Co-management Board caring for Far West Coast Parks

15 June 2019

The Yumbarra Conservation Park Co-Management (YCPC) Board including representatives from the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation and the Department of Environment and Water, met at the Ceduna Natural Resources Centre in late July.

The YCPC Board has had responsibility for management of Yumbarra Conservation Park, Yellabinna Regional Reserve and a number of smaller Parks along the Far West Coast for over 3 years. The Board reviewed the outcomes of their recent Park Management Field Trip along part of Googs Track where they inspected visitor management improvements that had been carried out on the Board's behalf at Googs Lake.

The draft Visitor Management Strategy Report, commissioned by the Board from Shannon Architects was reviewed and endorsed.

Jade Ballantyne and Brad Riddle from Regional Development Australia Project spoke with the Board about the Eyre Peninsula Indigenous Tourism Strategy and how the two groups might work together. The Board also endorsed the draft Yellabinna and Warna Munda Parks Management Plan.

Buffel Grass management strategies were talked about, including the need for greater education and awareness about the impact of this weed species. “It’s important that we keep an eye on what’s happening on our Parks to make sure we keep moving forward and achieve the goals we identified in the Healthy Country Plan” said Leonard Miller Chair of the YCPC Board. Work programs linking into the Far West Coast Healthy Country Plan, including projects on threatened species, were also considered as well as the development of a package of resources for schools, to include greater understanding of co-management of Public Lands.

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for November 2018.