About ACKMA Inc.

THE AUSTRALASIAN CAVE AND KARST MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION INC. (ACKMA) is a professional association for all those responsible for, or interested in, planning and management of limestone landscapes and caves in the Australasian region and beyond. It provides a wide range of services to its members and others. ACKMA's membership includes managers, cave guides, scientists and cavers interested in karst management and interpretation from around the globe.

INFORMATION EXCHANGE

The quarterly ACKMA Journal, biennial conferences, online meetings and personal networking between members combine to ensure that there is ready access to news and information on what is happening in cave and karst management across the region and internationally.

However, a more formal information service is offered in that members and interested organisations and individuals are encouraged to contact the ACKMA Executive Officer, who has close linkages to cave management organisations throughout the world. Specific enquiries are answered quickly, or the enquirer can be given direct contact with the appropriate person or organisation.

The publication of Conference Proceedings and other meetings provides an invaluable body of documented information. Further publications will be produced as knowledge develops, and will provide an important resource to members. ACKMA Inc. maintains contacts with many analogous organisations in Australasia including the Australian Speleological Federation Inc. and the New Zealand Speleological Society amongst others around the world.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The biennial conferences are the major event offered by the Association. Held at various major cave locations throughout Australia and New Zealand, these conferences provide for both field studies and symposia on aspects of management.

However, more specific training programs are conducted on the request of members and include regular guide exchange programs between various Australasian cave locations. Such programs deal with such topics as speleological science, interpretation, and experience. We are involved with several training organisations including the Savannah Guides Inc.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

ACKMA is able to arrange an appropriate planning team to prepare management plans or development proposal documents. This is carried out on a normal professional fee basis. The input of the region's most experienced professional planners and managers is available. ACKMA and its members have provided such input across Asia and Oceania, including the development of management plans for several World Heritage cave and karst sites.

ADVOCACY

Caves and karst are particularly vulnerable resources and ACKMA has regularly made submissions to relevant resource planning and decision making authorities. The expertise available through ACKMA enables our input to identify the nature and extent of potential problems, to propose creative responses to problems, and to support positive initiatives in resource protection.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

ACKMA maintains contact with such bodies as the International Show Caves Association, the International Union of Speleology, the National Speleological Association (USA), the American Cave Conservation Association, the British and Irish Show Caves Association and others. Management planning documents have also been prepared for cave sites in Asian and Pacific countries, and technical advice to many other countries in the Indian-Pacific Region.

Membership of ACKMA Inc. is always available to managers, cave guides, scientists and other interested persons from around our world.