Namadgi National Park's recovery journey continues with the release of a long-term Bushfire Recovery Plan and the reopening of the Namadgi Visitor Information Centre.
Following this year's black summer, which saw bushfires devastate many parts of the country, the ACT Government has released a long-term Bushfire Recovery Plan to help our landscape and communities heal.
The Plan responds to the risks identified immediately after the fires and floods in the impacted areas of Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. It also builds on actions completed so far to restore damaged infrastructure, assess heritage impacts and assist natural recovery processes.
There is a real danger that some of the things that make Namadgi and Tidbinbilla such special places will be lost if we do not take action.
This Plan will set us on a path to not only restore what was lost, but also to safeguard our natural environment and national parks for the future.
The ACT Government is investing an initial $1.37 million to help with stage one of recovery, in addition to expected insurance funding.
This builds on $600,000 already provided to replace rural landholder boundary fencing, and the employment of 26 rangers and field officers for bushfire recovery efforts funded through the Jobs for Canberrans program.
As noted by Minister for the Environment and Land Management Mick Gentleman
"Our teams have done a tremendous amount of recovery work so far, however there is much more to do. As the snow melts our teams can accelerate efforts to implement the long-term recovery plan.
"The 2020 bushfires and floods have changed the landscape, threatening native animals and plants, impacting European and Aboriginal cultural heritage, damaging Park infrastructure and placing the ACT's primary water supply at risk.
"The Plan aims to work alongside natural regeneration and will:
- increase efforts to manage invasive plants and animals
- protect threatened and vulnerable plants and animals
- support catchment restoration efforts
- manage and monitor erosion
- manage impacts and threats to Aboriginal and European heritage
- consider climate change adaptation and mitigation measures
- restore infrastructure including roads, fences, walking tracks, signage, bridges and more.
"In addition to the release of the ACT Bushfire Recovery Plan, I am pleased to welcome the community back to the Namadgi Visitor Information Centre.
"The Centre has been closed since the Orroral Valley Bushfire, and staff have taken advantage of the closure to refresh the building with a new paint job, flooring and shop infrastructure.
