Plans are afoot to impose restrictions on large groups of walkers and campers seeking to visit Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
Many grey nomads like to park up their rigs for a few days to strike off with a tent to enjoy the magnificent bushwalking at Walls of Jerusalem … however the park is becoming a victim of its own success.
There has been mounting concern about the impact that the park’s 4500 or so annual visitors are having on the generally pristine environment. The Parks and Wildlife Service says large groups can displace other campers from the park’s limited number of camping platforms, causing visitors to camp in spots where vegetation could be damaged.
The Walls of Jerusalem Draft Recreation Zone Plan 2013 proposes that groups of more than seven people will need to register before visiting the park. The plan is open for public comment until the end of this week.
Parks and Wildlife Service northern regional manager Chris Colley told the Daily Mercury newspaper that visitor numbers to the Walls of Jerusalem had been growing steadily.
“The registration system is about trying to manage some of the larger groups that are using the area,” he said. “People go out there in twos and threes for a remote-area experience where they are not expecting to find a lot of people and to find a group of 10 or 20 really detracts from their experience.”
The draft plans also proposes building additional camping spots in key areas to cope with rising demand. The Parks and Wildlife Service wants to encourage camping in designated areas only because vegetation in some alpine areas where camping has historically occurred still show no sign of recovery.
Do you think it makes sense to introduce greater regulation of large groups camping in the park? Are there other parks or camping areas which are more accessible to caravans and motorhomes where large groups should be regulated? Comment below.
I think Australia’s wilderness should be welcome to all visitors, and saying this, I do think there should be some sanctions on large crowds, maybe over 8 ppl. I definately don’t believe there should be any extra sanctions on families or groups travelling together in a registered group.