Parks of Western and Central Kangaroo Island Draft Management Plan 2021

We need your help again
One of the key foundations for the activity against the proposed development was that it breached the amended Flinders Chase National Park Management Plan. A new management plan has been drafted for the parks of Western and Central Kangaroo Island (15 parks in all —including National Parks, Wilderness Protection Areas and Conservation Reserves) and we are concerned that the draft plan seriously erodes the conservation role of our parks in favour of commercial exploitation. Please take the time to have your say about the draft Plan of Management.

You have three options

1. Send a written submission to National Parks and Protected Area Program Unit, Department for Environment and Water, GPO Box 1047 ADELAIDE SA 5001
2. Email it to DEWProtectedAreaManagement@sa.gov.au (include the name of the plan in the subject heading)
3. Online submission Parks of Western and Central Kangaroo Island Draft Management Plan 2021 | YourSAy where you can take a survey about the plan. This is an option if you haven’t the time to do a full submission.

Six key concerns about the Parks of Western and Central Kangaroo Island Draft Management Plan 2021

1. Too many parks are lumped into one very brief and generalised management plan which means it fails to do justice to any of the 15 parks and areas it covers. The management directions are too broad and lack detail. Evidence of this shows in the inadequate maps and minimum References that are provided.  See Draft Plan pg 2 and pgs 28–41
2. Management priorities are tourism rather than conservation driven. The over-riding purpose of these parks is conservation, and all management actions should flow from and reinforce this. Management priorities should emphasise maintaining and valuing the plants and animals and large unbroken extent of habitat in the parks and WPAs. See Draft Plan Para 1 pg 1, Para 1 pg 7, Page 10 Dot Point 5
3. Zoning/development areas are unclear and open-ended giving minimum direction as to where development activities can take place. There are only two zones – intensive Visitor Use Zones and everywhere else, where ‘low impact activities’ such as campgrounds, toilets, picnic areas etc. can be placed anywhere in the entire park estate (outside of WPAs) without restrictions. The plan lacks accurate and detailed maps of proposed infrastructure and its location. See Draft Plan pgs 3, 16, 18 and pgs 28–38 
4. Management of threats to biodiversity Why does the plan consider approving the possible introduction of commercial European honeybee hives into parks where the primary purpose is conservation of species and ecosystems? European honeybees plunder native floral resources needed by a whole host of native bird, mammal and insect species, feral swarms take over scarce nesting hollows in trees, and are dangerous to humans. There is inadequate information about pest plant and animal species management.  See Draft Plan pg 12
5. Fire management philosophy Unexamined assumptions are made about the inherent value of regular prescribed burning, without the underlying information on the impact of such burning on the ecology and biodiversity. Western KI is genuinely unique and not appropriate for generic fire practices based on conditions and long-term histories assumed to operate on the mainland. See Draft Plan pgs 20–21 
6. Preservation of wilderness quality and the potential destruction of wilderness by cutting the Ravine WPA up into management blocks. Large areas of habitat are best able to withstand impacts associated with pest plants, animals and diseases and the impacts of climate change compared with small, isolated areas. Wilderness values outside Wilderness Protection Areas do not appear to rate highly in proposed management planning.  See Draft Plan Para 1 pg 1, Dot Point 7 pg 10, pg 14 
   
   If you would like more detailed information about our concerns please email fopkiwd@gmail.com (Friends of Parks Kangaroo Island Western Districts)

Closing date for submissions is 17 December 2021.

The Friends of Parks Kangaroo Island Western Districts’ 37 page submission can be read by clicking the “Download” button below.