MANAGEMENT - MAMMOTH, LAKE AND JEWEL CAVES
The Augusta-Margaret River Tourist Bureau has management authority over the Mammoth, Lake and Jewel Cave systems. Each of these caves is situated on the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, on Caves Road, between Margaret River and Augusta; an area that is literally honeycombed with limestone caves.
In August 1961, the Bureau was granted forty acre vestings of the land surrounding these caves, from the Minister for Lands. These cave reserves form part of Class A Reserves, and are surrounded by National Park or State Forest. As the vested authority, the Bureau is fully responsible for the upkeep of these reserves.
To maintain these cave reserves the Bureau employs two head guides on a contract basis; Mr John Yates who is responsible for the Lake and Mammoth Cave reserves; and Mr Cliff Spackman who is responsible for the Jewel Cave reserve. To assist them with their duties, John and Cliff in turn employ assistant guides and train them to their own requirements. The Bureau has no say in who the head guides employ, and as to how these assistant guides are trained or paid.
As well as guide training, the head guides' duties include the conducting of public inspections and the issue of tickets at such times as stated in the timetable; the general neatness and maintenance of all above and below ground facilities and cave surroundings, including the pathway systems and electrical circuits; the conducting of all fire control measures including the construction of firebreaks, and the overall duty of promoting tourism in this district. The head guides are also required to advise myself of any major maintenance works that may arise, or any emergency situations that eventuate. Each month, John and Cliff submit a report on their respective caves which I in turn present to the Bureau committee at its monthly meeting. This monthly reporting system provides the guide staff with an avenue for keeping both the committee and the Bureau Manager up to date with any problems, complaints or suggestions pertaining to the caves. There are also occasions when I need to meet personally with the guide staff to discuss a specific aspect of management, and in many instances I travel to the caves for these meetings.
To further improve the liaison between management, committee and the guide staff, the Bureau committee conducts an annual caves inspection. This inspection gives the guides a chance to meet the committee, which can be a constantly changing group, and advise or discuss problems experienced throughout the year or make suggestions towards the improvement of various aspects of the cave or the aboveground facilities. In many cases this is the only opportunity the guide staff get to meet the men who both take and spend the money gained from the tours they conduct.
The committee of the Augusta-Margaret River Tourist Bureau has recognised, over the years, that they are by no means the expert authority on cave conservation or preservation, and to this end, often need to refer to recognised authorities for advice and information. The co-operation between the Bureau and such organisations as the National Parks Authority and the WA Speleological Group has been aided by the fact that I am personally involved in caving and am a member of the Witchcliffe area sub-group of the WA Speleological Group.
During the last two years many of the committee's proposals have been either assisted or thwarted by advice given by members of these two bodies. Based upon advice and recommendations given by John Watson of the National Parks Authority, the Bureau commissioned an extensive feasibility study into the guiding system in the Mammoth Cave. Although discussions into this matter are probably not yet complete, this study did prevent the Bureau from rushing headlong into a proposal that may not have worked.
Similar advice has been obtained from, or given by, Rauleigh Webb and other members of the WA Speleological Group, concerning such things as the water levels in the Jewel Cave system, and the clearing of the original solution pipe entrance. As a result of this the solution pipe into the Jewel Cave system has been cleared and a more efficient breathing system has resulted in much better conditions within the cave itself.
Earlier this year, an extensive survey of the Lake Cave system was carried out, to examine what detrimental effects, if any, the sealing of the entrance to the Lake Cave car park would have on the cave itself and the surrounding cave system. As a consequence of this survey, the Bureau has decided to seal just the entrance, and about 100 metres to the Lake Cave Kiosk only.
Fortunately it has not always been necessary to consult outside bodies for such advice. The committee has been able to call upon the many years of experience in caving matters of John Yates and Cliff and Ron Spackman, whose sole advice has often been sufficient.
It is pleasing to note that such cooperation, as now established between the respective authorities, is likely to remain as part of this Bureau's policy for many years to come and that preservation and conservation of our precious caving systems are now in the minds of the management of the Lake, Mammoth and Jewel Caves.