This Management Plan for Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park is approved for implementation. Its purpose is to direct all aspects of management in the Park until the Plan is reviewed. A Draft Management Plan was published in February 1996. A total of 10 submissions were received. Copies of the Plan can be obtained from: NRE Wodonga Office Department of Natural Resources and Environment 1 McKoy Street WODONGA VIC 3690 Outdoors Information Centre Department of Natural Resources and Environment 240 Victoria Parade EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002 Further information on this Plan please contact: Chief Ranger - Murray Park Management Area NRE Wodonga Office (060) 556 111
APPROVED MANAGEMENT PLAN This Approved Management Plan has been prepared under section 17 of the National Parks Act 1975 (Vic.) and is approved for implementation. The Plan provides the basis for the future management of Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park. It was finalised following consideration of the ten submissions received on the Draft Plan.
5 THE PARK VISIT The Park visitor Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park offers visitors opportunities to enjoy a largely undeveloped natural area with impressive scenery in a relatively remote corner of Victoria. Local usage of the Park appears to be fairly limited, the majority of visitors being from elsewhere within the State. Interstate and overseas visitors occasionally visit the Park. Visitor use of the Park is estimated to be around 10 000 visitor days per year from a traffic counter located on Falls Road. Use has remained fairly stable for the last few years. The majority of visits occur during the warmer months, the Christmas and Easter school holidays being particularly busy periods. Future use of the Park is expected gradually to increase as the tourism potential of the Upper Murray area is realised. This will result in increased use of walking tracks and the main visitor destinations, including Bluff Creek camping area and Bluff Falls. Providing for the visitor Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park offers opportunities for three distinct visitor types: day visitors who enjoy accessible attractions, particularly Bluff Falls; self-reliant visitors who camp and enjoy a variety of features, particularly the longer walks, or specialised activities such as nature study; groups involved in organised educational or recreational activities. Future management will continue to on existing visitor types and activities, and will maintain the essentially remote and undeveloped setting. Picnic and camping areas will be confined to the existing sites and two picnic sites proposed for development in this plan. Aims Develop an understanding of visitor numbers, profiles, attitudes, expectations and needs. Provide for visitors in accordance with the overview of future management for visitors. Ensure that visitor use of the Park is not detrimental to the Park’s natural values. Management strategies Permit recreational activities in accordance with table 2. Provide facilities and services highlight, but are in keeping with, the area’s distinctive character (sections 5.2 and 5.3 and tables 3, 4 and 5). Conduct visitor surveys to assess visitor numbers, profiles, patterns of behaviour, expectations and preferences. Establish a program to determine levels of recreational activity consistent with protecting recreational experiences and park values. Encourage all visitors to adopt minimal impact techniques and to adhere to codes of conduct appropriate to their activity. Monitor visitor use to ensure adequate provision of facilities consistent with appropriate types and levels of use. Monitor the impacts of visitor use at popular visitor destinations, and take appropriate action as required.
TABLE 3 MANAGEMENT OF ROADS AND VEHICLE TRACKS ROAD OR TRACK CLASS COMMENTS/USES STATUS MANAGEMENT PRIORITY Wild Goat Track 3 Borders private property. Fire protection. Bush Rat 3 Access to Black Mountain. Fire protection. O NRE track. Medium priority. O NRE Medium priority. Mountain Track 2/3 Main access to Black Mt. Fire protection. Links to Black Mountain Walking Track. O NRE High priority. Hinces Track 3 Access to Hinces Ck Camp. to Hinces Creek Walking Track. Track 3 Access to Victorian Pine Corporation land. Fire protection. O NRE track. Medium priority. O NRE track. Low priority. Pine Mountain Track 2/3 Links to Pine Mountain Walking Track. O NRE High priority. Wermatong Track 3 Park management. Fire protection. O NRE track. Medium priority. Upper and Lower Dogman Track Ross Lookout Track 2/3 Borders private property. Fire protection. 3 Access to Ross Lookout. to Ross Lookout Walking Track. O NRE track. Medium priority. O NRE track. Medium priority McNamaras Track 3 Access to Thornes Clearing. O NRE track. Medium priority. Cudgewa North- Walwa Rd 1 Main access through Park. O Towong Shire road. High priority. Falls Road 1 Main public access to Bluff Falls & facilities. O NRE road. High priority. Hamiltons Track 3 Fire protection. O NRE track. Low priority. Mt Burrowa 3 Access to walking tracks. Links to Mt Burrowa Walking Track. Sandy Creek Track 3 Park management. Fire protection. O NRE Medium priority. O NRE track. Low priority.
TABLE 5 WALKING TRACKS NAME DIST. (ONE CURRENT ADDITIONAL WORK REQUIREMENTS FUTURE Bluff Falls Track 30 m D: Moderately steep. Drain and reform. C Campbells Lookout Track (including Top Falls Track) 700 m D: Steep and rocky. and reform. C Ross Lookout Walking Track 3 km D: Steep and rocky in sections. Track ill- defined along ridge tops. Install additional markers to define track along ridge tops. D Falls Nature Walk 2 km B: Track on flat ground and well drained. Upgrade and maintain numbered posts. B Hinces Creek Walking Track 3.5 km D Nil D Pine Mountain Walking Track 6 km E: and rocky. Track ill-defined in places. Install additional markers to define track. Re-route track around Phantom Wattle community. E Mountain Walking Track 2 km E: Steep and rocky Nil E Mt Burrowa Walking Track 4.5 & 7 km E: Steep and rocky. Track in some sections. Install additional markers to define track. E Road Block - Pine Mountain Track 5 km Proposed Construct track and provide markers. Avoid Pine Mountain Reference Area. E River Road Block Nature Trail 1 km Proposed Construct provide numbered posts and notes. B Standard (NPS guideline 17.5R) B Track well defined and drained and surfaced where necessary. Grade C Track well defined, benched and drained where necessary. Grade D Track defined through use, usually drained and cleared. Grade E Track defined through use but with no basic construction.
REFERENCES Beauglehole, A.C. 1988, The Distribution and Conservation of Vascular Plants in the North East area, Victoria, A.C. & H.M. Beauglehole, Portland. CNR 1995, Code of Practice for Fire Management on Public Land, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Victoria. DCE 1990, North East Region Fire Protection Plan, Department of Conservation and Environment, Victoria. FIS 1996, Flora Information System database of Victorian plant distribution records, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria (unpub.). LCC 1973, Recommendations: North- Eastern Study Area District 1, Land Conservation Council, Melbourne. LCC 1986, Final Recommendations: North- Eastern Area (Benalla-Upper Murray) Review, Land Conservation Council, Melbourne. LCC 1991, Wilderness Special Investigation Final Recommendations, Land Conservation Council, Melbourne. NPS 1995, National Parks and Conservation Reserves: Guidelines and Procedures Manual, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Melbourne. Landcare 1993, North East Regional Landcare Plan, Landcare, Victoria.
APPENDIX 1 RARE OR THREATENED FLORA SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME STATUS* VICTORIA AUSTRALIA Acacia phasmoides Phantom Wattle Vulnerable Vulnerable Asplenium trichomanes Common Spleenwort Rare Austrofestuca eriopoda Lanky Fescue Rare Brachyscome ptychocarpa Tiny Daisy Rare Bulbine glauca Bluish Bulbine-lily Rare Cyperus flavidus Yellow Flat-sedge Vulnerable Dampiera purpurea Mountain Dampiera Rare Dipodium hamiltonianum Yellow Hyacinth-orchid Endangered Dodonaea boroniifolia Hairy Hop-bush Rare Dodonaea rhombifolia Broad-leaf Hop-bush Rare Rare Grevillea jephcottii Grevillea Rare Rare Grevillea ramosissima Fan Grevillea Rare Leucopogon microphyllus var. Hairy Beard-heath Rare pilibundus Olearia adenophora Scented Daisy-bush Rare Rare Pimelea treyvaudii Grey Rice-flower Vulnerable Prasophyllum patens Broad-lip Leek-orchid Rare Pterostylis hamata Scaly Greenhood Rare Pultenaea vrolandii Cupped Bush-pea Rare Spirodela polyrrhiza Large Duckweed Rare Sporobolus creber Rat-tail Grass Rare Tripogon loliiformis Rye Beetle-grass Rare * Status: FIS (1996).