National Parks are proclaimed to protect and preserve specific values in the area. To achieve this the Parks Service places many restrictions on how the area may be used by the public.
A comparison of the normal activities that are allowed in National Parks compared with those in State Forests is set out below.
|
Activity |
National Park |
|
|
Dogs and pets allowed. |
No |
Yes |
|
Bushwalking on tracks |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Bushwalking off tracks |
No |
Yes |
|
Orienteering |
Some parks |
Yes |
|
Tree Climbing |
No |
Yes |
|
Camping |
Sites only |
Yes |
|
Hunting |
No |
Yes |
|
Horse riding |
No |
Yes |
|
4 x 4 Driving on roads |
Some roads |
Yes |
|
4 x 4 Driving on fire tracks |
No |
Yes |
|
Trail bike riding |
Some parks |
Yes |
|
Car rallies |
No |
Yes |
|
Fossicking for gold, gems, etc |
No |
Yes |
|
Stone Quarrying |
No |
Yes |
|
Mineral Exploration &Mining |
No |
Yes |
|
Non-wood product harvesting |
No |
Yes |
|
Sawlogs, pulp harvesting |
No |
Yes |
|
Poles, posts, piles, beams, etc |
No |
Yes |
|
Firewood collection |
No |
Yes |
|
Eucalyptus oil production |
No |
Yes |
|
Stone and gravel extraction |
No |
Yes |
|
Grazing |
No |
Yes |
|
Bee keeping |
Some parks |
Yes |
5. Inclusion of the beach and foreshore within the park
The public lands between the low water mark and the Great Ocean Road (GOR) and in many cases well beyond the GOR should not be included within the proposed national park. The restrictions that apply within NP’s would make it almost impossible for the community to use the beaches and foreshore areas for its normal summer pursuits.
Inclusion of the GOR in a NP would also inhibit the much needed improvements to the realignment and widening of the road that are required to cater for the increasing summer traffic loads.
6. Protection of coastal settlements from fire.
One of the most likely
outcomes of the inquiry into the 2003 bushfires will be a proposal to manage
the public lands adjacent to townships and settlements primarily for fire
protection purposes. Inclusion of the public land areas adjacent to the
settlements of Aireys Inlet, Moggs Creek, Lorne,
Conclusions
Every community needs
access to the amenities that can only be provided by a
We should support the LCC's original land use determination to provide for the management of public lands for specific public needs.
Can the community really afford to lock up all the public lands in the Otway region for a single purpose?
Make your opinions known by write to VEAC,
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