Recently I had the opportunity to consider a new park management career challenge. After fifteen years as Ranger In Charge of the Grampians National Park, I applied for and was successful in being appointed to the position of Chief Ranger for the Grampians District.
My new role covers an area extending from Daylesford in the east, to the Little Desert on the South Australian border and south to Portland. The Grampians District encompasses the Lower Glenelg, Little Desert and Grampians National Parks, Buangor, Black Range, Dergholm and Langi Ghiran State Parks, Hepburn and Creswick Regional Parks and hundreds of smaller reserves.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Grampians. It is an extraordinary landscape and an amazing place to manage. The Park has a dedicated and talented management team and a fantastic support base of volunteers and advocates.
Over the years we have achieved some significant initiatives, often with limited resources. The biggest challenge for our team in recent years would have to be the recovery program following the 2006 Grampians Fire. This was a very difficult time for our local communities, agriculture and tourism industries as well as the Park. The three year program for rebuilding the fire affected area of the Park was massive and relied on strong team work from so many contributors. The end result has provided the Park with assets that are built to last.
We have made significant steps forward in many other areas of management, such as the development of the Brambuk partnership and new Brambuk entry building, review of the Park Management Plan, development of a Biodiversity Action Plan, and the release of the Bush-tailed Rock-wallabies.
This year we will complete a Fire Ecology Strategy for the Grampians and this will provide excellent direction for fire management for the Park and surrounding public land.
And there are other strategies that we will be progressing over the next year or so, such as the concept for a long distance walk in the Grampians and the completion of a strategy for managing bush camping in the Park.
We are fortunate to have the support of many groups who assist our management, including the National Park Advisory Group, FOGG’s, Grampians Walking Track Support Group, Friends of Zumstein, Threatened Species Group and the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Support Group. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic commitment and contribution of these groups, thank you for their support over the last fifteen years and look forward to our continuing partnerships.
Graham Parkes