Page 1946 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 May 2010
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Those recommendations that the government disagrees are relatively minor in nature. Recommendation 9 is:
that the Department of Territory and Municipal Services evaluate the cost and environmental impact of creating a horse riding track parallel to Boboyan Road as an alternative to the realigned Grassy Creek fire trail, prior to allowing access to the Grassy Creek trail for a trial period.
It has been superseded by other fire trail construction in the park. Since the committee handed down its report, other fire trails, the Burnt Hill and Potter fire trails which are in the vicinity of the area referred to by the committee, have been constructed to meet the requirements of the strategic bushfire management plan. These trails are accessible to horse riders and provide a safe and pleasant alternative route to Boboyan Road. An evaluation of constructing another trail adjacent to Boboyan Road is therefore considered unnecessary. In other words, the passage of time has essentially rendered that particular recommendation unnecessary.
The government disagrees with recommendation 15:
that the plan of management should include details of the monitoring and reporting arrangements that will be implemented to assess the trial use of the realigned Grassy Creek fire trail by recreational horse riders as an alternative to Boboyan Road and the Bicentennial National Trail.
It is the government’s view that this level of detail is not appropriate for a plan of management. The plan proposes a range of monitoring programs and it would be inappropriate to include their design and methodology in a strategic planning document. The government, however, has agreed to make publicly available on the TAMS website the methodology and reporting of the monitoring program on the Grassy Creek fire trail.
The government also disagrees with recommendation 2l:
that resources already allocated for widening fire trails and access roads be redirected to support the use of remote area fire teams, small machinery and air support.
TAMS has an obligation to undertake bushfire preparation for both fire protection and fire suppression purposes. Access to the park is an important strategy for fuel reduction programs and for fighting wildfires when they occur. Upgrading the standard of fire trails, the establishment of helipads and training for staff for remote area fire teams are all considered to be an important strategy for preparing the ACT for fire events.
The recommendations to which the government’s response has been noted, recommendations 2, 4, 5 and 6, are largely outside the scope of the management plan. Broadly, they relate to matters of process and governance arrangements for management of the park.
The government notes recommendation 2:
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