Managing the Australian Alps

172 Pages·2004·3.41 MB·English

Managing the Australian Alps:

a history of cooperative management of
the Australian Alps national parks

Peter Crabb
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies
Australian National University

A joint publication of the
Australian Alps Liaison Committee
and the
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies
Australian National University
2003

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This is a joint publication of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies,
Australian National University, and the Australian Alps Liaison Committee.

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research,
criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by
any process without permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.

© the author, 2003.

ISBN 086740 533 3

Views expressed in Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies publications are the
views of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Centre or any associated
institution.

Director: Professor R.J. Wasson
Executive Officer: Adele Doust
Publications: McComas Taylor

Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies
Australian National University
Canberra
ACT 0200

Virginia Logan
Program Coordinator
Australian Alps Liaison Committee
PO Box 2228
Jindabyne
NSW 2627

Cover design: Fiona Edge, DesignEdge, Dickson, ACT.
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An Essential Preface

Mountains have always held a fascination for me. Though I have rarely gone deliberately
seeking them, I have taken every opportunity to visit them. The list includes the Southern
Uplands and the Trossachs in Scotland, the Pennines and Lake District in England, the
Swiss and Austrian Alps (in winter and in summer), the Rockies and Banff National Park
in Canada, Mount McKinley in Alaska, thanks to a good friend, and the Australian Alps.
In all of these locations, I have experienced beauty, fascination, wonder, and more.

Against such a background and other research I had already undertaken, I needed little
encouragement to document the endeavours to overcome the barriers imposed by
jurisdictional boundaries and cooperatively manage the national parks and other protected
areas of the Australian Alps. In the course of this study, I have found others with a
fascination for mountains and the Australian Alps in particular. For some, it has gone
beyond fascination to a real ‘love affair’ with this special part of the Australian
landscape. Most of the research was undertaken in 2002, the essential archival work in
the first half of the year and most of the interviews in the second half. For various
reasons, it was not possible to talk with as many people as I would have liked, but every
effort has been made to present as complete and balanced story as possible.

Whilst much of the writing had also been done in the latter part of 2002, the final sections
and pulling together the first full draft was completed as fires started to spread across
much of the Alps in early to mid-January 2002. When burnt gum leaves started falling on
and around my house in Jerrabomberra1 on January 17 with the closest fires in the ACT’s
Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve over 25 kilometres away, I had to
take a break. Having met and spoken with many parks staff over the preceding months
and knowing that they were fighting fires in the alpine areas of the ACT, NSW and
Victoria, in the most difficult and dangerous conditions, and seeing much of what they
worked so hard to conserve being burned, made the fire emergency so much more real.

The storm that moved through the full length of the Australian Alps on January 8, 2003,
and the many fires it started brought the Alps and the Alps national parks together and
reinforced their biogeographical unity, though in a perverse way. They also brought
together the staff of the various jurisdictions. In turn, they have highlighted the
importance of the essential values of the cooperative management program that this study
has highlighted. The value of peer support in adversity and in cooperation in the huge
task of restoration and rehabilitation is so evident, as the mammoth cooperative task
necessary to fight the fires is followed by the equally mammoth cooperative task of
restoring the damage and assisting nature to undertake its own restoration and healing.
This cooperation is evident from field staff, rangers and managers through to the heads of
agencies and government ministers. To make the story easier to follow, discussion of the
fires and some of their consequences is confined to the last chapter.

This is a study about the management of the Australian Alps national parks. It is a study
for those who, on a daily basis and frequently beyond what could be termed the normal
course of duty, continue to strive for the sustainability of this unique part of Australia’s
heritage.

Peter Crabb
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies
Australian National University

1 A large and relatively new suburb of Queanbeyan, just across the NSW border with the ACT.
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Acknowledgements

This study originated in a conversation with Brett McNamara when I was undertaking the
research for an earlier undertaking (Crabb 2003a). Brett encouraged me to undertake the
task and to seek support and funding from the Australian Alps Liaison Committee
(AALC). His continuing interest and support are greatly appreciated. So too is that of
Virginia Logan, Brett’s successor as Australian Alps Program Coordinator, who has no
doubt lost count of the number of times I have sought her assistance. A special word of
appreciation is due to Paul Stevenson, who has had a number of periods as Secretary to
the AALC, in its early days and more recently. The study would not have been possible
without the archival material he located (after a long search). Paul was also the source of
much other information and many insights that emerged during a number of fascinating
debates.

Many people who are or have been involved with the Alps cooperative program gave
willingly of their time in answering my questions and discussing aspects of the program.
They all made an essential contribution to the study. I am indebted to Gill Anderson,
Debbie Argue, Odile Arman, Neville Byrne, Karen Civil, Dave Darlington, Graeme
Enders, Murray Evans, Tony Fleming, Neville Gare, Diane Garrood, Roger Good, Ken
Green, Greg Hayes, Craig Hore, Steve Horsley, Peter Jacobs, Rosemary James, Sharon
Lane, Bruce Leaver, Trish Macdonald, Janet Mackay, Ross McKinney, Cath Renwick,
Chris Rose, David Scott, Andy Spate, Penny Spoelder, Mark Stone, Ray Supple, Lee
Thomas, Simon Tozer, Ian Weir, Graeme Worboys, and Liz Wren

A number of people not involved directly with the program have also been of valued
assistance, Denise Allardice, Clive Hurlstone, Phil Ingamells, Paul Seager and Ken
Stokes. Margaret Bonavita assisted in the location of material in the records of
Kosciuszko National Park.

The Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies is a very special place in today’s
academic world and the continued support of Professor Bob Wasson and other colleagues
is greatly appreciated. A very special word of thanks is due to Steve Dovers, who has
contributed in many ways to this study. Thanks are due to Clive Hilliker who drew the
maps and to Sharon McInnes for preparing the manuscript for publication.

The financial assistance provided by the Australian Alps Liaison Committee and the
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies towards the costs involved with this
study is gratefully acknowledged.

For further information about the Australian Alps, see << www.australianalps.ea.gov.au
>>

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Table of Contents

1. Setting the Scene 1
2. The Australian Alps: a land to use and exploit 5
3. The Australian Alps: a unique environment to protect 11
4. Overcoming the Boundaries 21
5. Howmans Gap and the Evolution of the First Formal Cooperative Management
Agreement 26
6. The First Memorandum of Understanding, 1986 29
7. Changing the Memorandum of Understanding 33
8. Putting the Memorandum of Understanding into Operation 36
9. Doing the Work 47
10. An Evolving Activity: keeping things under review 53
11. Some Achievements of Cooperative Management in the Australian Alps
National Parks 57
12. Of More than National Significance? 69
13. Beyond the Alps 74
14. A Critical Assessment 77
15. An Australian Alps National Park? 91
16. What of the Future? 98
Bibliography 104
Appendices 117

List of Figures

1.1 The Australian Alps, their national parks and other protected areas 1
Source: Australian Alps National Parks Touring Map, AALC, Canberra, 1999.
3.1 Dunphy’s proposal for a Snowy-Indi Primitive Area 15
Source: based on Mosley 1999, 50, and other sources.
3.2 The evolution of parks in the NSW and ACT portions of the Australian Alps 15
Source: based on Mosley 1999, 69, and other sources.
3.3 Town and Country Planning Association proposal 1949 18
Source: based on Johnson 1974, 131.
3.4 Concept of a trans-border Alpine National Park proposed in 1975 18
Source: based on Johnson 1974, 136.
3.5 National parks in the Victorian Alps prior to the establishment of the 19
Alpine National Park
Source: based on VDCFL 1987.
8.1 Australian Alps cooperative management structure 37
Source: AALC 2001, 8.
16.1 Areas of the Australian Alps burned during the Summer 2002-03 bush fires 99
Source: AALC

List of Appendices

1 The Australian Alps national parks – a Framework for Co-operation
2 ‘Governments Unite to Protect Australian Alps’, News Release, 29 November
1985
3 Australian Alps national parks Memorandum of Understanding, 1986
4 Australian Alps national parks Memorandum of Understanding, 1989
5 Australian Alps national parks Memorandum of Understanding, 1996
6 Australian Alps national parks Memorandum of Understanding, 1998
7 Australian Alps national parks Memorandum of Understanding, 2003
8 Australian Alps Liaison Committee Membership, 1986-2003
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9 Australian Alps Program Coordinators, 1991-2003
10 Media, Community Education, and Community Projects Officers for the
Australian Alps, 1991-2003
11 Working Groups and Membership, 1986-2003
12 Strategies of the Co-operative Management Program, 1990-93
13 Strategic Plan for the Cooperative Management of the Australian Alps, 1993-
1996
14 Australian Alps national parks Strategic Plan, 2000-2003 (edited)
15 Australian Alps national parks 25 year Strategic Plan: “Protection at the highest
level”
16 Australian Alps Liaison Committee Annual Call for Projects, 2001-2002 (edited)
17 Australian Alps National Parks Cooperative Management Program: 2000-2001
Works Program (as of May 17, 2000) (edited)

Chapter 1. Setting the Scene

Introduction
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Located in the south-east of mainland Australia are distant observation by the early explorer Hume in
the highest parts of the Great Dividing Range. 1834 (Grenier 1992a).
Extending over a distance of some 500 km and
about 50 km wide, they cover approximately The name and vision have remained; they have
25,000 km², no more than 0.3 per cent of the been perpetuated, perhaps reflecting the desire for
country’s total area. Overall, they are known as a European vision, evident in many locations in a
the High Country or the Australian Alps, including land that was so different for the European settlers
the Brindabellas in the Australian Capital (Heathcote 1994, 253-269). For example,
Territory, the Snowy Mountains in New South commenting on the view from Mt Bogong, C.J.M.
Wales, and the Victorian Alps in Victoria (Figure Cole observed:
1.1). In one or more ways, most of the names can I stopped and looked in delight at the wonderful
be misleading. The name ‘Snowy Mountains’ has panorama which stretched out before me. As far as
to be seen in the context of the height of Mt the horizon there were mountains. All the big
peaks were visible … Further away were the Barry
Kosciuszko, the highest point in Australia, being
Mountains and Mts. Buller and Howitt … To the
only 2,228 m, and the nature of the area’s terrain,
north-east the most majestic view was seen; the
“a high undulating plateau which reflects the very
Kosciusko Plateau, heavily laden with snow and
long geological evolution” (Good 1995). This is a
the only portion of the panorama bathed in sunlight
world apart from images that can be and and looking particularly bright by contrast (The Ski
sometimes are conjured up by the term ‘Australian Club of Victoria Year Book, 1933, quoted in
Alps’, a name that seems to have originated with a Gowland 1992).

Figure 1.1 The Australian Alps, Their National Parks and Other Protected Areas.
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There is little dispute about the fact that parts of altitude by world standards, the ‘High Country’
the area can be described as ‘alpine’ – the area might have been a better general name for this
above a certain altitude that is treeless due to the unique part of Australia. However, given general
inability of trees to grow – and ‘sub-alpine’. usage and for consistency, the all-embracing
Nonetheless, and in spite of the relatively low name, the ‘Australian Alps’, is used in this study.
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flowing streams provide a very high proportion of
The Australian Alps total streamflow in the Murray-Darling Basin; for
What makes this area unique, certainly for example, the Upper Murray catchment accounts
Australia? A full answer would be a long one, and for over 17 percent of mean annual runoff from
would not be appropriate here. The interested only 1.4 percent of the Basin’s total area. These
reader can refer to a number of sources (e.g. water resources are of major regional and national
Costin 1989; Costin et al. 2000; Good 1989 and significance. However, the climate is changing:
1992a; Green 1998; Grenier and Good 1992; through the Twentieth Century, Kirkpatrick (2002)
NSWNPWS 1998; Scougall 1992). A brief has noted four tendencies – a decrease in winter
account is necessary, however, to provide a setting rainfall and in snow cover, an increase in
and context for this study. What defines this area temperature and in ultra-violet radiation.
and makes it unique are its biophysical
characteristics. Whilst rightly described as “a high The Australian Alps encompass a wide range of
undulating plateau”, the result of a long geological ecosystems, from the ‘snow country’ (which
history, there is considerable variation in the covers about 5,200 km² above the snow line) to
terrain and, by Australian standards, much of it is river valleys extending inland and to the coast as
rugged. The highest parts of the Snowy low as 200 m. The variable altitude, terrain, soils,
Mountains experienced two glacial periods, the and climate result in a diverse but rich flora
second between 15,000 and 35,000 years ago, and (Costin et al. 2000; Costin et al. 2002). There are
some locations retain evidence of continuing but hundreds of species, some found nowhere else in
limited periglacial processes (Galloway 1989; the world (Green 2002a). The various types of
Barrows et al. 2000). Parts of the Koscuszko forests – the open wet and dry forests, the
alpine area are “an outstanding example of mountain ash forests and the sub-alpine woodlands
glaciation that developed under extremely - are dominated by Eucalyptus species, notably the
marginal conditions”, while “The periglacial Alpine Ash (E. delegatensis) and Snow Gum (E.
phenomena are amongst the most striking in pauciflora) (Barker 1989). The scientific
Australia and demonstrate the widespread effects significance and appreciation of these
of cold climate in the Quaternary and in the recent environments are frequently obscured by the
past”, features of the Alps that are not well known attention given to the alpine areas, in spite of the
(Galloway 2002). There are karst areas of area and altitudinal range over which many of
significant scientific interest and value (Spate them extend (Costin et al. 2002). There are also
2002). The quality and depth of the soils vary shrublands, tussock grasslands, bogs and herb
with particular locations; they are highly fields. “The true alpine zone above the treeline
vulnerable to damage and dependent on the covers only some 370 km² but provides for a very
maintenance of a vegetation cover. The deep diverse flora of approximately 300 species” (Good
organic soils predominate, which “has led to the 1995). The adaptations of the flora to the
Australian Alps being described as ‘mountains of environment are particularly evident in the alpine
soil’” (Costin 2002). Whilst summer temperatures and sub-alpine zones, which, in spite of their
can be occasionally high, low temperatures occur harshness, produce a rich profusion of spring and
year-round, with the mean temperature of the summer flowers. These areas “are like islands; an
warmest month being about 10ºC. In terms of archipelago where environmental conditions are
weather, variability is paramount – a summer’s suitable for a restricted number of plants and
day can bring all seasons of the year. Precipitation animals that can survive the snow and are
is generally high, up to 2,500 mm and more, dependent on it” (Green 1997). In terms of fauna,
though within the mountains there are areas of rain Kosciuszko National Park alone supports about
shadow. By Australian standards, the precipitation 300 native terrestrial vertebrates and an unknown
is also relatively reliable. A winter snow cover is number (in the thousands) of invertebrate species
the norm, though the extent and depth vary from (Mansergh et al. 2002; Green and Osborne 1994).
year to year. All of the mainland snow country is Some animals are found only in the Alps, such as
included, above the average snowline of 1,370 m. the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus)
The high precipitation (including snowfall), plus (believed extinct until 1966), the Southern
such features of the terrain as lakes, bogs, and Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree), and
swamps, contributes to the relatively reliable the Kosciusko Wingless Grasshopper (Kosciuscola
streamflow in a number of coastal rivers and the tristis), while for other wildlife the Alps are an
Murray and Murrumbidgee systems. The inland
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essential location for part of their lifecycle, such as between states and territories. Parts of the Alps
the Bogong Moth (Agrostis infusa). are located in the Australian Capital Territory
South of the mainland, alpine and sub-alpine areas (ACT), New South Wales (NSW), and Victoria.
are also found in Tasmania (Kirkpatrick 1997). Within each jurisdiction, there are the boundaries
There, the ‘snow country’ extends over some between different government agencies or areas of
6,500 km², above about 915 m, accounting for administration, whilst in New South Wales and
about nine per cent of the island’s area, a very Victoria, there are local governments. None of the
much higher proportion than for the mainland. Of human imposed boundaries coincide with the
this, some 400 km² can be termed alpine. natural boundaries in the Australian Alps, least of
Tasmania’s ‘snow country’ is generally more all those that demarcate the Alps. So, in terms of
rugged and colder than that of the mainland. The their use and management, this is a further source
largest part of the alpine and sub-alpine country, of stress for the Australian Alps, as the boundaries
the Central Plateau, is also the main source of the divide what, naturally, is a whole.
island’s many rivers (Banks 1972).
If the boundaries have to stay for all their positive
For mainland Australia, the hot, dry land, with an benefits, in many instances the attitudes to them
average altitude of only some 300 m, the have to change. In the words of the Brundtland
Australian Alps are unique in so many ways, in report, “The real world of interlocked economic
terms of their terrain, climate and biota, and ecological systems will not change: the
individually and in combination. It is these policies and institutions concerned must” (WCED
features that give the Australian Alps their own 1987, 9). Inter-jurisdictional resource and
special appeal and their special human environmental management and the institutional
assessments and uses. But it is an environment arrangements to put it into effect present an
that is under threat, like so many of Australia’s increasingly important topic.
diverse landscapes. The Alps have a long history
of human use and exploitation, especially since the There are numerous such inter-jurisdictional
arrival of European settlement. As a consequence, arrangements in Australia, as well as overseas
there has been significant environmental and (Crabb 1995), yet there is little knowledge or
habitat disturbance and degradation. There have understanding of them in this country and
been invasions of feral fauna and exotic flora. discussion and analysis of such arrangements
Global warming is impacting on the biota as well continue to be very limited. The co-operative
as the snow cover; ozone depletion is resulting in management program for the Australian Alps
increased UV-B radiation (Green 1997). The national parks has been praised internationally, yet
impacts of change are severe for many fauna, not is little known here (Hamilton et al. 1996). A
least the Corroboree Frog, Baw Baw Frog study of such inter-jurisdictional arrangements in
(Philoria frosti), and Alpine Tree-frog (Litoria the Murray-Darling Basin identified the
verrauxii alpina) and the Mountain Pygmy Memorandum of Understanding for the
possum. The fragile and finite environments of cooperative management of the Australian Alps
the Australian Alps, in all their manifestations, are national parks and the program it put in place as
being increasingly stressed (Good 1995). one of the more successful and effective
arrangements and one worthy of closer analysis
The Australian Alps are defined by their (Crabb 2003a).
biophysical environments and in particular their
native vegetation. The area involved is a very
small part of Australia. In this case, however,
areal extent is no indicator of significance or The study in brief
importance, whatever parameters are used. This study documents the origins and development
of the Australian Alps national parks co-operative
The problem of boundaries management program, its structures and its
Whilst the Australian Alps are regarded as a whole activities. The first chapter has set the
in biophysical and environmental terms, they are biogeographical and jurisdictional scene. The
divided by the jurisdictional boundaries that have second and third chapters outline the many and
been imposed upon them. Human beings create all often conflicting uses that have been made of the
kinds of boundaries. Especially within a federal Alps and their environmental consequences.
nation such as Australia, there are the boundaries Chapters Four and Five detail the early moves to
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overcome the jurisdictional boundaries between records of Environment Australia, those held by
the national parks and other protected areas and the Program Coordinator, and from Kosciuszko
the evolution of the first cross-border agreement. National Park. These have been complemented by
The first formal Memorandum of Understanding other AALC publications, including the annual
(MOU) for the cooperative management of the reports and the periodical Newsletter. Many other
Australian Alps national parks and the subsequent published and unpublished documents have been
revisions are detailed in Chapters Six and Seven. consulted, as is indicated throughout the study and
Chapter Eight deals with the various measures that in the bibliography. These various documents
have been put in place to give effect to the MOU would have provided a substantial story, but the
and Chapter Nine examines the ways in which the one presented here would not have been possible
work of the cooperative program is undertaken. It without the cooperation of so many people who
is a constantly evolving program and Chapter Ten are or have been involved in the cooperative
outlines the ways in which it has been kept under program from before its inception. The
regular review. The achievements of the MOU information and insights they provided were
and cooperative program are considerable and invaluable and essential.
these are discussed and illustrated in Chapter
Eleven. Considerable effort has been expended in
establishing the international values of the
Australian Alps and trying to achieve international
recognition of them; these issues are discussed in
Chapter Twelve. The program has relevance well
beyond the Alps and Chapter Thirteen considers
the links it has with other organizations and the
transferability of the model to other inter-
jurisdictional resource and environmental
management situations. Chapter Fourteen
provides an analysis and assessment of the
successes of the program as well as its
weaknesses, based primarily on interviews with a
large number of people who are or have been
involved with the program. The penultimate
chapter considers the means by which the long-
held objective of those concerned with and for the
Australian Alps can be achieved, namely a truly
national park that encompasses the totality of the
environment and spans the three jurisdictions. The
final chapter looks to the future of the cooperative
management program, in the light of the
horrendous bushfires of the summer of 2002-03,
and beyond them.

Undertaking the research
Two main sources form the basis of this study.
The records and minutes of all of the meetings of
the Australian Alps Liaison Committee (AALC),
the Heads of the Agencies involved in the
cooperative program and of the Ministers have
provided the main story and much of the detail.2
These were obtained from the current and archival

2 In most instances, the dates of meetings of
the Liaison Committee, Heads of Agencies and
Ministers are cited in the following way, (26.6.89).
Unless stated otherwise, the references are to
AALC meetings.
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