Northern Yilgarn Management Plan

Thankyou for responding. Public participation is a requirement of preparing a management plan and the public have an opportunity to contribute on all management plans written for conservation reserves managed by DEC. The opportunity to contribute is advertised a number of ways and it is also promoted on DEC naturebase website

Being out in the Goldfields with 4WD and camping the prominent recreation activity, the Kalgoorlie DEC office thought it would be a good website to inform people of what is happening and encourage input, especially if there is people who have been out to the area. This management plan has also been promoted in the Kalgoorlie miner newspaper, ABC Esperance radio, DEC newsletter, been sent to Trackcare and 4WD groups, been sent to various government agencies, conservation agencies, mining organisations, indigenous groups, pastoralists and general public who have expressed an interest in finding out about the area.

Public input is crucial at this stage of preparing the management plan which will guide the management of the reserves for the next 10 years.

Some feedback to the plan already received is:
- needing to preserve entire ecosystems and unique flora
- wanting to ensure mining can access areas
- needing a fire management plan
- protecting Indigenous and European historical sites
- leaving the area as it is for 4WD and remote camping

Other comments can be seen on the update newsletter sent out to all stakeholders, which can also be seen on the Have your say. To get on the stakeholder list you need to contact DEC, Kalgoorlie.

Hi Davoe, been spending a lot of time out there and cant get enough of the place.

Just exploring tracks and camping along the way......heaven.

Ive never had any problems in my dealings with DEC and always found their staff pleasant and helpful. I hope that never changes, but I am concerned by the impact mining will have on the area.

I always assumed the DEC was there to stop this sort of activity on lands under its control.

I will take them up on their offer of public comment and input, but wont hold my breath.

Cheers......Lionel.

Thankyou for your response

To answer some of your questions

1) Helena and Aurora range and Bungalbin Hill are currently in a Conservation Park that does not afford the same protection under the current governments 'no mining in national park or nature reserve' policy. In 2004 the then Minister for the Environment announced the conservation reserve were to become A class nature reserve but this was then revoked due mining. In 2007 a Cabinet Decision 'committed to the creation of A class Nature Reserve over Mt Manning, Die Hardy and Helena-Aurora Range with the exclusion of Bungalbin East' as generally recommended by the EPA. Bungalbin East will remain Conservation Park for a period of three years when there will be a review on the biological conservation significance and the mining prospectivity.

Therefore Helena and Aurora Range itself will become an A class Nature Reserve or National Park and no mining is permitted in this current government. However there is still much debate about the future of mining in the surrounding areas and on Bungalbin Hill East.

2) You are right there are gridlines over the Die Hardy. Exploration in the area has been occuring since the 1950's for iron ore, nickel and gold. Currently the Die Hardy ranges are on pastoral lease and not in existing reserves. However, as mentioned above the government has committed to a creation of an A class nature reserve on the Die Hardy's. Again there is much debate about the future of mining in the surrounding areas.

3) There is currently no wilderness areas in the Northern Yilgarn Conservation Reserves, north of Southern Cross

The public participation process of the prepartation of a management plan is crucial and can influence decisions made for strategies of the area. You can provide your input and views about mining in the area. There is also alot of other management considerations to make in conservation reserves, such as feral animal control, weed management, creating wilderness so no vehicles can access the only access is by foot, developing recreation sites, names of the reserves.

Regards Kym