance with the assessment and approvals provisions of the EPBC Act lies with persons taking relevant “controlled” actions. A person proposing to take an action that the person thinks may be or is a controlled action should refer the proposal to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage for the Minister’s decision whether or not the action is a controlled action. The Director of National Parks may also refer proposed actions to the Minister.
The EPBC Act also contains provisions (Part 13) that prohibit and regulate actions in relation to listed threatened species and ecological communities, listed migratory species, cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and listed marine species. Appendix 1 to this plan lists species of significance to the Park, including species that are listed under the EPBC Act.
Civil and criminal penalties may be imposed for breaches of the EPBC Act.
1.5 Purpose and Content of a Management Plan
The purpose of this management plan is to describe the philosophy and direction of management for Booderee National Park for the next seven years in accordance with the EPBC Act. The plan enables management to proceed in an orderly way, it helps reconcile competing interest and identifies priorities for the allocation of available resources.
The legal instruments relevant to the plan include:
·Jervis Bay Territory Acceptance Act 1915;
·Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975;
·Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Act 1986;
·Environmental Reform (Consequential Provisions) Act 1999;
·Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; and
·The 1995 Memorandum of lease between the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the Director of National Parks and Wildlife
Under s.367(1) of the EPBC Act, a management plan for a Commonwealth reserve must provide for the protection and conservation of the reserve. In particular, the plan must:
(a)assign the reserve to an IUCN category (whether or not a Proclamation has assigned the reserve or a zone of the reserve to that IUCN category); and
(b)state how the reserve, or each zone of the reserve, is to be managed; and
(c)state how the natural features of the reserve, or of each zone of the reserve, are to be protected and conserved; and
(d)if the Director holds land or seabed included in the reserve under lease – be consistent with the Director’s obligations under the lease; and
(e)specify any limitation or prohibition on the exercise of a power, or performance of a function, under the EPBC Act in or in relation to the reserve; and
(f)specify any mining operation, major excavation or other works that maybe carried on in the reserve, and the conditions under which it may be carried on; and
(g)specify an operation or activity that may be carried on in the reserve; and
(h)indicate generally the activities that are to be prohibited or regulated in the reserve, and the means of prohibiting or regulating them; and
(i)indicate how the plan takes account of Australia’s obligations under each agreement with one or more other countries that is relevant to the reserve (including the World Heritage Convention and the Ramsar Convention, if appropriate).
A management plan may divide a Commonwealth reserve into zones and assign each zone to an IUCN category. The category to which a zone is assigned may differ from the category to which the reserve is assigned (s.367(2)).
The provisions of a management plan must not be inconsistent with the Management principles for the IUCN category to which the reserve or a zone of the reserve is assigned (s.367(3)).
In line with the aspirations of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community for sole management of their Park, this Plan aims to develop and enhance the Community’s ability to eventually manage the Park.
1.6 IUCN World Conservation Union Category
As outlined in sections 1.4 and 1.5, under the EPBC Act, a Commonwealth reserve or a zone within a Commonwealth reserve must be assigned to an IUCN protected area management category. Commonwealth reserves managed as national parks are normally assigned to IUCN Category II ‘national park’. This plan assigns Booderee to IUCN category II. The plan divides the park in to a number of zones and assigns those zones to IUCN Category II, with the exception of the Botanic Gardens zone which is assigned to IUCN category IV ‘habitat/species management’.
The EPBC Act (s.347) prescribes characteristics for the IUCN categories. So far as relevant to this plan they are:
·‘national park’ — the reserve or zone consists of an area of land, sea or both in natural condition; and
·‘habitat/species management area’ — the reserve or zone contains habitat for one or more species.
Section 348 of the EPBC Act requires the EPBC Regulations to prescribe principles for each IUCN category (Australian IUCN reserve management principles).
Appendix 3 (page 131 of this plan) sets out the Management Principles for IUCN protected area management categories II and IV, as prescribed in Schedule 8 to the EPBC Regulations. These principles identify the purposes for which the Commonwealth reserve, or zone, assigned to the category are primarily to be managed.
PART 2 – HOW THE PARK WILL BE MANAGED
2 Decision making
2.1 Consulting and Making Decisions
AIM: To ensure that management decisions are consistent with the legal framework, are clear and accountable, are based on the best available information and are in accordance with the management plan.
Background
Managing the Park involves making decisions on a range of issues and at a range of levels.
The Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, as established under the Land Grant Act, holds inalienable title to the area of Booderee and exercises, for the benefit of the members of the Community, the Council’s powers as owner of the area.
The lease agreement (Appendix 2) is a legally binding agreement between the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the lessee, the Director of National Parks. The lease agreement protects the rights of the traditional owners to access and use of the Park and sets out some requirements for the Director of National Parks to manage the Park.
The position of the Director is established under the EPBC Act and includes the powers to give effect to the management plan and to issue permits as set out in the Regulations.
As noted in section 1.4 the Park Board is also established under the EPBC Act. Its functions are to make decisions relating to the management of the Park that are consistent with the management plan in operation for the Park and, in conjunction with the Director of National Parks, to prepare management plans, make decisions on management of the Park consistent with the Plan, monitor management of the Park and advise the Minister on all aspects of future development of the Park. In preparing management plans the Park Board has to make decisions that take into account the interests and aspirations of the traditional owners, the need to protect and conserve the Park, and the interest of the wider community. In making decisions under a management plan the Board and/or the Director of National Parks may be required to balance these interests as well. This is done on advice from the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the Director. The Park Board and the Director are also required to operate in accordance with the requirements of the EPBC Act and the provisions of the lease agreement for the Park. The Park Board has to ensure that all of its decisions are based on adequate information. This includes knowing the views of the traditional owners whose interests will be affected by the decision. This is done on the advice of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council. The Park Board also has to ensure that it considers the effect of a decision on other interest groups and on the management principles for the Park.
The management plan must be prepared in a process which provides for public input through published invitations for comment before the plan is prepared and when a draft plan has been prepared. Prior to preparing this draft management plan, in July 1997 the Park Board called for the general public, and south coast residents in particular, to submit their suggestions on the management of Booderee National Park. Nearly fifty submissions were received and were taken into account in developing this draft management plan.
The management plan process sets policies and management directions for the Park and involves public consultation and approval by the Park Board, and final approval by the Minister and Parliament.
Park management decisions will be consistent with the prescriptions in this management plan, the lease agreement, the EPBC Act and Regulations, decisions made by the Park Board and take into account the relevant advice of the Council. Park staff make day-to-day decisions about Park operations on behalf of the Director of National Parks.
In accordance with a commitment by the Commonwealth Government in 1995, the Director has funded a Community Liaison Officer position. The officer was established to be the first point of contact for day-to-day consultation with the Community and also for issues that are not specifically identified under the lease or this Plan, to be put to the Council or the Park Board.
Prescriptions
2.1.1Whilst the Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Park, through the Park Manager, the Director will be guided by the Board and will consult with, and have regard to the views of, the Chairperson of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council.
2.1.2The Director will continue to support the Park Board as the authority that makes management decisions and will ensure that the Park Board is able to operate in such a way that it can express its views independently from the Director.
2.1.3In accordance with the lease, Park staff will consult with individual Community members who are not members of the Park Board only with the Council’s prior consent.
2.1.4The General Manager of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community or his delegate will be the first point of contact for the Park Manager for advice on appropriate consultation procedures with the Community on day-to-day issues that are not specifically identified under the lease or this Plan, to be put to the Council or the Park Board.
2.1.5While recognising the original arrangements with the Council, the method of delivering the Community Liaison Office function will be reviewed during the term of this plan.
2.2 IUCN Categorisation and Zoning
AIM: To have a categorisation and zoning scheme for Booderee that provides for appropriate use of the Park, while protecting the natural and cultural features.
Background
The categorisation and zoning scheme takes into account the requirements of the EPBC Act and Regulations including relevant Management principles, regional conservation strategies aimed at conservation of biodiversity through such things as the maintenance of habitat corridors and water quality, protection of endangered species and habitat, and conservation of the marine environment.
As noted in sections 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 of this plan, the EPBC Act requires a Commonwealth reserve to be assigned to an IUCN category; and allows a management plan to divide a reserve into zones and to assign the zones to an IUCN category, which may differ from the overall category of the reserve. The EPBC Regulations prescribe the Management principles for each IUCN category. The Management principles that are relevant to Booderee are set out in Appendix 3 of the plan (page 131).
Zoning shows how different parts of the Park will be managed to meet overall park management principles. Its aim is to protect core Park values, reduce ad hoc decision-making and minimise conflict between different activities that can take place in the Park. It provides a framework for future planning and development.
Prescriptions
2.2.1The Park is assigned to IUCN category II (national park).
2.2.2The Park is divided into the following zones (refer to Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1):
1. Sanctuary Zone (Zone 1)
2. Habitat Protection Zones (Zones 2A, 2B and 2C)
3. General Protection (Use) Zone (Zone 3)
4. Special Purpose Zones (Zones 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D).
2.2.3 All zones other than zone 4C (Botanic Gardens) are assigned to IUCN category II (national park). Zone 4C is assigned to IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area).
2.2.4 Activity types not consistent with the Management principles for a zone must not be carried on in that zone (see Table 2.2 — Types of activities appropriate to zones). Where necessary the Director will refuse to issue permits for an activity and will make determinations and impose prohibitions and restrictions under the EPBC Regulations.
2.2.5 The zones will also be managed in accordance with the following prescriptions —
Sanctuary Zone (Zone 1) – Bowen Island
Sanctuary Zones have special conservation and protection requirements. This is because of the presence of significant species or habitat, or the area’s particular significance to traditional owners. Tourism or recreational use and development is not generally allowed. Commercial activities are not allowed in this zone. Research and management visits may be allowed, provided they do not impact on the natural and cultural values of the zone (summarised in the following paragraph). Extensive modification will not be allowed.
The island including marine waters 100 metres seaward from the mean high tide mark will be managed as a scientific area. The Bowen Island Sanctuary Zone aims to protect nesting seabirds and their habitat from disturbance. This includes the burrow nesting Little Penguin and three species of shearwater, and the Sooty Oyster Catcher which nests on the surface along the high tide mark. The Sooty Oyster Catcher (vulnerable under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act) is particularly prone to nest desertion following disturbance, including close approaches by boats. The island also has numerous significant substantially undisturbed midden sites.
Public access will generally be prohibited (by determination by the Director of National Parks under the EPBC Regulations). Access for research and education activities which assist or promote conservation may be allowed in accordance with decisions of the Board and with a permit issued by the Director. Development will be restricted to infrastructure associated with management activities. Fire will be managed in accordance with the Booderee Fire Management Plan.
Habitat Protection Zones (Zone 2)
Habitat protection zones in the Park protect habitat which is rare or endangered, or exposed to particular threats which could impact on its viability. Areas are only placed in this zone if they are discrete and require special management consideration.
Habitat Protection zone 2A - Seagrass beds: This area protects marine life in marine and littoral areas of the Park that contain seagrass beds as indicated in Figure 2.1. The greatest risk to seagrasses is increased shading (by increased turbidity), nutrient enrichment causing phytoplankton and epiphytic algal blooms, pollution, and mechanical damage (eg. anchor damage, prop wash, explosive devices). Once disturbed or degraded, seagrass recovery is extremely slow and unreliable. Circular areas cleared of seagrass resulting from seismic tests conducted in the Posidonia meadows off Hole in the Wall in the 1960s remain clearly visible today, with evidence of very slow recovery (about 100 years) (Meehan & West 2000).
Best practice principles applied in other conservation areas (eg. the world heritage Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) advocate measures to protect catchments, and avoid mechanical damage by limiting anchoring.
The habitat protection zone is bordered by the mean high tide mark and the 10 metre depth contour at low tide (which closely follows the edge of the seagrass meadows and some important algal communities). Recreational line fishing is allowed subject to restrictions as indicated in section 7.6. In this area, taking of shellfish or disturbing marine vegetation is prohibited. Permits may be issued by the Director of National Parks under the EPBC Regulations for collection of marine organisms for research activities. Visitor access is acceptable. Commercial activities will be strictly controlled, and will not exceed current levels. The Director will make a determination under r.12.56 to prohibit anchoring except in the event of an emergency. Subject to favourable impact assessment and advice from the Board, installation of moorings for use by commercial operators and visitors may be considered during the life of this plan.
Habitat Protection zone 2B – Freshwater Environments
This zone protects freshwater aquatic life, particularly the habitat of rare and endangered species. It includes Murray’s wetland, Steamers Waterholes, Blacks Waterhole, Ryans Swamp, and Lake McKenzie. No plants or animals can be taken from these areas, except in accordance with a permit issued by the Director to allow for scientific research, or for management purposes. In managing this zone, special consideration will be given to maintaining water quality.
Habitat Protection zone 2C – St Georges Basin Littoral Rainforest
The littoral rainforest along Ellmoos Road consists of a thin band (50–100m) of vegetation between the road and St Georges Basin, which contains special assemblages of rainforest species which are sensitive to disturbance. Many plants have been removed from this area by collectors, particularly epiphytic orchids and ferns, and a range of highly invasive weeds have been inadvertently introduced which risk the biological integrity of this area. Research activities, including research that involves the taking of native species, which assist or promote conservation may be allowed under a permit issued by the Director. Development will be restricted to infrastructure associated with management activities. Carparks, picnic areas, tracks and possibly toilets will be provided at a number of sites along this area, and these sites may be rotated to minimise their impact. These recreation sites will be excluded from this zone (they will be Zone 4B). The road is also outside this zone, and will be in the General Protection Zone (zone 3).
Public access will not be allowed, other than in the designated areas where facilities are provided, which will be excluded from this zone. Fire will be managed in accordance with the Booderee Fire Management Plan.
General Protection (Use) Zone (Zone 3)
This zone includes extensive areas of the Park, both marine and terrestrial, where the first priority is management for nature conservation and quiet use and enjoyment. This zone provides for moderate levels of low impact recreational use and infrastructure development consistent with the Management principles for IUCN category II. Park management is restricted to activities such as erosion control, fencing of sensitive or damaged areas, maintenance to existing assets, approved research, control of feral animals or weeds and limited signposting and visitor infrastructure. Low impact tourism activities may be considered, and if considered appropriate may be carried on in accordance with a permit issued by the Director. Consideration may be given to building a Cultural Centre in either this Zone or Zones 4B or 4C. There will be no other new developments in this zone during the life of this Plan. The focus of visitor management will be on maintenance of existing facilities and infrastructure. Some areas identified within this zone may have special protection measures, such as restrictions on management activities like prescribed burning. Where possible, fire will be excluded from particular areas within the zone as indicated in section 2.3.
Some Defence activities — use of existing moorings and anchorages in Darling Road, access to Defence establishments — may be allowed in this Zone. Other proposed activities that are prohibited or regulated under the EPBC Act and/or Regulations will need to be referred to the Board for consideration and approval if appropriate.
This zone covers most of the Park’s marine area. The taking of native species (flora and fauna) is prohibited except that recreational line fishing may be carried on in accordance with section 7.6 of this plan.
Special purpose Zones (Zone 4)
Special purpose zones allow for specific activities relating to the particular zone, as listed below.
Special purpose zone 4A – HMAS Creswell and access to Bherwerre Trig.
This zone includes the HMAS Creswell waterfront areas between the mean high water mark and the Park marine boundary, and the access road to Bherwerre Trig missile facility. Within this zone is a range of infrastructure including boat ramps, wharves, and moorings. Access by the public will be restricted and may be subject to Defence security arrangements.
Special purpose zone 4B – Park infrastructure
This zone provides for recreation and infrastructure development including: camping areas with associated facilities; day use areas; roads; boat ramps; buildings including naval infrastructure. Infrastructure development and management aims to provide for use within acceptable levels. Some or all of the area required for development of the proposed Cultural Centre may be within this zone. Cycle paths may be considered along existing road reserves in this zone. Management of this area will focus on maintenance of existing facilities and infrastructure. Other than the Cultural Centre, a number of new toilet facilities, and rain shelters, the only new developments in this zone will be for protection and promotion of Park values and visitor safety.
Special purpose zone 4C – Botanic Gardens
This zone contains the area known as the Booderee Botanic Gardens. Management of the Gardens is covered in chapter 6 of this plan of management. The Gardens contain a diversity of environments and facilities within a compact area. Some of these are specific to the Gardens and might be considered inappropriate elsewhere in the National Park. Accordingly this zone is category IV.
Special purpose zone 4D - Lake Windermere
Lake Windermere is the potable water storage for Jervis Bay Territory and is therefore unsuitable for public recreation use. There will be no public access to Lake Windermere and its fenced catchment area. The zone contains some infrastructure associated with pumping, testing, and storing water. Activities including contracted services, other than those associated with supply of water to Jervis Bay Territory, will not be allowed in this area. Research that has no impact on water quality may be allowed under a permit issued by the Director.
2.2.6 This zoning scheme does not prevent the future closure of areas under the EPBC Regulations. Regulation 12.23 enables the Director to prohibit or restrict entry to all or part of the Park by persons generally or by a class of persons for any period or times. Possible reasons for such closure include:
·public safety;
·protection and conservation of the park’s values or facilities;
·privacy of a cultural event by the traditional owners;
·interference with the continuing cultural use of the park; and
·interference with the privacy of other persons.
2.2.7 The effectiveness of zoning will be monitored during the period of this Plan. Where essential adjustments are needed for the optimum protection of the Park, such adjustments may be made at the request of the Park Board and in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
2.2.8 Development work in any zone will only be approved and permitted in line with the decision making and assessment procedures outlined in sections 2.1 and 2.3 of this Plan.
Table 2.1 Description of zones
| Sanctuary zone 1 | Habitat protection zone 2 | General protection zone 3 | Special purpose zones 4 | |
| Attributes | Areas of highly significant conservation value and/or cultural value, or otherwise needing special protection. | Areas containing habitat requiring protection. | Extensive areas with pristine and degraded components, with some management access tracks, signs, seats etc. Limited development. | Vary considerably between the four sub-zones. |
| Management priority | Conservation of natural and cultural heritage values. | Protection of habitat. | Conservation of natural and cultural heritage attributes. | Varies considerably between the four sub-zones. |
| Visitor experience | Closed to visitors due to sensitive nature of attributes in this zone. | Visitors may obtain a sense of the ecological importance of the zone without impacting on its values. | Appreciation of the area’s natural and cultural attributes. Quiet experiences shared with small numbers of visitors. | Varies considerably between the four sub-zones. |
| Development | No new construction works other than for Park management purposes if required to ensure safety or in support of conservation work. | No new construction works other than for Park management purposes if required to ensure safety or in support of conservation work. | Apart from the possible cultural centre, minor infrastructure developments only. Maintenance of established 4WD tracks, limited sign posting. | Major park infrastructure development, major recreation facilities, major roads, major Park management infrastructure, Naval infrastructure, camping areas, visitor centre, cultural centre. |
Table 2.2 Types of activities appropriate to zones
| Activity | Sanctuary zone* 1 | Habitat protection zone 2 | General protection (use) zone 3 | Special purpose zones 4 |
| Use of Vehicles | Not appropriate except for conservation management purposes. | Not applicable | Only appropriate on roads and tracks available for public use, unless for approved research or management purposes. | Appropriate on existing roads and tracks available for public use except in zone 4A. |
| Walking | Not appropriate except for conservation management purposes. | Not applicable | Appropriate on existing tracks . | Appropriate on existing tracks, except in zone 4A. |
| Camping | Not appropriate, except in connection with permitted research). | Not appropriate | Not appropriate | Appropriate (tent, caravan), in developed areas with ablution facilities. |
| Picnicking | Not appropriate | Not appropriate | Appropriate with no facilities. | Appropriate with facilities in close proximity to vehicles in popular areas. |
| Cycling | Not appropriate | Not appropriate | Appropriate on existing tracks. | Appropriate on existing roads, except in zone 4A. |
Fauna
| Endangered and vulnerable fauna[p1][p2] | ||||||
| Cwlth | NSW | Scientific name | Common name | Status in Park | ||
| End | Vul | End | Vul | |||
| X | Phascolarctos cinereus | Koala | U | |||
| X | Pseudomys gracilicaudatus | Eastern chestnut mouse | R | |||
| X | Sminthopsis leucopus | White-footed dunnart | R | |||
| X | X | Eubalena australis | Southern right whale | R | ||
| X | X | Megaptera novaengliae | Humpback whale | R | ||
| X | Physeter macrocephaluss | Sperm whale | R | |||
| X | Calyptorhynchus lathami | Glossy black cockatoo | R | |||
| X | Charadrius mongolus | Mongolian plover | R | |||
| X | Charadrius (Thinornis) rubicollis | Hooded plover | R | |||
| X | Crocethia (Calidris) alba | Sanderling | R | |||
| X | X | Dasyornis brachypterus | Eastern bristlebird | R | ||
| X | X | Diomedea (Thalassarche) cauta | Shy albatross | R | ||
| X | X | Diomedea exulans | Wandering albatross | R | ||
| X | Diomedea melanophris | Black-browed albatross | R | |||
| X | Haematopus fuliginosus | Sooty oystercatcher | R | |||
| X | Haematopus longirostris | Pied oystercatcher | R | |||
| X | Ixobrychus flavicollis | Black Bittern | R | |||
| X | Lophoictinia isura | Square-tailed kite | R | |||
| X | Ninox strenua | Powerful owl | R | |||
| X | Pandion haliaetus | Osprey | R | |||
| X | Petroica rodinogaster | Pink robin | R | |||
| X | Pezoporus wallicus | Ground parrot | R | |||
| X | X | Phoebetria fusca | Sooty albatross | R | ||
| X | X | Polytelis swainsonii | Superb parrot | R | ||
| X | X | Pterodroma leucoptera | Gould's petrel | R | ||
| X | X | Pterodroma neglecta | Kermadec petrel | R | ||
| X | Pterodroma solandri | Providence petrel | R | |||
| X | Puffinus assimilis | Little shearwater | R | |||
| X | Sterna albifrons | Little tern | R | |||
| X | Sterna fuscata | Sooty tern | R | |||
| Endangered and vulnerable fauna[p3] | ||||||
| Cwlth | NSW | Scientific name | Common name | Status in Park | ||
| End | Vul | End | Vul | |||
| X | Tyto novaehollaniae | Masked owl | R | |||
| X | X | Heleioporus australiacus | Giant burrowing frog | R | ||
| X | X | Litoria aurea | Greeen and golden bell frog | R | ||
| X | X* | Carcharias taurus | Grey Nurse Shark | R | ||
Cwlth — Listed as endangered (End) or vulnerable (Vul) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
NSW — Listed as endangered (End) or vulnerable (Vul) under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW); X* = listed as endangered under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (NSW)
Status in Booderee National Park — R = confirmed record; U = unconfirmed record
International treaties and agreements
Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment (JAMBA). 18 of the 76 birds listed under this agreement are found in Booderee;
Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds and their Environment (CAMBA). 18 of the 81 birds listed under this agreement occur in Booderee; and
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention). 58 of the species listed under this convention are found in Booderee.
| Bird species listed under international instruments | CAMBA | JAMBA | Bonn | |
| Common name | Scientific name | |||
| Wedge-tailed shearwater | Puffinus pacificus | J | ||
| Short-tailed shearwater | Puffinus tenuirostris | J | ||
| Sooty shearwater | Puffinus griseus | C | J | |
| Providence petrel | Pterodroma solandri | M | ||
| Shy albatross | Diomedea (Thalassarche) cauta | M | ||
| Wandering albatross | Diomedea exulans | M | ||
| Black-browed albatross | Diomedea melanophris | M | ||
| Sooty albatross | Phoebetria fusca | M | ||
| Brown booby | Sula leucogaster | C | J | |
| Great egret | Egretta alba | C | J | |
| Eastern reef egret | Egretta sacra | C | ||
| Eastern curlew | Numenius madagascariensis | C | J | F |
| Bar-tailed godwit | Limosa lapponica | C | J | F |
| Greenshank | Tringa nebularia | C | J | F |
| Red knot | Calidris canutus | F | ||
| Masked lapwing | Vanellus miles novaehollandiae | F | ||
| Black-fronted plover | Charadrius melanops | F | ||
| Double-banded plover | Charadrius bicinctus | F | ||
| Mongolian plover | Charadrius mongolus | F | ||
| Hooded plover | Charadrius rubicollis | F | ||
| Red-capped plover | Charadrius ruficapillus | F | ||
| Ruddy turnstone | Arenaria interpres | C | J | F |
| Latham's snipe | Capella (Gallinago) hardwickii | C | J | F |
| Curlew sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea | C | J | F |
| Sanderling | Crocethia (Calidris) alba | C | J | F |
| Pomarine jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | C | J | |
| Arctic skua | Stercorarius parasiticus | J | ||
| Caspian tern | Hydropogne tschegrava (caspia) | C | ||
| Crested tern | Sterna bergii | J | ||
| Little tern | Sterna albifrons | C | J | |
| Common noddy | Anous stolidus | C | J | |
| White-throated needletail | Hirundapus caudacutus | C | ||
| Fork-tailed swift | Apus pacificus | C | J | |
| Maned duck | Chenonetta jubata | F | ||
| Musk duck | Biziura lobata | F | ||
| Pacific black duck | Anas superciliosa | F | ||
| Hardhead | Aythya australis | F | ||
| Black swan | Cygnus atratus | F | ||
| Chestnut teal | Anas castanea | F | ||
| Grey teal | Anas gibberifrons | F | ||
| Grey fantail | Rhipidura fuliginosa | F | ||
| Rufous fantail | Rhipidura rufifrons | F | ||
| Leaden flycatcher | Myiagra rubecula | F | ||
| Restless flycatcher | Myiagrainquieta | F | ||
| Jacky winter | Microeca leucophaea | F | ||
| Black-faced monarch | Monarcha melanopsis | F | ||
| Willie wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys | F | ||
| Clamorous reed-warbler | Acrocephalus stentoreus | F | ||
| Golden-headed cisticola | Cisticola exilis | F | ||
| Eastern yellow robin | Eopsaltria australis | F | ||
| Flame robin | Petroica phoenicea | F | ||
| Rose robin | Petroica rosea | F | ||
| Scarlet robin | Petroica multicolor | F | ||
| Grey shrike-thrush | Colluricincla harmonica | F | ||
| Crested shrike-tit | Falcunulus frontatus | F | ||
| White’s thrush | Zoothera dauma | F | ||
| Golden whistler | Pachycephalus pectoralis | F | ||
| Rufous whistler | Pachycephalus rufiventris | F | ||
| Wedge-tailed eagle | Aquila audax | F | ||
| White-bellied sea-eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster | C | F | |
| Little eagle | Hieraaetus morphnoides | F | ||
| Brown falcon | Falco berigora | F | ||
| Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | F | ||
| Brown goshawk | Accipiter fasciatus | F | ||
| Grey goshawk | Accipiter novaehollandiae | F | ||
| Marsh harrier | Circus aeruginosus | F | ||
| Australian hobby | Falco longipennis | F | ||
| Australian kestrel | Falco cenchroides | F | ||
| Black-shouldered kite | Elanus notatus | F | ||
| Whistling kite | Haliastur sphenurus | F | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | F | ||
| Collared sparrowhawk | Accipiter cirrhocephalus | F | ||
C = listed in CAMBA
J = listed in JAMBA
M = specifically listed in the Bonn convention
F = included in a family listing in Appendix 2 of the Bonn convention
Appendix 2 — Australian IUCN reserve management principles (extract)
Schedule 8 Australian IUCN reserve management principles (regulation 10.04)
Part 1 General administrative principles
1 Community participation
Management arrangements should, to the extent practicable, provide for broad and meaningful participation by the community, public organisations and private interests in designing and carrying out the functions of the reserve or zone.
2 Effective and adaptive management
Management arrangements should be effective and appropriate to the biodiversity objectives and the socio-economic context of the reserve or zone. They should be adaptive in character to ensure a capacity to respond to uncertainty and change.
3 Precautionary principle
A lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent degradation of the natural and cultural heritage of a reserve or zone where there is a threat of serious or irreversible damage.
4 Minimum impact
The integrity of a reserve or zone is best conserved by protecting it from disturbance and threatening processes. Potential adverse impacts on the natural, cultural and social environment and surrounding communities should be minimised as far as practicable.
5 Ecologically sustainable use
If resource use is consistent with the management principles that apply to a reserve or zone, it should (if it is carried out) be based on the principle (the principle of ecologically sustainable use) that:
(a) natural resources should only be used within their capacity to sustain natural processes while maintaining the life-support systems of nature; and
(b) the benefit of the use to the present generation should not diminish the potential of the reserve or zone to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.
6 Transparency of decision-making
The framework and processes for decision-making for management of the reserve or zone should be transparent. The reasons for making decisions should be publicly available, except to the extent that information, including information that is culturally sensitive or commercial-in-confidence, needs to be treated as confidential.
7 Joint management
If the reserve or zone is wholly or partly owned, by Aboriginal people, continuing traditional use of the reserve or zone by resident indigenous people, including the protection and maintenance of cultural heritage, should be recognised.
Part 2 Principles for each IUCN category
3 National park
Note: This category corresponds to the IUCN protected area management category II.
3.01 The reserve or zone should be protected and managed to preserve its natural condition according to the following principles.
3.02 Natural and scenic areas of national and international significance should be protected for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational or tourist purposes.
3.03 Representative examples of physiographic regions, biotic communities, genetic resources, and native species should be perpetuated in as natural a state as possible to provide ecological stability and diversity.
3.04 Visitor use should be managed for inspirational, educational, cultural and recreational purposes at a level that will maintain the reserve or zone in a natural or near natural state.
3.05 Management should seek to ensure that exploitation or occupation inconsistent with these principles does not occur.
3.06 Respect should be maintained for the ecological, geomorphologic, sacred and aesthetic attributes for which the reserve or zone was assigned to this category.
3.07 The needs of indigenous people should be taken into account, including subsistence resource use, to the extent that they do not conflict with these principles.
3.08 The aspirations of traditional owners of land within the reserve or zone, their continuing land management practices, the protection and maintenance of cultural heritage and the benefit the traditional owners derive from enterprises, established in the reserve or zone, consistent with these principles should be recognised and taken into account.
5 Habitat/species management area
Note: This category corresponds to the IUCN protected area management category IV.
5.01 The reserve or zone should be managed primarily, including (if necessary) through active intervention, to ensure the maintenance of habitats or to meet the requirements of collections or specific species based on the following principles.
5.02 Habitat conditions necessary to protect significant species, groups or collections of species, biotic communities or physical features of the environment should be secured and maintained, if necessary through specific human manipulation.
5.03 Scientific research and environmental monitoring that contribute to reserve management should be facilitated as primary activities associated with sustainable resource management.
5.04 The reserve or zone may be developed for public education and appreciation of the characteristics of habitats, species or collections and of the work of wildlife management.
5.05 Management should seek to ensure that exploitation or occupation inconsistent with these principles does not occur.
5.06 People with rights or interests in the reserve or zone should be entitled to benefits derived from activities in the reserve or zone that are consistent with these principles.
5.07 If the reserve or zone is declared for the purpose of a botanic garden, it should also be managed for the increase of knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of Australia’s plant heritage by establishing, as an integrated resource, a collection of living and herbarium specimens of Australian and related plants for study, interpretation, conservation and display.
Bibliography
Australian Heritage Commission (1993). Register of the National Estate. Canberra.
Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996). Rare or Threatened Australian Plants: 1995 revised edition. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Cho, G., Georges, A. and Stoujesdik, R. (eds) (1995). Jervis Bay – A place of cultural, scientific and educational value. Kowari 5. Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Canberra.
Egloff, B. (1981). Wreck Bay: an Aboriginal Fishing Community. Canberra. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Egloff, B. Navin, K. and Officer, K. (1995). Jervis Bay National Park and Botanic Gardens as Aboriginal Land. A final report to the Minister on the significance of the land and water in the Region of Jervis Bay Territory to indicate the appropriateness of a grant under the Aboriginal Land Grant (Jervis Bay Territory) Act 1986 (as amended).
Garnett, S.T. and Crowley, G.M. (2000) The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000. Environment Australia
Ingwersen (1976). Vegetation of the Jervis Bay Territory. Department of the Capital Territory. Conservation Series Number 3.
IUCN - The World Conservation Union (1994). Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories, IUCN, Switzerland.
Meehan, A.J. and. West, R.J (2000). Recovery times for a damaged Posidonia
australis bed in south eastern Australia. Aquatic Botany, Vol 67, 161-167.
Navin, K. and Officer, K. (1993). Archaeological Investigation: Proposed Water, Sewerage and Transmission Line Easements, Bherwerre Peninsula, Jervis Bay.
Sachs, K. (1997). Survey of Sullivan’s recorded Aboriginal Site to Assess Site Condition.
Sullivan, M. E. (1977). Aboriginal Sites of Bherwerre Peninsula.
Taws, N. (1998). Vegetation Survey and Mapping of Jervis Bay Territory. Report commissioned by Parks Australia.
Taws, N. (1997). Fire and Vegetation Management in Jervis Bay Territory. Report commissioned by Parks Australia.
Thompson (1998). Booderee National Park Research Audit. Report commissioned by Park Australia.
INDEX
Access and Roads, 99–102
Acronyms, 16
Australian National Botanic Gardens, 6, 11, 14, 16, 61, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 132
Australian National Herbarium, 64, 69, 70, 71
Best practice, 25
Bherwerre Beach, 47, 89
Bherwerre Peninsula, 1, 2, 42, 43, 44, 52, 53, 149
Bioprospecting, 54
Board of Management, i, ii, iv, 6, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 37, 38, 46, 52, 54, 55, 57, 63, 67, 72, 76, 80, 87, 91, 92, 98, 101, 104, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 132, 133, 134, 138, 140
Boat ramps, 27, 76, 81, 82, 83, 89, 97, 99, 100, 101
Boating, 31, 81–83
Booderee Botanic Gardens, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 24, 27, 28, 37, 38, 42, 45, 48, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59–74, 75, 80, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 103, 132, 149
Bowen Island, 1, 5, 8, 9, 25, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 47, 50, 53, 56, 89, 97
Bristol Point, 75, 78, 83, 97, 99, 100, 102, 103
Camping, 30, 75, 77–79, 97
Camping areas, 27, 29, 50, 56, 76, 77, 78, 79, 103, 110
Cape St George Lighthouse, 3, 4, 9, 39, 40, 41, 42, 99, 100, 104
Capital Works and Infrastructure, 96–99
Catchment Management, 115
Catchments, 28, 33, 38, 44, 45, 46, 66, 118
Cave Beach, 38, 63, 75, 78, 97, 99, 100, 102, 103
Cetaceans, 8, 19, 52, 89, 125
Christians Minde, 9, 39, 41, 75
Commercial activities
Fishing, 88–90
Tours, 75, 86–88
Other, 90–91
Communication Guidelines, 36, 37
Community Liaison Officer, 23
Consulting and Making Decisions, 22–23
Contracts, 11, 12, 34, 37, 92, 94, 98, 102, 104, 105, 106, 137, 138, 139, 140
Cultural Centre, 12, 27, 35, 36, 71, 97, 98, 99
Cultural heritage, iii, 7, 29, 32, 33, 39–41, 77, 86, 87, 90, 95, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 142, 146, 147
Cultural heritage management, 39
Day use areas, 27, 78, 97, 100
Defence, Department of, 5, 27, 31, 33, 39, 42, 45, 50, 55, 58, 91, 101, 112, 114, 115, 116, 119
HMAS Creswell, 27, 31, 42, 56, 68, 101, 103, 112, 114
Navy, 45, 100, 101, 114, 115, 116
Range Facility, 101, 102, 112, 114, 115, 116
Definitions, 14–16
Director of National Parks, i, ii, iv, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55, 58, 63, 69, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145
Dolphins, 8, 19, 52, 88, 89, 117
Eastern Bristlebird, 53, 54, 55, 117, 119, 125
Education, vii, 16, 25, 35, 36, 37, 38, 40, 41, 53, 59, 61, 71, 95, 107, 109, 148
Ellmoos Road, 26, 99, 100, 102, 114, 116
Emergency, 26, 75, 82, 93, 101, 102, 103, 104, 115
Environmental assessment, 18, 19, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 41, 46, 50, 54, 57, 64, 80, 87, 94, 98, 101, 104, 113, 118, 121, 122, 136
Essential Services, 102–104
Evaluation of Performance, 121–122
Evaluation of Proposals, 32–34
Fees, 85, 86, 90, 111, 112, 135
Feral animals, 27, 53, 54, 56–58, 67–68, 95, 107
cats, 56
foxes, 56, 68, 119
rabbits, 56, 67, 68
rats, 56, 67, 119
Financial Management, 110–112
Fire, 4, 5, 27, 33, 36, 38, 47–52, 53, 54, 56, 63, 70, 71, 76, 78, 80, 82, 83, 93, 94, 95, 107, 113, 115, 117, 118
Fishing
commercial, 88–90
competitions, 76, 85
recreational, 83–85
GIS, 16, 46, 51, 55, 58, 119
Glossary (see Interpretation), 14–16
Green and Golden Bell Frog, 55, 117, 119
Green Patch, 3, 37, 39, 40, 65, 75, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 94, 97, 99, 100, 102, 103, 104
Habitat corridor, 24, 52, 55, 115
Herbarium, 63, 64, 67, 69, 70, 71, 148
History, 2–7
Iluka, 37, 83, 97, 99, 100
Information, Education and Interpretation, 35–38
Introduced Species, 56–58
IUCN category, 20, 21, 24, 26, 147–149
Jervis Bay Marine Park, 45, 109, 114, 115
Jervis Bay National Park, 6, 89, 105, 109, 114, 132, 149
Jervis Bay Nature Reserve, 5, 6, 9, 47, 83, 105
Koori, 2, 3, 7, 15, 35, 37, 39, 40, 47, 49, 51, 107, 108
Lake McKenzie, 4, 26, 42, 45, 59, 63, 65, 66
Lake Windermere, 28, 42, 45, 46, 66, 81, 102, 103
Landscape and Geology, 42–44
Law Enforcement, 16, 95, 108–110
Lease agreement, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 32, 35, 40, 71, 87, 92, 98, 106, 107, 108, 111, 112, 113, 119
Leaseholds and Other Occupancy Issues, 112–114
Maintenance, 11, 13, 24, 27, 32, 34, 35, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 70, 78, 79, 83, 93, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 115, 116, 137, 138, 146, 147
Major works, 33, 41
Management principles, 15, 20, 24, 26, 34, 77, 89, 113
Marine issues, 2, 7, 8, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 36, 38, 42, 43, 44–46, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 76, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 95, 107, 109, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 120
dolphins, 8, 19, 52, 89
fishing, 2, 4, 9, 18, 26, 27, 39, 46, 53, 75, 76, 77, 79, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88, 89, 90, 101
Jervis Bay Marine Park, 45, 109, 114, 115
penguins, 89
personal watercraft (jet skis), 15, 82, 83
pollution, 25, 45, 107
seagrass, 2, 8, 25, 26, 43, 44, 52, 82, 83, 119
ships and boats, 18, 25, 26, 43, 81, 82, 83, 89, 91, 100, 109, 110, 115
swimming, 38, 66, 75, 76, 77, 80, 81, 83
Moes Rock, 37, 99, 100, 104
Murrays Beach, 5, 39, 42, 81, 82, 83, 97, 99, 100, 102, 103
National Estate, Register, 9, 39, 149
Native Plants and Animals, 52–55
Neighbour Relations, 114–116
NSW
Environment Protection Authority, 45
Marine Park Authority, 45, 46, 76, 116
National Parks and Wildlife Service, 50, 51, 52, 55, 76, 114, 116
Operational Management, 92–95
Pathogens, 67, 68, 70, 71
Penguins, 8, 9, 25, 53, 89, 114, 116, 117, 119
Personal watercraft (jet skis), 15, 82, 83
Plan of Management
Commencement and Termination, 14
Definitions, 14, 35, 36, 37, 40, 95, 145
Purpose and Content, 19
Pollution, 24, 26, 28, 38, 44, 46, 66, 69, 81, 82, 103, 118
Recreational Fishing and Collecting, 83
Research and monitoring, 55, 117–120
Monitoring, 38, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 55, 57, 58, 77, 90, 97, 103, 109, 116, 117–119, 147
Research, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 37, 43, 46, 48, 51, 55, 58, 61, 66, 69, 70, 85, 90, 101, 117–120, 144, 147, 149
Revenue, 12, 78, 110, 111, 112
Roads, 5, 11, 13, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 43, 46, 76, 79, 89, 94, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 112, 116, 138
Rock climbing, 75, 77
Seagrass, 2, 8, 25, 26, 43, 44, 52, 82, 83, 119, 149
Ships and boats, 18, 25, 26, 43, 81, 82, 83, 89, 91, 100, 109, 110, 115
Trawlers, 101
Yachts, 101
Shoalhaven City Council, 45, 47, 51, 52, 55, 58, 76, 114
St Georges Basin, 100
Staffing, 105–106
Steamers Beach, 44, 99, 100, 104
Stony Creek, 37, 43, 99, 100, 102, 103, 104
Summercloud Bay, 2, 5, 82
Sussex Inlet, 4, 9, 44, 48, 75, 80, 99, 100
Swimming, Snorkelling and SCUBA Diving, 80
Tourism, 10, 25, 27, 39, 42, 75, 76, 77, 87, 88, 90, 95
Training, 13, 106–108
Transport and Regional Services, Department of, 10, 12, 15, 16, 45, 49, 50, 55, 58, 96, 102, 103, 104, 114
Visitor Centre, 12, 29, 35, 38, 65, 72, 78, 97, 99, 100, 101, 103, 112
Visitor surveys, 37, 38, 76, 77, 79, 118
Visitor Use, 75–85
Volunteers, 57, 65, 114, 116
Walking, 30, 79–80
Water supply, 45, 46
Weeds, 26, 27, 36, 38, 51, 54, 56–58, 61, 66–67, 95, 107
Bitou bush, 56, 57, 66, 118
Lantana, 56
Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community, iii, iv, vii, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 48, 49, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59, 71, 72, 73, 78, 82, 83, 87, 90, 92, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118, 119, 132, 133, 134, 136, 137, 138, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 149
Zoning, 7, 20, 21, 24–31, 63, 77, 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87, 90, 110, 115, 146, 147, 148
[p1]Drawing on Booderee National Park mammal list, Bird List leaflet, Fire Management Program EIA and Hassell’s 1994 report to Shoalhaven City Council. Species expected to occur deleted in March version
[p2]
[p3]Drawing on Booderee National Park mammal list, Bird List leaflet, Fire Management Program EIA and Hassell’s 1994 report to Shoalhaven City Council. Species expected to occur deleted in March version.
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