Lake Gairdner Draft Management Plan

[DLRA]

The Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources (South Australia) have instigated 2 separate activities that affect Lake Gairdner.

1. Amendment to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972
This Amendment to the Act proposes to introduce a new classification system to the Act. It includes a re-classification of Lake Gairdner from a National Park to a Nature Reserve. The basis of this re-classification is that the majority of Lake Gairdner is already under a number of mining claims, so cannot be protected as a true National Park can.

To view or download copies of the draft Amendment Bill and the supporting documents or to make a submission go to www.environment.sa.gov.au/haveyoursay/npwactamendments/

NOTE: There is a cut-off of the 21 December 2012 for submissions, so if you are going to make a submission you had better do it quick!

2. Preparation of the Draft Lake Gairdner National Park Management Plan
This new plan will replace the existing Lake Gairdner Management Plan that was prepared in 2004 and was used to formulate the DLRA Operational Plan that was submitted to the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage and provides the rules and regulations under which we operate Speed Week.
The existing Lake Gairdner Management Plan contains many references and requirements for Motorsport and Land Speed Racing as well as access to the lake. Also included is management of commercial activities like Tours, Filming and Advertising.
It is anticipated that the Draft Management Plan will be released for comment mid next year.
If you think that this is something that is of interest to you, there is an online registration form on this page, I would recommend you all register, nominate your method of engagement and make your individual suggestions. There is also an Information Sheet detailing why this work is being undertaken.

Got to : www.environment.sa.gov.au/haveyoursay/l ... er-mgtplan

The DLRA will be making it's own submissions, co-ordinated by myself, please send comments and suggestions for inclusions in our submission to drylakesracersau@hotmail.com.

[Dr Goggles]

The Dry Lake Racers of Australia have an established history of responsible use of Lake Gairdner for the purpose of landracing. After extensive searching it appears that Lake Gairdner is the only practical venue in Australia for this type of racing as it requires a minimum uninntererupted eight mile straight course. The DLRA have always operated under a "leave it as we found it " use policy and the more than one -thousand members hold the lake as a very special place in their hearts. Landspeed racing is an amateur activity that sees people from every single walk of life , men and women from teenagers to octegenarians who race both historic and cutting edge vehicles , some which are unique,built from the ground up designs.

The members of the DLRA appreciate the Lake as a significant place to the local indigenous people who have lived in the area for tens of thousands of years as it's stark beauty , scale and harsh environment could not have been anything other than a dominant item in the dreaming and storylines in the Eyre peninsula area and beyond.

Protecting the surface and surrounds of the unique Lake Gairdner is not a positive thing, it is an essential thing. Lake Gairdner can be seen from space, it is an irreplaceable natural assett that cannot be damaged for short term financial gain at the expense of cultural, spiritual and environmental values.

Lake Gairdner, and particularly the dry, deep salt southern area should remain a pristine natural environment for ever.

James Stewart
DLRA #374
Sunshine Melbourne 3020

[AuotonomousRX]

I'll second that Doc

Pete

[DLRA]

Just a reminder, you only have until tomorrow to make a submission on the Draft Amendment Bill.

[DLRA]

Here is a copy of the submission made on behalf of the DLRA.

Manager, Protected Area Policy and Planning
Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Email: npwactamendments@sa.gov.au
Phone: (08) 8124 4707

Dry Lakes Racers Australia
PO Box 349
Castlemaine VIC 3450
Ph: 03 5472 4629
http://www.dlra.org.au

Date: 20th December 2012

Re: Submission for the draft National Parks and Wildlife (Reserve Categories and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2012

Dear Sir,
Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this amendment.

The Dry Lakes Racers Australia is considered as the official sanctioning organisation for Land Speed Racing in Australia, it has been conducting annual speed trials at Lake Gairdner since 1990 attracting entrants and interest from around the world. We represent a membership of over 1,100 and have an obvious interest in the preservation of Lake Gairdner and being able to continue to use and enjoy it for a long time to come.

The existing Lake Gairdner Management Plan lists under its special values and characteristics that Lake Gairdner is “A venue of international-standard for high-speed motor vehicle trials and record attempts” and identifies as a major management goal the “Occasional use of the southern portion of the park for environmentally sustainable recreation”. The DLRA is committed to ensuring that these aspirations remain within the Management Plan. Lake Gairdner is the only other place in the world where this type of activity can occur on a salt lake and is considered by many to offer superior conditions to the famous and historic home of land speed racing, Lake Bonneville in Utah USA. There are also a number of outright and class land speed record projects currently in construction which rely on the availability of Lake Gairdner for their attempts.

After having read the following documents;
• Amendments to the National parks and Wildlife Act 1972
• Overview of amendments information sheet
• Reserve reclassification information sheet
• Q& A –Mining information sheet
• Q&A – recreation in parks and reserves information sheet
• Q&A – Heritage Parks information sheet
• Q&A – Management Plans information sheet
• Q&A – Co-management information sheet
• Q&A – Native Title

The DLRA has no problem with the Departments proposal to establish a clearly-defined system of reserve categories
or including additional mechanisms for reserve system management
or providing clarity to these reserve categories.

However we understand that the Department proposes to re-classify the Lake Gairdner National Park to the Lake Gairdner Nature Reserve based on the fact that most of Lake Gairdner is already extensively covered by mining rights and extraction of resource leases.
We are extremely disappointed that as the managers of Lake Gairdner National Park the Department has approved all these mining rights over a National Park which deserved to be protected as a National Park should. We are very concerned of the impact to Lake Gairdner if any of these mining rights are ever exercised and the short and long term damage to Lake Gairdner that they may cause.
We note that user section 34A – Alteration of category, Part 1(a) that a Nature Reserve may not be altered to a National park “unless no mining rights are held in respect of the land comprising the reserve”. Making it impossible for Lake Gairdner to ever be considered for National Park classification in the future.
We also note that there are exceptions to the rule where some existing National Parks that have mining rights over them are not being re-classified to Nature Reserves.
We would actually support the removal of these mining rights over Lake Gairdner.
Whilst we are assured through the fact sheets that there will be no effective change to the management of Lake Gairdner, there is no guarantee that now or sometime in the future this Government/Department/Managers or successive governments/departments/managers view may change and that under the re-classified status as a Nature Reserve there will be little or no legislative protection available to Lake Gairdner or to those that wish to protect and maintain this unique part of the environment.

Therefore the DLRA has no option but to oppose what we consider to be a downgrading of the classification and protection that a National Park classification provides to Lake Gairdner.

Descriptions of classifications
Upon contacting the Department is has been explained to me that the descriptions given for each classification are primary reasons only and that there are secondary and other reasons for each classification. How can we be asked to accept a proposal when all of the information is not presented in the proposal?

We believe that these secondary and other descriptions need to be included as part of the Amendment Bill so that people are fully aware of the full intent of what is being proposed.

Mining Rights at Lake Gairdner
The DLRA has always been opposed to any mining activity at Lake Gairdner and cannot support any proposal that facilitates this environmentally destructive activity.
Yours Sincerely,

Greg Wapling
(on behalf of the committee and members of Dry Lakes Racers Australia)

[GSUZ]

Fantastic work Greg, thank you for your continual hard work and effort.
Shane Gaghan
#805

[RGV]

Yep what Shane said. Good work.

Dave

[outbacktrev]

Well done Big Fella
See ya Feb 2013.
Cheers,
Trevor #298

[AuotonomousRX]

Spot on submission, I fully support this position.
thanks for the hard work Greg

Merry Festives, see you in Feb

Pete

[BIG GAZ]

Greg,
Thanks for finding the time to get this done, especially at this time of the year.
Good on you!
GAZ

[zork]

Cheers Greg, well done.

[momec3]

Thanks GW, well writ

Chris