Category: From Parks Victoria

The Grampians National Park continues to implement post flood recovery works across all areas of the business including Assets, Natural Values, Cultural Values and Tourism. To date much of our effort and energy has been spent in maintaining the areas of the Park remaining accessible to a safe and appropriate standard for the increased and concentrated visitor numbers. A great example of this is the Mt Zero Rd (Bolte Hwy) which has had unprecedented attention over the past 4 months. Credit must go to the roading crew including Graeme Scherger, John Rudolph and Nick Scott who have spent their fair share of time on the road since the initial event.

During the months of June and July 2011, our focus will be on re-opening the public road network within the Victoria Valley and Victoria Range, with traffic restrictions in place due to ongoing maintenance needs. This will allow local and … Read the rest

Grampians National Park – An Update – David Roberts
Despite the challenges we face with floods and the evolving recovery program, some excellent news has presented itself over the past few months with the commencement of a number of key staff. As mentioned below, Ryan Duffy fills the shoes left behind by Mike Stevens and will bring a new flare, passion and commitment to the job. We also welcome 2 new additional staff to our team as part of our Fire Operations delivery. Emily Barnes and Jonathan Almond commenced with Parks Victoria at Halls Gap in early March 2011 and haven’t stopped since. Emily and Jonathan will assist us in our fire program including burning, preparations, monitoring and providing leadership for the seasonal fire fighter workforce.
We have been busy delivering an increased burn program in the Grampians and Reserves over the past 8 weeks, taking advantage of mild and … Read the rest

_EDITOR’S NOTE: Dave sent this to us in early December, and it has been overtaken by subsequent events. I haven’t the heart to ask him for an update yet, as he is so flat out with recovery works._

The tail end of 2010 has sped past at a rapid rate. The Grampians National Park, like most of the state, has received good rainfall, resulting in a fantastic Spring flowering display and a refreshed and rejuvenated landscape.

Since I commenced in the Ranger in Charge role in August 2010, the park has experienced a number of significant weather events namely severe storm damage and flooding. The team has been busy reinstating access to the majority of the park but unfortunately the overall standard of our walking tracks and 4WD road network has suffered with these weather events. The park has been negotiating a flood recovery plan and insurance funds have been … Read the rest

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 … Read the rest

h2. Improvements to Glenelg River Road

Over the last few years Park staff have been working away at getting the Glenelg River Road up to a better standard. Recently a three kilometre section of the Glenelg River Road near the Moora Moora Reservoir was resurfaced with additional gravel. The improved quality of the gravel surface reduces maintenance significantly, resulting is less grading and allowing our staff to focus on other pressing maintenance.

h2. Staff News

Congratulations to Sylvia van der Peet on her recent promotion to Apollo Bay. Among her many duties, Sylvia provided fantastic support for volunteer organisations associated with the Park and will be a big loss to our team. A process for finding Sylvia’s replacement is under way.

Congratulations also to our District Chief Ranger, Tony English, who is taking up a new position in Parks Victoria’s Indigenous Partnership Branch. Tony’s dedicated management of the Grampians District … Read the rest

The Varnish Wattles are starting to bloom and early spring (Larneuk – season of nesting birds) is taking hold across the Grampians. The rivers and creeks that have been thirsty are starting to flow into our beautiful wetlands with the sound of frogs echoing across the valleys. Not to mention that the reservoirs are starting to fill as well.

Many Grampians National Park staff have been taking a well earned break catching up on annual leave at the completion of the busy fire season, prescribed burning season and completion of the fire recovery program.

Staff have been busy preparing our annual Fire Operations Plan (FOP) that details our fire protection, preparation work and prescribed burning program on a rolling three year cycle. Grampians staff and our emergency services partners have been meeting with a number of community groups to ensure that a balanced FOP is being developed to ensure that … Read the rest

ARRIVALS A warm welcome to two sets of twin boys in the PV family. Andrew Dennis and Rachel have added to their family with the arrival of identical twins boys Alexander James and Darby Michael on May 7. Mike Stevens and Amanda followed up with non-identical twin boys Oliver and Flynn on June 3. All four are healthy but need to gain some weight before being allowed to go home. Congratulations and best wishes to both sets of parents.

RELATIONSHIPS Graham Parkes is acting as Chief Fire Ranger – West, with Mike acting as GNP Ranger in Charge.

DEPARTURES As Mike reported in his piece, the Fire Recovery Crew have finished up after three years of hard work. The BTS committee donated each of them a copy of Beyond the Smoke as a thank you.
Earlier we said farewell to Canadian ranger Sean Frey after his second stint here. Sean … Read the rest

Mike Stevens, Acting Ranger in Charge

On Friday 12th June, Grampians National Park staff celebrated the official end of the fire recovery program from January 2006 to July 2009 with a dinner to acknowledge the outsanding efforts of the recovery crews and staff. The massive recovery effort saw approximately a $4.5 million program implemented over the 3 years. The massive list included assessing 4120 trees, 473 km of road and track, 100 signs, 8 toilet blocks, 1 house, 13 park furniture, and countless numbers of steps to name but a few of the assets reconstructed. The program has also achieved fox poison baiting across almost 200,000 hectares, the reintroduction of the critically endangered Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and establishment of the Grampians Fire and Fauna research project with Deakin University.

The very last piece of the fire recovery puzzle is currently being completed with final works being carried out on the Zumsteins … Read the rest