THE MANAGEMENT OF KARST AND CAVE RESOURCES IN THE BUCHAN AND MURRINDAL AREA

Peter Boadle, Planning Officer, Bairnsdale Region, Department of Conservation and Environment

INTRODUCTION

The Buchan and Murrindal area is in East Gippsland, Victoria. It contains the greatest density of caves and other karst features in Victoria in an area of approximately 80 square kilometers of karst terrain. The karst area has been mostly cleared for agriculture, with the exception of a few blocks of Crown land reserved for the protection of caves and some other land reserved for public purposes such as streamside reserves. Many of these small blocks have also been highly modified by agricultural practices.

The Department of Conservation and Environment (DCE) has the responsibility for managing almost all areas of public land in the state. The Department also provides expert advice and assistance on soil conservation, control of pest plant and animal species, and tree growing, and also has a role in providing advice to Shires on statutory planning matters such as planning schemes and planning permits for specific activities on private land. The Department is therefore in a good position to either directly manage, or to influence the management of the entire area of karst terrain.

There were two tasks to be addressed by the Management Plan. One was to ensure the conservation of the karst resource in all areas of public land, and to a lesser extent, on freehold land. The other was to propose management strategies for the main reserve containing the show caves and to ensure the area was operated efficiently.

THE APPROACH

An important principle in preparing management plans is to ensure that the people implementing the plan, and the people affected by the plan, have a level of ownership in the proposals. Involvement of the local staff and the caving community was very easy because of their enthusiasm for the project, but comment from other community groups had to be actively sought.

The Department established a 'Karst and Caves Advisory Committee' to provide a formal avenue for involvement in managing the area. Representation on this committee was from the local government, local landholders, the Victorian Speleological Association, the Buchan Tourist Association, Murrindal caves (a privately run show cave), the Branch Caving Council (the scouts), and the friends of Buchan Caves. This committee provided very valuable comment during the preparation of the plan. Expert advice was obtained from many other people on the plan, some voluntarily and others on contract. A consultant botanist was employed to undertake a survey of the vegetation on the blocks of public land, the Museum of Victoria undertook a survey of invertebrates, a firm of management consultants prepared a business management plan for the Main Reserve, and consultant engineers provided advice on the infrastructure within the main reserve.

The order in which the tasks were tackled was important. We had to ensure that the redevelopment works were done in a manner consistent with the overall conservation strategy, and to ensure that we, as managers, understood what was to be protected and how we would conserve the resource. Part A of the plan was therefore 'The Management of Karst and Cave Resources' and Part B became 'A Development Plan for the Main Reserve'.

Part A: MAJOR ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

THE MANAGEMENT OF KARST AND CAVE RESOURCES

There are three main strategies directed at the management of caves on private land. They are:

1. A major extension and education program will be commenced with the landholders to make them aware of the resource they have on their properties. The number of landowners is not large, so one-to-one contact by DCE staff is possible and should be very productive.
2. The Department has the ability to enter into Land Management Agreements with landholders, which are attached to the title for the land, where there is the agreement of both the landowner and DCE. These agreements will be used where there are important natural features on private land and where active management by DCE may be required.
3. The Department will ask the Shire of Tambo to have all planning permit applications in the study area referred to it for comment. The shire will not be bound by the document's comments but potential areas of conflict will generally be resolved by negotiation.

LAND STATUS AND TENURE

Additional areas of public land will be added to the Buchan Caves Reserves where specific regulations apply for the protection and recreational use of the caves. Four areas at Buchan will be nominated for the Register of the National Estate. They are The Pyramids, The Potholes, the area around Anticline Cave and the Main Reserve.

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

Subsequential areas of the Main Reserve and The Potholes will be re-vegetated in a long term project. The vegetation survey revealed 19 plant species that are of national or state significance, so conservation of the remaining pockets of vegetation, and the indigenous vegetation cover above caves will also restore a hydrological system that is closer to the natural system.

STAFF PATROL

Cave areas will be patrolled by staff and monitoring systems will be introduced, cave restoration programs will be implemented, and responsible caving practices will be encouraged by contacting caving groups.

CAVE ACCESS POLICIES

A cave access policy for all caves on public land is included in the Plan, and recommended access policies have been considered for caves on private land. A list of twenty strategies to manage access to caves, and within caves was developed, and then appropriate strategies were selected for each cave. Thirty four caves on public land were considered in detail. All other caves, including recent discoveries, were given general access policies.

THE TWENTY ACCESS STRATEGIES ARE:

• Do nothing
• Non disclosure of the cave entrance
• Divert attention away from the cave
• Interpretive information on site
• Interpretive information off site
• Route marking within caves
• Limits on use at certain times of the year
• Limits on the size of groups
• Registration immediately prior to entering the cave
• Registration in advance
• Limit the number of groups at one time
• Restrict access to members of approved organisations
• Restrict access to only competent cavers
• Only permit access for groups with approved trip leaders
• Unlocked barrier
• Gate with a weak link
• Strong Locked gate
• No access
• Active encouragement

Part B: MAJOR ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Main Reserve is one of the largest single tourist attractions in East Gippsland, and it is vital for the economy of the Buchan area. The decline in the timber industry and the problems facing primary production have increased the importance of tourism and hence the significance of the Main Reserve. Buchan is also the natural focus for visitors to several national parks and other features and worthy destinations in the wider area.

Visitor numbers to the Main Reserve are high, particularly as there are only two show caves to cater for the demand. Visitor use is highest in the summer and Easter periods, whereas winter and spring are particularly quiet.

SHOW CAVE DEVELOPMENT

The developments within the show caves are basically sound, however a great deal of tidy up work is needed to restore the excesses of previous managers, to improve the show cave experience, and to provide a greater focus on the conservation of the caves.

The existing cave lighting system consists of 240 volt main through the cave which powers the larger floodlights. A series of transformers break the power to 32 volts for the feature lighting. The 32 volt system is now costly to maintain and the range of lights available is very limited, so a combination of 240 volt and 12 volt systems is proposed. The emphasis will be on feature lighting rather than flood lighting.

Continued efforts will be made to further reduce the amount of protective netting in the caves as this greatly reduces reduces the aesthetic appeal of the show caves. Work is also proposed for many sections of pathway within the caves to provide more comfortable, and less obtrusive pathways.

A program to monitor the cave atmosphere has been recommended as we do not have sufficient data to assess the impact of visitors on the cave environment.

INTERPRETIVE SERVICES

An interpretive centre will be constructed to provide a focus for all cave and karst interpretive and educational activities, including being a starting point for some tours. The role of the cave guides will be given greater emphasis because cave tours provide a magnificent opportunity for educating visitors about karst and caves, and also about wider conservation issues. Casual staff will be used for most cave guiding rather than permanent staff to ensure that the guides remain fresh and enthusiastic about their tours. Holiday activities programs, and the range of above ground activities, will be expanded, particularly those activities designed for school groups.

THE LANDSCAPE MASTERPLAN

Major changes are proposed for the central part of the Main Reserve which is currently dominated by the campground and vehicle traffic. The main intent of the changes is to provide a more relaxed, open environment for the day visitors. The Interpretive Centre, a Regional Information Centre, a new Kiosk and a ring road system are the main proposals.

Much of the charm of the Main Reserve stems from the exotic tree plantings and the 1930s 'American National Park Design' of the buildings and other items of outdoor furniture. This landscape will be carefully preserved in all future developments.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Since 1990, the reserve has been managed by a Committee of Management which is dependent on the revenue from the Reserve to fund its operation and development. This has meant many changes in the management style compared with its previous management by DCE when revenue was forwarded direct to Treasury and the reserve was managed by an annual appropriation of funds.

Fees have now been set at realistic levels, and marketing strategy is proposed which will increase revenue, particularly in the existing shoulder periods. There is also a much keener awareness of where efficiencies can be obtained in operating costs, particularly in the salaries and wages area which accounts for 78% of the total operating costs of the Reserve.

A Business Management Plan for the Reserve has been prepared by a firm of Management Consultants. The Plan confirms that the Reserve has the potential to be a viable business, but a surplus cash flow is not likely to be achieved until 1993/94 at the earliest. Assistance from DCE during this bridging period is now being sought.

WHERE TO NOW?

Comments on the draft plan of management are now being sought and will be received until 1 November 1991. It is hoped to revise the draft and complete the final plan in November and December. They are exciting times for everyone at Buchan as changes have been happening very quickly and everyone has a very positive outlook on the future. The management plan will hopefully ensure that the level of enthusiasm is maintained and that the future will remain on course!