A MUCH-NEEDED BREAK FOR PARKS?

Monday, 7 December 2009.

The Mercury’s lead article this morning announces that the state government is about to thaw their freeze on public service hirings and makes specific reference to Parks as an area that needs attention. That’s very good news, if it turns out to be more than a pre-election gambit.

Since shortly after my arrival, I’ve been both impressed by, and concerned about, the parks here. At Lake St Clair, where I lived for three weeks. I was bowled over by the variety and beauty, and by the warmth and generosity of the staff. But I was also startled at how few staff there were, and quickly became aware of how stretched they were, trying to cover the needs of visitors and of park maintenance.

In fact, I was able to lend a small hand to maintenance when I accompanied one of the rangers on a walk, to Shadow Lake and back by Mount Rufus, to post a closed sign on a trail that was temporarily unsafe and inspect the tracks for fallen trees. We found a lot of trees down, sometimes covering the track completely, so walkers had to negotiate their way over, under, and around trunks and branches. We were able to shift some trees, and remove branches, but others had to be left until the ranger could get back up with a chainsaw—and to do that he had to wait until someone could be freed elsewhere and sent in to accompany him.

Eucalypts are called “self-pruning” since some species tend to drop limbs throughout their life, for no apparent reason. They are also often shallowly rooted and blow over or lose large branches in windstorms. Keeping tracks clear of fallen trees is an on-going job, and not limited to wild parks, either. The steps down to the cave on the Bedlam Walls walk just outside Hobart were blocked by a tree earlier this year; the parks people announced at the time that they could not afford to remove the tree and the steps were simply closed. (Though it was possible to negotiate under the railing and down to the steps if you really wanted to get to the cave.)

When we drove to Mount Field Park in October we found a popular trail had been closed for tree removal and wouldn’t open until some time in December. A letter to the paper, in response to the announcement that some special funds had been procured to do that maintenance work, stated the trail had been in serious need of attention for some years.

Tasmania’s parks are a tremendous—I’m trying to avoid the language of investment, without success it seems—resource and asset. Stunningly beautiful, full of birdlife and varied terrain, with a large network of tracks and overnight huts, they are widely used by both residents and visitors. They form an important part of the ecology (human and natural) of this island and deserve to be properly cared for. I’ve yet to meet a Tasmanian who doesn’t value the parks, or a park worker who isn’t dedicated to them. It seems odd that the state government has not been willing to give them the attention and care that they both require and deserve.