maria island national park darlington site plan

Maria IslandNational Park

DarlingtonSite Plan

October 1998

Department of Primary Industries,Water and Environment

MARIA ISLAND NATIONAL PARKDARLINGTON SITE PLAN

This Site Plan for the Darlington Zone in Maria Island NationalPark was released as a draft for public comment from 15 June until14 August 1998.

This plan is a modified version of that draft, having been variedto take account of public input.

This Site Plan was approved by the Director, Parks and WildlifeService on ?.

ISBN

© Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environment, 1998

Published by

Parks and Wildlife Service,Department of Primary Industries, Water and EnvironmentGPO Box 44AHOBART TASMANIA 7001

Darlington Site Plan - October 1998

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MARIA ISLAND NATIONAL PARKDARLINGTON SITE PLAN

This Site Plan for the Darlington Zone in Maria Island NationalPark was released as a draft for public comment from 15 June until14 August 1998.

This plan is a modified version of that draft, having been variedto take account of public input.

This Site Plan was approved by the Director, Parks and WildlifeService on 30 September 1998.

ISBN 0 7246 2050 8

© Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of PrimaryIndustries, Water and Environment, 1998

Published by

Parks and Wildlife Service,Department of Primary Industries, Water and EnvironmentGPO Box 44AHOBART TASMANIA 7001


i i i

Contents

Section 1 Introduction 1

1.1 Plan Area and Status 11.2 Plan Scope and Structure 11.3 Plan Implementation 11.5 Plan Review 1

Section 2 Features of the Darlington Zone 2

2.1 Climate 22.2 Geodiversity 22.3 Flora 42.4 Fauna 62.5 Marine Flora and Fauna 72.6 Aboriginal Heritage 72.7 Historic Heritage 82.8 Heritage Vegetation and Cultural Landscapes 9

Section 3 Existing Use and Facilities 10

3.1 Visitor Numbers and Characteristics 103.2 Recreation and Tourism 123.3 Visitor Services and Facilities 133.4 Visitor Accommodation 143.5 Roads and Walking Tracks 153.6 Picnicking 163.7 Jetty and Boat Launching 163.8 Signs and Interpretation 163.9 Management Facilities 17

Section 4 Description of Proposed Developments 18

4.1 Darlington Zone Objectives 184.2 Facilities and Services Areas 184.3 Key Developments 184.4 Site Arrival Area 184.5 Commissariat Store 204.6 Campground Relocation and Development 204.7 Marine and Heritage Centre 224.8 Accommodation in Heritage Buildings 244.9 Site Access and Circulation 264.10 Heritage Vegetation and

Cultural Landscape Management 274.11 Site Rehabilitation and Revegetation 284.12 Interpretation 294.13 Services 30

Section 5 Effects of Development 315.1 Economic Effects 315.2 Tourism Effects 325.3 Changes in the Character of the Site 325.4 Site Disturbance and Environmental Impacts 32


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5.5 Visual Intrusion 335.6 Rehabilitation 335.7 Heritage Impacts 345.8 Recreational Impacts 34

Section 6 Environmental and HeritageManagement Program 346.1 Application and Assessment 346.2 Planning and Design 356.3 Construction 366.4 Heritage Construction and Restoration 376.5 Rehabilitation 376.6 Fire Management 376.7 Operational Requirements 386.8 Monitoring 38

References 40

Appendices 42

Appendix 1 Water Consumption Projections 42Appendix 2 Implementation Priorities 44

Maps

Map 1 Darlington, Maria Island 3Map 2 Darlington Zone 5Map 3 Key Developments Darlington Zone 19Map 4 Campground Relocation 21Map 5 Marine and Heritage Centre Development 23Map 6 Marine and Heritage Centre 25

Tables

Table 1 Visitor Numbers at Darlington 10Table 2 Visitor Nights and Visitor Days

(Darlington) 11


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1 Introduction

1.1 Plan Area and Status

Darlington lies on the north-west tip ofMaria Island National Park. The Park issituated off the south-east coast ofTasmania (see Map 1) and access is by boator plane. There is a jetty at Darlingtonwhich provides the main access point forthe Park. The Park is in the Municipalityof Glamorgan-Spring Bay.

The management plan for the Maria IslandNational Park designates managementzones within the Park, one of which is theDarlington Zone. The management planrequires that a site plan be prepared forthis Zone. The extent of the DarlingtonZone, and the area covered by this siteplan, is shown on Map 2. The site plan mustconform to the requirements of themanagement plan.

The Darlington Zone encompassesDarlington and its surroundings. The Zoneis of considerable heritage significance.Darlington is characterised by a “complexcultural landscape which retains elementsfrom many distinct phases of itsdevelopment and history” (GoddenMackay, 1992). It receives the majority ofvisitors to the Park and the highest visitorimpact. The main visitor facilities arelocated here and it is also the centre foradministration and management of theisland.

Although the adjacent waters of the Parkare designated as the Marine Zone in themanagement plan, the interrelationshipbetween what happens in the DarlingtonZone and the Marine Zone is veryimportant. For this reason, this site plandeals with some issues that encompass bothzones.

The Parks and Wildlife Service of theDepartment of Primary Industries, Waterand Environment is responsible for theimplementation of this site plan.

1.2 Plan Scope and Structure

The intent of this site plan is to provide forconservation, management, and visitor useof the Darlington Zone in Maria IslandNational Park, consistent with themanagement objectives for the Zone set outin the management plan (See 4.1).

The plan briefly describes existingconditions, including the special heritageand environmental values of the area,existing facilities and current visitor use.

A description of proposed developments inthe Darlington Zone is provided, givingspecific details for key areas within theZone.

Next, the range of possible effects of thedevelopments are identified and discussed.Following this, an environment andheritage management program is describedfor the planning, construction and ongoingmanagement of development in the Zone.

1.3 Plan Implementation

The prescriptions of this plan are subject tothe provision of funding and other resourcessufficient to meet them, and may beprioritised by the Director of NationalParks and Wildlife at the Director’sdiscretion according to resourceavailability.

Implementation of the plan will be stagedconcurrent with a monitoring program toassess any changes to the site and evaluatethe effectiveness of management strategies.

1.4 Plan Review

The plan will be reviewed and, ifnecessary, revised ten years after itsapproval. Before any revised plan isapproved, the review process will include atime of not less than thirty days for publiccomment upon the proposed revised plan.


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2 Features OfThe Darlington Zone

The earth science, flora, fauna andarchaeological features of the DarlingtonZone are described in the management planfor the Park. Information on recreationaluse and other pressures on the area has beenrecorded by Rangers. A visitor survey wasundertaken to determine ideas for andattitudes to management of the Park, andparticularly the Darlington Zone (Parksand Wildlife Service, 1995). Summaryinformation about the main features of theDarlington Zone are detailed below.

2.1 Climate

Darlington experiences a temperatemaritime climate. Rain is fairly evenlydistributed throughout the year, butbecause of the effects of evapo-transpiration, effective precipitation isgreatest in the winter months. The meanannual rainfall at Darlington is 677 mm,the highest mean monthly fall occurs inJune and the lowest in September. Theaverage number of rain-days per annum is143.

The prevailing winds are from the west andthe island lies in the partial rainshadow ofthe Central Plateau and western ranges ofTasmania.

Temperature figures are only available forOrford, adjacent to the island. The meanmonthly maxima is 13.4°C in July and22.7°C in February. Mean monthly minimafor the same months are 2.8°C and 11.9°Crespectively. The mean relative humidityat Orford exceeds 50% throughout the year.At low altitudes, frosts may occur betweenJune and October but are likely year roundat altitudes exceeding 300 m. During thesummer months, strong northerly winds cancombine with high temperatures to causeperiods of extreme fire danger.

Site Planning Issues

The island climate has a number ofimplications for site planning for theDarlington Zone. Mild dry winters providea relatively safe, year-round, out-door

destination which is of particularadvantage to school and community groups.

During the summer months, the danger ofwildfire is greatly increased and oftenrequires precautions, such as total fire bans.

The relatively low annual rainfall of theisland necessitates careful use of water byboth visitors and management.

The prevailing winds can cause roughconditions for boating in the Park, and forthe ferry service crossing Mercury Passage.Sea conditions in certain winds pose risks toferry passengers embarking anddisembarking at the Darlington jetty.

2.2 Geodiversity

Permian rocks unconformably overlie theMathinna Beds of Siluro-Devonian age andoccur in a band encircling the Maria Rangeand as a remnant in the north eastern cornerof the south island. This series is richlyfossiliferous in places and is well known forthe prolific occurrence of the thick-shelledmussel Eurydesma. The cliff exposure in theFossil Bay area in the Darlington Zone isrecognised as the best example of lowerPermian strata in Tasmania, if not theworld. It has been recognised as one offifteen highly significant geoheritage sitesidentified on Maria Island (Bradbury,1993).

Siliceous Triassic sandstones overlie thePermian beds but outcrops are restricted tothe edges of the Maria shelf and toscattered pockets in the west of the island,most notably at the southern end of theDarlington Zone in the vicinity of HowellsPoint known as the "Painted Cliffs".

Deep gradational black soil, on dolerite,occurs on lower slopes of the dolerite hillson the eastern part of the island, and on theflats near Darlington.

Shallow, gravelly uniform sands are foundon coastal headlands and deep gravellyduplex soils in more protected locations.


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Map 1


4

Mudstone-sandstone soils occur on the lowerslopes of Mt Maria, inland from Darlington.Shallow, uniform, stony sand is found onsandstone and a shallow duplex soil of astony, fine sandy loam over clay onmudstone. Deep duplex and uniform soilsare found on the lower slopes and flats suchas near Fossil Cliffs.

Calcareous sand forms beaches, dunes andsandy flats. Drainage flats and coastallagoons contain a deep uniform claysometimes with a surficial peat horizon.


The presence of a variety of geologicalfeatures within the Darlington Zone makesit an important location for geologicaleducation and interpretation. Both theFossil Cliffs and the Painted Cliffs attractmany of the visitors to the Zone.

During high tides or big seas, visitors havedifficulty safely reaching the main area ofthe Painted Cliffs. Access routes to theFossil Cliffs are unclear and some potentialroutes are hazardous.

Tunnel and gully erosion from past clearingand grazing is a problem in the Darlingtonarea above the Fossil Cliffs and alongdrainage lines in the cleared areas aroundDarlington and Cape Boullanger. There areseveral active erosion gullies in the oldvineyards area and a network of deepcracks has developed in the coastalgrasslands. Bernacchi's Creek and itsenvirons is degraded and damaged byerosion through loss of vegetation.Macropods overgrazing has exacerbated theproblem in recent years.

The dunes behind Darlington Bay aresubject to trampling by visitors. Acombination of high tides and heavy seascaused unusually severe erosion of thefrontal dune at Darlington Beach during1994.

Some action has been taken to combaterosion but more work is required to controlexisting erosion problems and prevent futuredegradation by visitors and macropods.

2.3 Flora

The native flora of the Darlington Zoneconsists mainly of native grassland andgrassy woodland dominated by blue gumEucalyptus globulus and white gumEucalyptus viminalis. It has highconservation values. The understorey is adiverse collection of native grasses andherbs and includes species listed on theThreatened Species Protection Act 1995.

Much of the original open forest andwoodland was cleared during convict timesor subsequently for agricultural andpastoral activities. Exotic trees and shrubs(plants not originally found in Australia)and some introduced “native” plants(Australian plants not originally found onMaria Island) have been planted orinadvertently introduced to the DarlingtonZone as a result of settlement.


Vegetation communities containingEucalyptus viminalis and/or Eucalyptusglobulus are important for the survival ofendangered and vulnerable bird species (see2.4).

Clearing of vegetation and subsequentsettlement and grazing have led to thesimplification of some native plantcommunities.

The Zone has a number of environmentalweeds. Some plants introduced as a result ofsettlement, including canary broom Genistamonspessulana, horehound Marrubiumvulgare, saffron thistle Carthamus lanatus,other thistle species, gorse Ulex europaeus,ragwort Senecio jacobaea, and fennelFoeniculum vulgare, spread easily,competing with native vegetation.Overgrazing by macropods has exacerbatedthe weed problem in recent years.

The most pernicious introduced plant iscanary broom, which has infested nativevegetation in Bernacchi's Creek below thedam, the sides of the track to the dam, andthe Skipping Ridge track to Bishop andClerk. It has been found on the dunes atDarlington and along Bernacchi's Creek inthe campground area. It appears to be able


5

Map 2


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to establish and compete successfully inrelatively undisturbed situations. Itregenerates prolifically after a fire.Although there are known control anderadication methods, practical andeffective options for control that areaffordable have not been found.

Thistles have spread widely in theDarlington Zone. Effective thistle controlwill require active pasture management.Wild mignonette Reseda luteola isbecoming a serious problem, and is verydifficult to remove once established.

Effective weed control requires planningand resources. Weeds are dealt with on anad hoc basis by spraying or grubbing out,sometimes using the voluntary labour ofvisiting school or community groups.

Along Bernacchi's Creek, in the vicinity ofthe campground, and in other gullies, theremoval of vegetation has contributed toerosion, water pollution, and detracted fromthe attractiveness of the campground.

The heritage significance of introducedplants has been established by a HeritageVegetation Study (Gilfedder, 1997). Thisstudy provides a basis for management ofheritage vegetation. Plants withouthistoric heritage value are unwantedintruders on the island but the possibility ofcomplete removal of many of the species isremote. Nevertheless, control and, wherepossible, eradication are importantmanagement requirements. The IntroducedPlants Policy (Parks and Wildlife Service,1998a) provides the basis for weedmanagement in the Zone.

Maria Island is a Phytophthora cinnamomimanagement area for susceptiblethreatened plant species. Consequently,observance of Phytophthora hygienerequirements is necessary for all sitedevelopment actions.

2.4 Fauna

Pademelons Thylogale billardierii, potorooPotorous apicalis, common wombatVombatus ursinus, ringtail possumPseudocheirus peregrinus, and echidnaTachyglossus aculeatus were the largestland animals present when Europeans first

arrived on the island. Smaller mammalssuch as the water rat Hydromyschrysogaster and the swamp rat Rattuslutreolus are also native to the island.

The forty-spotted pardalote Pardalotusquadragintus, endemic to Tasmania andrestricted in distribution to Flinders Islandand south-east Tasmania, occurs in theDarlington Zone. Its conservation status islisted as endangered and prospects for itssurvival justify great concern. Maria Islandis the main secure colony of this species,where the population is considered stableand well protected. They occur along thewestern lowlands of the north island in drysclerophyll forest and open woodlandwhere Eucalyptus viminalis is present,particularly in the vicinity of theReservoir in the Darlington Zone.

The swift parrot Lathamus discolor islisted as vulnerable. An estimated 5% ofthe remaining population breeds on MariaIsland (Brown, 1989). The parrot nests inhollows of old growth trees. Nesting hasbeen observed on Skipping Ridge and thelower western slopes of Mt Maria. Theswift parrot predominantly feeds on nectarfrom blue gum Eucalyptus globulus flowers.Blue gum is widespread on the island ingrassy and shrubby dry sclerophyll forests.

Beach breeding birds, including the hoodedplover Charadrius rubricollis, which israre nationally and requires monitoring inTasmania, use the sandy beach and dunes atDarlington Bay.

The tiger snake Notechis ater, copperheadAustrelaps superbus, and white-lippedwhipsnake Drysdalia coronoides have beenrecorded in the Darlington area. The blue-tongue lizard Tiliqua nigrolutea occurs anda number of species of skinks. Species offrogs have been recorded.

Forester kangaroos Macropus giganteus andCape Barren geese Cereopsisnovaehollandiae were introduced to theDarlington area between 1969 and 1971 in aneffort to ensure conservation of the species.

Other introduced species include theBennetts wallaby Macropus rufogriseus,brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula,Tasmanian bettong Bettongia gaimardi,eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii,


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southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus,Tasmanian native hen Gallinula mortierii,and emu Dromaius novaehollandiae. Ofthese, the bettong, and the Tasmaniannative hen in particular have thrived.

Feral cats are known in the area, althoughlittle is known about their population sizeand local effect on native fauna.


Management of the Darlington Zone needsto ensure protection of endangered,vulnerable or rare bird species.

The main impacts of cats are their directpredation on native fauna, competitionwith other predators and the spreading ofthe disease Toxoplasmosis.

The long term impact on fauna throughdisturbance of habitat which has occurredin the area is unknown.

Browsing and grazing by the foresterkangaroo and the Bennetts wallaby hashad serious impacts in the Darlington Zone.The result has been regeneration failure ofmany trees, shrubs and herbs in grassland,grassy open forest and heathlandcommunities and erosion problems along theforeshore, drains and watercourses. Morerecently, culling has reduced impacts frommacropods, but may necessitate activepasture management, such as slashing, toreduce fire risk and maintain culturallandscapes. The presence of largemacropods also provides an added interestfor visitors to see.

2.5 Marine Flora and Fauna

The marine flora and fauna features of theMarine Zone which borders the DarlingtonZone are described in the management plan.


Shore based activities and developments inthe Darlington Zone could have asignificantly impact on the Marine Zone ifnot carefully managed.

Many visitors to Darlington areparticularly attracted to the beaches androck platforms of the area. Some of the

lower rock platforms along the fossil cliffs,although difficult to access, could sufferimpacts on significant littoral flora andfauna.

Uncontrolled or poorly managed effluentsand emissions from shore baseddevelopments could pollute the MarineZone.

Indiscriminate taking of marine flora andfauna for private or research purposes couldimpact negatively upon the value of theprotected marine environment.

2.6 Aboriginal Heritage

Maria Island is within the territory of theOyster Bay tribal group (Brown, 1991). TheTyreddeme, the band of the Oyster Baytribe occupying Maria Island at the time ofcolonisation, expanded their coastalterritory by travelling on canoes,constructed from rushes, between mainlandTasmania and Maria Island (Brown, 1991).

Although it appears Aboriginal people didnot occupy Maria Island on a permanentbasis, they lived there for extended periodsand carried out a variety of socialactivities (Brown, 1991). The Tyreddemebuilt huts, buried their dead and gathereda variety of food sources from the island.

The use of shellfish in the diet of theTyreddeme is emphasised by theAboriginal shell middens around the coastof Maria Island. These middens were notedby early explorers (Brown, 1991) and havesurvived to the present day, in spite of thewidespread destruction of many for use inearly European building.


Aboriginal archaeological sites are non-renewable cultural resources which areimportant to the heritage of allAustralians. They are protected by theprovisions of the Aboriginal Relics Act1975.

The archaeological values of Aboriginalsites have not yet been explored in anydetail. Sites in the Darlington Zone need tobe located and protected, particularly fromthe impacts of development and visitor use.


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Sites are vulnerable to erosion and requireprotection from impact by vehicles, walkersand developments.

2.7 Historic Heritage

In 1825, Governor Arthur directed that apenal settlement be established on thenorthern part of Maria Island to relieve thesettlement at Macquarie Harbour. It waslocated at Darlington because of thecombination of a good anchorage, accessibleshore, fresh water and sheltered site.

The only remaining buildings of the FirstConvict Period are the Penitentiary and theCommissariat Store. On the hillside to thewest of Darlington, the Commandant, MajorT. D. Lord, constructed his own residence,the footings of which are still visible nearMrs Hunt's cottage. After the abandonmentof the settlement in 1832, the buildings wereleft to pastoral lessees and whalingactivities, and by 1841 some buildings hadgone, and most were in poor repair.

The Convict Station at Darlington wasreopened in 1842. The original buildingswere generally re-used, but a major buildingprogram was initiated, and most of thestructures on the island date from thisperiod of activity. The northern end of theisland was developed for farming. TheBarn and the windmill with its attendantMiller's Cottage were built on the hillsideoverlooking the farm land.

South of Darlington, the Oast House hadbeen built some time before 1845. The roadfrom Darlington and the stone abutments ofthe bridge across the creek are still visible.

Maria Island was entirely abandoned as aprobation station by 1850 and thereafterthe island was leased to a succession ofpastoralists.

In 1884, Diego Bernacchi arrived and wasresponsible for a variety of commercialdevelopments ranging from silk making tocement production. Between 1885 and 1888the Darlington area was changed from theremains of a prison compound to an opensettlement very similar to the present day.The settlement was surrounded bycultivated areas, with enclosed gardensplanted around some of the houses.

In keeping with Bernacchi's vision of MariaIsland as an island paradise, the GrandHotel was built on the hillside behindBernacchi's house. The Coffee Palace wasbuilt in the valley below in 1888 to provideaccommodation and refreshment.

Bernacchi developed the Cement Works,serviced by a tramway to the jetty. Thenorthern end of the island was used foragricultural purposes, with two smallvineyards planted on the north facingslopes. South of Darlington, the OastHouse was used during this period for thepressing of grapes. The developments neverflourished and, in 1896, operationseffectively ceased on the island.

Maria Island was opened to selectors, andseveral families took up land. A number offarm dwellings were built, chiefly on thewestern side of the island.

In 1920, the National Portland CementCompany was formed, with Bernacchi'sinvolvement, to develop cement works atDarlington. Darlington received anelectrical supply for the first time andwater was reticulated. By 1927, theCompany was in difficulties and cementproduction ceased by 1930.

After closure of the cement works, a fewfamilies stayed on, undertaking pastoralactivities. There were occasional visits bytourists to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.Commercial fishing out of Darlington alsooccurred from the 1940s through to the1960s. Some limestone quarrying occurred.

In 1971, Maria Island was declared aSanctuary under the Animals and BirdsProtection Board. In the following year itwas proclaimed a State Reserve andNational Park under the management ofthe then National Parks and WildlifeService.

The popularity of the Park for recreationand education rose. Darlington became thePark management centre and visitorscamped in the Bernacchi's Creek valley orused various historic buildings.

In 1992, a comprehensive Conservation Planfor the Darlington precinct on Maria Islandwas prepared by consultants Godden


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Mackay (1992). This report sets out, inaccordance with the Burra Charter ofAustralia ICOMOS (Marquis-Kyle &Walker, 1992) and its associatedguidelines, recommendations for theretention and conservation of theDarlington heritage precinct. Conservationplans for individual buildings have beenprepared for Bernacchi's Terraces (GoddenMackay, 1991), and, in one document, forSmith O’Brien’s Cottage, the Mess Hall,and the Coffee Palace (Godden Mackay,1995). A conservation plan has also beenprepared for the Brickfields area (GoddenMackay, 1997).


The layering of history at Darlingtonpresents a complicated but fascinatingopportunity for interpretation andeducation. However, the significance andintegrity of the historic precinct needs to berespected and maintained. As of 1998, someimportant buildings, such as thePenitentiary, are without conservationplans.

Funding is limited and the costs ofmaintaining the historic fabricconsiderable. Progress on conservationwork, and the scale of works are bothheavily dependent on available funding.The island location increases costs.

2.8 Heritage Vegetation and Cultural Landscapes

During the periods of European activity,plants were introduced to the Darlingtonarea for landscaping, windbreaks, orchardsand house gardens. These now form animportant part of the landscape ofDarlington, giving a sense of time and scaleas well as a feeling of protection andseclusion. Pasture areas retain something ofa settled pastoral atmosphere.

The mature introduced trees, gardens andpastures are part of the history ofDarlington and form part of a culturallandscape of historic heritage value.

Amongst the species remaining today areMonterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa,radiata pine Pinus radiata, Lombardy

poplar Populus nigra Italica, silver poplarPopulus alba, willows Salix sp and a rangeof ornamental and fruiting trees and shrubsincluding figs Ficus carica, walnut Juglansnigra, agave Agave sp, escalloniaEscallonia sp, lilac Syringa vulgaris andagapanthus Agapanthus africanus.

In Darlington, cypress and poplar formavenues through the settlement, radiatapines form a one sided avenue to the south,and Pinus radiata has established on thedunes at Darlington Beach. BeyondDarlington, groves of young cypress treesCupressus macrocarpa, and individualsaplings, have established in the dunes andinland from Hopground Beach. Nearby,willows cover the former hopgrounds andextend along Counsel Creek.

Much of the pasture land at Darlingtondates from the First and Second ConvictPeriods. Most surviving introduced trees inDarlington were planted between about1884 and 1930, during the periods ofBernacchi and the National PortlandCement Company. At the time when thecypress avenue was planted (c.1922) theLombardy poplars were already vigorous,well-established trees.

Hewett (1984) recommended a program ofpreventive management for the historictrees but few of these recommendations wereimplemented. Gilfedder (1997) provides amore comprehensive overview of thesignificance and general managementrequirements of the heritage vegetation.

Using Australian Heritage Commissioncriteria, the heritage vegetation ofDarlington has been assessed to be ofNational Estate and State culturalsignificance historically, socially, andaesthetically (Gilfedder, 1997).

There are important views over the penalsettlement from the commandant's residence(near Mrs Hunt's cottage) and from theGrand Hotel and Bernacchi's residence(Gilfedder, 1997).


Many heritage trees have died or have alarge number of dead or dying branches. Itis estimated that approximately 25% of


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the trees of the Bernacchi period havedisappeared since 1983.

Degradation of pastures by erosion, weedinvasion and scrub development iswidespread.

To retain and enhance the culturallandscapes and historic atmosphere ofDarlington, tree surgery, replacement andcare of introduced plants will be necessary,as will maintenance of pasture in theimmediate vicinity of the historic precincts(see also 2.4 for other pasture managementissues). Some introduced plants of heritagesignificance are self-seeding and need to bemanaged to prevent them spreadinginappropriately.

Planning and assessment of proposals forintroducing new elements in these culturallandscapes needs to be rigorous if theirvalues are to be protected.

3 Existing Use And Facilities

3.1 Visitor Numbers and Characteristics

Statistics relating to visitor use ofDarlington for the ten years 1987-88 to 1996-97 are set out below in Table 1. Most visitorsto the Park arrive at Darlington, where theonly reliable visitor statistics are collected.Note that figures for the earlier years inboth Table 1 and Table 2 include a largenumber of unrecorded days, making directcomparisons with more recent yearsdifficult.

The number of “visitor days” and “visitornights” are compounded figures (see Table2). The figure for "visitor nights" isderived by counting the number of people

Table 1 Visitor Numbers at Darlington

Year Daysnot

recorded

DayVisitors

toDarlington

(a)

OvernightVisitors

toDarlington

(b)

PlaneVisitors

toDarlington

(c)

TotalVisitors

toDarlington(a + b + c)

1988-89 89 7251 4172 264 11,6871989-90 50 6196 3382 237 9,8151990-91 45 6711 3172 309 10,1921991-92 49 8108 3769 366 12,2431992-93 23 8857 4048 432 13,3371993-94 12 8934 3947 513 13,3941994-95 5 8383 3176 228 11,7891995-96 0 8183 3154 276 11,6131996-97 0 9511 3682 300 13,4931997-98 0 9513 3788 332 13,633

(a) Number of ferry visitors arriving and returning on the same day.(b) Number of ferry visitors arriving and staying at least one night.(c) Number of visitors arriving by plane, determined by multiplying the

number of planes arriving by an average of three passengers. The largemajority of these passengers would be day visitors.


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Table 2 Visitor Nights and Visitor Days (Darlington)

YearDaysnot

recorded

VisitorNights

Darlington(a)

VisitorDays

Darlington(b)

1988-89 89 11113 186281989-90 50 9636 160691990-91 45 7871 148911991-92 49 10155 186291992-93 23 8692 179811993-94 12 8111 175581994-95 5 7782 163931995-96 0 6732 151911996-97 0 7900 177111997-98 0 7687 17532

(a) Number of visitors staying at Darlington each night. Visitors stayingmore than one night are counted each night that they stay.

(b) Number of day visitors, plane visitors, and visitor nights [see (a) above).

staying at Darlington each night. Becausesome visitors stay more than one night, thistotal includes visitors who are counted morethan once. The figure for "visitor days" isderived by adding the number of dayvisitors to the number of "visitor nights",which again means that the figure includesvisitors that have been counted more thanonce. The figures are useful for managementto indicate visitor pressures on facilities,services such as the load on seweragesystems, and on the environment.

Table 2 suggests there has been a decline inthe number of nights that visitors spend atDarlington (bearing in mind the largenumber of unrecorded days in earlier years).There appears to have been a fall in theabsolute number of overnight visitors (seeTable 1) and the number of visitor nightshas declined over the ten year period. Atthe same time, the number of day visitors(see Table 1) now make up two thirds of allvisitors to Darlington. Consequently, thenumber of visitor days has not declined tothe same extent.

Maria Island has always been particularlypopular with school and community groups.However, there has been a decline in visitsby school groups, commencing in the mid1980s, and mainly attributed to changes inpolicies and funding in the State education

sector. Nevertheless, in 1997/98 some 40%of visitors staying overnight were children.

Generally Darlington receives four timesthe number of visitors during December,January, and February that it does in June,July, and August. In the summer, indooraccommodation at Darlington is often fullyoccupied. However, in recent years thecampground has rarely been used tocapacity.

Although 200 visitors per day have beenrecorded, the busiest day in 1997/98totalled 151 visitors. Visiting school groupsof 100 or more students contribute torelatively high overnight visitor levelsduring Spring and Autumn and there isalways a small number of overnight visitorstaking advantage of the relatively mildwinter climate.

There are three broad categories of visitorsto Darlington. Day visitors consistpredominantly of small groups of families,friends and independent tourists, but includesome coach tour passengers. During summerand holidays, overnight visitors arepredominantly groups of families, friendsand backpackers, but, during other periods,mainly school and community groups. Asmall number of commercial camping toursalso occasionally visit, as do privateboating parties.


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Length of stay at Darlington depends on thetype of visitor. Day visitors generallyspend only a few hours on the island. Atmost, this is time for a brief inspection ofDarlington and for short walks in theimmediate environs. On the other hand,the majority of overnight visitors stayabout 2 nights and can explore furtherafield.


The requirements of shorter term visitorsneed to be recognised. Day visitors requireinformation and interpretation that allowsthem to make the most of their short stay.

The peak number of day visitors is limitedby the capacity of ferry services and airtransport to bring visitors to Darlington.

Access costs may be a disincentive to somevisitors. The remote location means thatproviding services and facilities is moreexpensive than many mainland locations.These additional costs may also detervisitors.

Increased numbers of visitors will provideadditional entry fee revenue and couldprovide the "critical mass" for someservices to become viable. Increased visitornumbers also could cause an impact on theenvironment, and on the experience ofvisitors.

Large school groups can be noisy and disturbother visitors, particularly in campingareas. There is no separately designatedgroup camping area and large groupssometimes fully book out the Penitentiary,the only indoor accommodation.

3.2 Recreation And Tourism

According to the Department of Tourism,Sport and Recreation (1990), the growthmarket in tourism and recreation iscomposed of visitors who are not satisfiedwith derivations or imitations of otherplaces and experiences. TheCommonwealth Department of Tourism(1994) state that visitors seek experiencesthat are authentic and incorporatelearning, rather than contrivedentertainment. In this regard, the

Darlington Zone is a place that isinherently and uniquely attractive tovisitors.

At Darlington, the visitor finds authentichistoric settlements and culturallandscapes, emphasising a sense of thelayers of history and the continuity of thehuman story of the Island.

The experience is one of peace and quiet inclose contact with wildlife, beaches and ascenic environment. Historic Darlingtonand the surrounding area provide an idealsafe environment for children, and apleasant environment and manyrecreational opportunities suitable forfamilies and less active people. Mostvisitors to Darlington also visit the FossilCliffs, the Painted Cliffs, and the beach atDarlington. Some also visit the Reservoirand the Oast House.

A pervasive and valuable tourism andrecreational character of the DarlingtonZone, emphasised by its isolated islandsetting, is the sense of separation andcontrast with the pace and development ofthe modern world. Visitors arrive incomfort on the ferry, yet for a brief periodstepping safely not only back in time, butalso away from the everyday artefacts ofcontemporary society. Behind them thejetty and the ferry remain as themetaphorical "umbilical cord" to themainland of Tasmania. This special value,difficult to find elsewhere on the east coastof Tasmania, is recognised and appreciatedby visitors.

A year long survey of visitor attitudes andpreferences about Maria Island NationalPark indicated that survey respondentsappreciated the unspoilt naturalenvironment, peace and quiet, scenery,wildlife, and historic features of the Park,and the isolated island location (Parks andWildlife Service, 1995).

The most popular activities undertaken byrespondents were sightseeing, natureappreciation, bushwalking, historyappreciation and getting away from it all.


13


Development proposals are made from timeto time which could have a detrimentalimpact on the tourism and recreationalcharacter of Darlington, some in veryobvious and immediate ways, others inmore subtle, incremental ways. Because ofits inherent values and consequentattraction to key visitor market segments,Darlington does not need inventedattractions. However, tourism andrecreation facilities and services whichrespect and complement the inherent valuesof the place are needed to provideopportunities for visitors to experience it.The challenge for site planning is toprovide these in a co-ordinated way,without destroying the values whichattract visitors in the first place. Ad hoc,incremental development decisions couldalso threaten Darlington Zone values.

Inappropriate or inadequate facilities forboth day and overnight visitors coulddetract from the recreational settings forvisitors. The scale of development andlocation of visitor facilities should beappropriate to the capacity of the area towithstand environmental and socialimpacts, without diminishing its values.Facilities need to be adequate to cater forcurrent and desired future levels of use. Thetype and extent of development needs to becarefully targeted to prevent destruction ofthe assets which attract visitors in the firstplace.

3.3 Visitor Services & Facilities

To get to Darlington, visitors must eitherfly or use the commercially operated ferry.Access by private boat is also possible. TheParks and Wildlife Service is responsiblefor all visitor services and facilities withinthe Park. No transport is available withinthe Park. There are no shops. Once on theisland, visitors need to be self-sufficient forthe duration of their stay. Park staff holdemergency first aid supplies but otherwiseare unable to provide for ill-preparedvisitors except from their personal stores.

Piped water from the dam on Bernacchi'sCreek is available from a number of tapsaround Darlington. Limited tank water isalso available. Some cold water washing

facilities are located in the Penitentiarybut there are no showers or hot water.

The Reservoir is estimated to provide 5 and7.5 million litres for use in Darlington afterallowing for a loss of an equivalent amountby evaporation and seepage (Todd, 1992).Water is piped to two storage tanks on thehill behind the settlement. These tankshave a combined capacity of 60000 litres.The water is chlorinated as it enters thestorage tanks.

There are three public toilet blocks in theDarlington area near the jetty, in thehistoric precinct and adjacent to thebarbecue/picnic shelter near DarlingtonBeach.

Behind the dunes at Darlington beach, ashelter with gas barbecues and fireplaces isprovided, and used by day and overnightvisitors. Nearby is a toilet block. The MessHall is open for visitor use.

A public telephone is located beside theroad near Bernacchi's Terraces.

Rubbish is regularly removed from somelocations in the Zone. Firewood is providedto the campground and the picnic shelter.


A few visitors come ill-prepared for theirvisit or regret not having allowed moretime. Better marketing and pre-visitinformation could help visitors prepare fortheir visit and make more informed choices.

Access to Darlington is more limited thanmost other national parks in Tasmania.The sea barrier places additional costs onvisitors and on providing for them.

Innovative ways to provide visitorfacilities and services that areeconomically feasible and do notcompromise Park values need to beidentified.

Some historic structures have been subject toan unacceptable level of wear and tearthrough vandalism, pressure of visitor use,water and wildlife damage. Maintainingand repairing these structures is costly andtime consuming.


14

Services such as water and sewerage havebeen recently upgraded to maintainenvironmental standards.

If accommodation standards remain as theyare currently, "the existing sewage systemappears adequate for a three fold increasein overnight visitors. Increased use of theday visitor toilet block should not cause anyproblems, although there is some odourfrom the septic tank which could proveunpleasant at the day visitor shelter andbarbecue if increased use of the toiletsaggravated the problem" (Todd, 1992, p34).

"Provision of showers for overnight visitorsin the penitentiary and campers wouldroughly double the flow to the sewagelagoons" (Todd, 1992, p36). Todd suggeststhat if this was coupled with an increase inovernight visitor numbers and developmentof Bernacchi's Terraces for accommodation,demand on the existing waste watertreatment system would be stretched. Onthis basis, he recommends against provisionof showers.

On the other hand, there is strong visitorsupport for the provision of showers (Parksand Wildlife Service, 1995). Consequently,if showers are provided for all overnightvisitors, careful planning and designmeasures will need to be implemented. Coinoperated, timed, and controlled flowshowers will limit demand on treatmentcapacity. In some instances however,upgraded or new sewage capacity will haveto be developed to maintain highenvironmental standards.

Apart from demand on waste watertreatment capacity, "hot showers wouldroughly double the daily waterconsumption of overnight visitors" (Todd,1992, p26).

Maria Island has no permanentwatercourses. Those that are most reliableare located at the northern end of theisland. From the perspective of watersupply, provision of showers will require aneventual limitation on overnight visitornumbers. Some additional storage tankcapacity is possible, but the replenishmentcapacity of the Reservoir remains alimiting factor, given the rainfall patternson Maria Island. Consequently, based onthe theoretically possible accommodation

options provided for in the Maria Islandmanagement plan, and the water supplycapacity and sewerage treatment options ifshowers are provided, the maximum numberof overnight visitors on any one night thatDarlington can support is estimated to beabout 420. This compares with currentcapacity for overnight visitors of about 214.Allowing also for a maximum 200 dayvisitors and a maximum of 30 permanentand temporary staff, this would mean amaximum peak daily demand of some 55660litres of water, with a slightly less totalflow of liquid effluent from toilets and greywater to be handled by the sewage system.Appendix 1 provides backgroundinformation on estimation of waterconsumption.

3.4 Visitor Accommodation

The Darlington campground occupies theflat ground on either side of the lower partof Bernacchi’s Creek within the historicprecinct. In the past, a notional campingaccommodation capacity of up to 230 peoplehas been stated for the campgroundalthough records do not show how thisfigure was derived. In the past eight years,a maximum of 150 campers at one time hasbeen recorded and that on only one occasion,a rogaining championship. More usually,camper numbers are well under 80. Campernumbers only exceeded 80 on 36 occasions inthe past 7 years or on 1.3% of nights duringthat time.

Firewood is provided by Park staff for usein small steel fireplaces.

Visitors are also accommodated in thePenitentiary which accommodates up to 64people. It is divided into 10 rooms eachcontaining bunks, tables, benches and awood heater. No lighting or specialcooking facilities are provided.

Luggage trolleys are provided for overnightvisitor use. The trolleys are pushed orpulled by the visitors to carry luggage fromthe jetty to the camping area or thePenitentiary.


The lower reaches of Bernacchi's Creekhave been severely degraded in recent years


15

due to pressures of the adjacent campground.In earlier years, the creek enhanced theaesthetic appeal of the campground but thedeath of many trees, erosion of banks andwater pollution now detract from thisappeal.

The campground at Darlington is exposedand almost devoid of trees for shade. All ofthe campground is more than 100 metreswalk from the nearest toilet with most sitesbetween 150 and 250 metres away.Contemporary standards require campsitesto be no more than 100 to 110 metres from atoilet. No showers are provided. Except fora few fireplaces, there are no cooking andfood preparation and clean-up facilities.Food cleanup and washing effluent oftenends up in the creek. An alternative areasuitable for camping is located near theexisting but underutilised picnic shelter andtoilets near Darlington beach.

Sometimes, accommodation in thePenitentiary for educational groups orpeople working on volunteer programs canmean that indoor accommodation for thegeneral public is very limited. Untilrecently, booking by the room rather thanby the bed has meant that the capacity ofthe Penitentiary was at times usedineffectively. A recent reconfiguration ofthe rooms has reduced this problem.

There is also some concern that continueduse of the building for accommodation maybe inconsistent with its adequateconservation. However, its frequent usekeeps it dry through the use of the woodheaters and at least ensures regularmaintenance.

Because the Penitentiary is used foraccommodation, other visitors avoidentering the building, and potentialinterpretation opportunities cannot easilybe realised.

There is no lighting in the Penitentiary andthe use of candles, gas and kerosene lampsby inexperienced visitors could pose a firerisk. Bench space, storage space and thegeneral fit-out of the Penitentiary is verybasic and may not be adequately cateringfor visitor needs.

In Darlington, the number of indoor beds islimited and, at times during summer, of

insufficient capacity to meet demand. Thisis particularly the case because the varietyand flexibility of accommodation is limitedand very basic. Additional accommodationcould be considered provided thefundamental requirement to maintain thetourism and recreational character of thePark is met.

In contrast, the campground is never used tocapacity and in general is underutilised

There are limits to the number of overnightvisitors who could be acceptablyaccommodated while providing adequatecapacity of services (see 3.3) andminimising degradation of the specialnatural and cultural values which makethe Park so attractive to visitors.Nevertheless, the accommodation mixcould be varied by providing more indoorbeds in a wider range of accommodationstandards. An increase in total overnightvisitors can be provided for before, even inbusy periods, the limits on numbersdiscussed in Section 3.3 would foreseeablyconstrain visitor demand. For example, onthe busiest night in 1996/97, 140 peoplestayed overnight, yet even with theconstraints mentioned above, 420 peoplecould be accommodated overnight (SeeSection 3.3).

3.5 Roads and Walking Tracks

Within the Darlington Zone there is asystem of vehicular tracks and fire trails(Map 2). Private motor vehicles are notpermitted but management vehicles areused on these tracks. All vehicular tracksare available to walkers and cyclists.Marked walking tracks to Bishop and Clerkand Mt Maria originate in the DarlingtonZone.

The open nature of the landscape in much ofthe Darlington Zone allows walkers toroam at will in these areas withoutsurfaced tracks being provided.


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The road surface from the jetty atDarlington to the historic settlement isrough and unsuitable for people withdisabilities. There are only a limitednumber of short to medium length circuitwalks in the Darlington area that areidentified for visitors.

At some locations along the foreshore,tracks have the potential to undermine soilstability and create erosion, especially ifusage increases.

3.6 Picnicking

Picnicking is popular with some dayvisitors. Facilities include a substantialpicnic shelter with free gas barbeques.Rubbish bins are provided at a number oflocations.


If the number of day use visitors increases,there may be a greater demand for picnicfacilities, including shelter from summersun and in wet and cold conditions.Alternative sites may be required,although the open landscape providesample opportunities for informal picnics ingood weather.

If camping is moved adjacent to the existingpicnic shelter, some overlap of demandbetween campers and day visitors couldoccur. This should be a limited problemsince generally camper demands on thefacility will be concentrated in morning andevening periods when day visitors are noton the island, or during wet weather whenday visitors are fewer.

3.7 Jetty & Boat Launching

The Parks and Wildlife Service maintainsa boat launching and slipping facilityadjacent to the Darlington jetty formanagement purposes.

The Department of Transport maintains theDarlington Jetty.


The slipways are in a poor state of repair.The quality of the boat ramp construction iscrude in finish. Relocation of the slipwaymay be necessary.

The surface of the Darlington jetty,although regularly maintained, is roughand poses a potential hazard to the infirm.In rough seas loading and unloadingpassengers and equipment can be dangerous.

3.8 Signs And Interpretation

Visitor survey respondents (Parks andWildlife Service, 1995) preferred self-guiding leaflets and signs to centraldisplays. Several pamphlets, maps andbrochures have been prepared forinterpretive use in the Park. TheCommissariat Store houses a small visitordisplay which provides both Parkorientation and interpretation of thehistoric building. High qualityinterpretation has recently been placed inthe Coffee Palace as stages 1 and 2 of amajor interpretation facility in thebuilding.

Park staff conduct a guided tour ofDarlington during busy periods. Thesummer ranger program, which runs eachyear for most of the summer schoolholidays, provides a range of day andevening activities for visitors.


Orientation and interpretation needs to beclear and accessible for visitors, especiallythose who are unfamiliar with the area.High quality information and direction tofacilities such as toilets, water and walksis needed.

Interpretation and information could bespecifically targeted at the differing usergroups.

Overnight visitors can discover andappreciate a great deal more about thewhole island than day visitors. Dayvisitors require simple and conciseorientation and interpretation of theDarlington area to make the most of theirshort stay. However, at present some


17

environmental and heritage values of thearea are not presented to visitors.Information needs to be consistent, completeand well presented.

The visitor survey (Parks and WildlifeService, 1995) identified concerns about thesufficiency, accuracy and usefulness ofinterpretation, direction signs and trackmarkings. Insufficient information onwalking times and poor or insufficientinterpretation was the most commoncomplaint of visitors to the Park (Parks andWildlife Service, 1995). Rangers haveimplemented upgrading of signs to overcomethese concerns.

3.9 Management Facilities

Park Rangers and their families livewithin the Darlington Zone, andaccommodation is also provided fortemporary employees, contractors andvisiting staff. Permanent staff are housedin three family homes, with an additionalsingle persons quarters located in one of theBernacchi's terraces. Accommodation fortemporary or visiting staff, contractors andlabour program workers is provided at theworkshop, in caravans (to eventually beremoved), in an annexe near the SchoolMaster's House, and in Prero's, an oldfishing shack in the dunes above DarlingtonBeach.

The Park office is located in the SchoolMaster's House. The Commissariat Store isalso staffed during ferry arrival anddeparture times as a reception andorientation point for visitors. It does nothave power or telephone. A workshop islocated at the southern edge of Darlington.Four wheel drive vehicles and a truck usedfor management purposes are based there,along with earth-moving machinery andfire-fighting equipment.

There is a rubbish tip near the road to thereservoir at Darlington.

Fuel is stored in a shed below the Rangerhouses and gas cylinders are stored behindthe houses below Adkins house.

Diesel generators charge a battery arraywhich is used for electricity. Diesel fuel isused to run machinery, gas is used for some

purposes, wood for cooking and heatingusing open fires and slow combustion stoves,and petrol or diesel for vehicles.


Alternative energy requirements, andconstraints on transport, handling, storage,and maintenance of energy sources areimposed by the island location.

Staff housing is at times at capacity whenemployment or volunteer programs areoperating.

Rough surfaces on roads and tracks used bywalkers cause difficulties for visitors withdisabilities or who are infirm.


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4 Description of ProposedDevelopments

4.1 Darlington Zone Objectives

Consistent with the management plan forMaria Island National Park, the objectivesfor the Darlington Zone are to:

• protect and conserve environmentaland heritage features and values;

• protect and conserve the recreationaland tourism atmosphere andcharacter;

• provide recreational and tourismopportunities consistent with theabove objectives; and

• consistent with the foregoing, providethe principal visitor and managementservices and facilities for the Park.

The management plan designates all of theDarlington Zone a heritage precinct.

4.2 Facilities & Services Areas

Within the Darlington Zone threefacilities and services areas have beendesignated by the management plan ascontained areas where development ofcertain visitor or management facilities andservices, including new structures, may beconsidered (See Map 2).

4.3 Key Developments

The key developments for the DarlingtonZone is set out on Map 3 The followingsections, in some cases accompanied bydetailed plans explain the key componentsof the concept in more detail.

4.4 Site Arrival Area

The site arrival area is that area shown onMap 2 as facilities and services area B andas B on Map 3.

The site arrival area will providemanagement and public landing facilities,including information, toilets and public

shelter. Marine interpretation may beprovided here, and facilities to supportmarine research. Diving equipment hireand a diving equipment wash down areamay be developed.

Jetty and Barge Ramp

Within the resources of the Department ofTransport, the jetty will be maintained atthe best practicable standard to provideeasy and safe disembarking and embarkingof passengers. The decking of the jetty willbe progressively upgraded to allowreasonably safe and comfortable use bypeople with disabilities. However,because of the inherent variable conditionsof access to and from the jetty (both on themainland and at Darlington) because of seaconditions and tides, access to the Park forpeople with disabilities cannot beguaranteed.

The management vessel landing ramp willbe retained and maintained.

Visitor Shelter

An improved enclosed area may bedeveloped in the existing toilet shelterbuilding for visitor shelter. Windows maybe installed for further weather protection.A clear visitor view of the jetty area toobserve the approach of ferry services willbe retained. Seating adequate for aminimum of 20 people will be provided.

Subject to negotiations and agreementbetween the Department of Transport andthe Director, some roofed passenger shelterspace may be constructed as an integral partof the jetty.

Toilets

The existing toilets will be retained withsome minor upgrading. The sewage disposalsystem will be reviewed and upgraded ifnecessary to meet contemporary treatmentstandards.

Information

Brief visitor directional information willbe provided adjacent to the landward end ofthe jetty. Further information may beprovided in visitor sheltering spaces.


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Map 3


20

Marine interpretation may be provided onthe jetty or in visitor sheltering spaces.

Dive Equipment Hire and Wash DownArea

A dive equipment hire service and diveequipment wash down area may beincorporated into the existingtoilet/shelter building. This may requiresome extension of the existing building.Storage for marine research equipment mayalso be provided in an extension to theexisting building.

If power is required to the toilet, shelterand dive equipment area, it will beprovided by solar panels installed flat on anorth facing section of the roof.

4.5 Commissariat Store

The Commissariat Store will be used for theinitial orientation of visitors to the Park.Souvenirs and memorabilia focussed onTasmanian made merchandise directlyrelated to the features and values of thePark will be available in the building.

Subject to heritage assessment, power to theCommissariat Store may be provided fromsolar panels.

If required, a telephone may be connected inthe Commissariat Store from the existingradio phone service by undergroundconnection to be laid within the existingroad formation.

4.6 Campground Relocation and Development

The campground will be relocated anddeveloped in that area shown on Map 2 asfacilities and services area C and on Map 3as C.

It is proposed to develop the relocatedcampground as shown on Map 4. This willsatisfy contemporary standards in theprovision of campgrounds of the type andscale provided at Darlington as requiredunder the Liquor and Accommodation Act1990. In particular, no camp site will bemore than 100 metres from toilets, a common

design standard, and in accordance withAccommodation Standards (No 1) requiredby the Licensing Commission. Therelocation will help ameliorate theenvironmental deterioration of Bernacchi'sCreek.

The relocation will make use of the existingunder-utilised but high standard cookingand shelter facilities and toilets. Thisobviates the need to construct additionaltoilets and facilities in the existingcampground area, a costly requirementwhich would be necessary if thecampground remains where it is. On somelimited occasions, use of the visitor shelterby both campers and day visitors mayoverstretch the facility. Day visitors mayon those few occasions feel discouraged fromusing the shelter. However, with thedevelopment of the Mess Hall as analternative visitor shelter and use area,this potential difficulty should be able tobe managed satisfactorily. Eventually, theexternal walls and internal spaces of thevisitor shelter may be reconfigured toprovide more efficient useable spaces for anincreased numbers of users.

With an extension to the existing toilets inthe proposed new location, there will besufficient space for the provision ofshowers. These showers, when they areinstalled, will be flow controlled, timed,and coin operated.

The campground facility will provide campsites suitable for individuals through tosmall groups of 4 to 6 people, depending onthe type of tent accommodation used andthe type of group. The campground isdesigned to accommodate between 40 (2people/site) and 120 (6 people/site)campers.

An overflow area will provide for the rareinstances when the main campground is fullor for the few occasions when large groups ofcampers of up to 100 people may best belocated separate from other campers.

The camping area and planting have beenlaid out to retain the sweeping open visualeffect of the large pasture area between theDarlington settlement and the dunes, albeit


21

Map 4


22

with some reduction of size to accommodatethe camping arrangements.

It is proposed to revegetate the gullyadjacent to the campground area andprevent camping within 15 metres of thegully (see 4.11). The campground area willalso be revegetated to provide shading,wind shelter and privacy for individualsites, as well as to substantially screen thevisual impact of the camping area from theadjacent heritage areas.

The overflow camping area will remain anopen grassed area with possibly a fewscattered shade trees.

Relocation of the camping area will bestaged to allow revegetation to establishsufficiently before campers are moved tothe site.

A dune revegetation program is proposed inconjunction with the campgrounddevelopment. This will not only improvethe environmental quality of the dunes,which are currently degraded, but provideadditional wind shelter to the campingarea.

The grove of Pinus radiata vegetation alongthe foreshore will be maintained in themedium term to stabilise the dunes, providewind shelter for campers and picnickers andretain the visual amenity of the area. Asdune revegetation becomes established andof sufficient size to provide additionalwind protection, over mature Pinus radiatawill be selectively removed and replacedincrementally at the edges by nativespecies. Seedling pines which havedeveloped along the dunes away from themain grove will be removed immediately aswill trees threatening damage to existingfacilities buildings.

Individual campsite fireplaces will not beprovided. These sites will be fuel stoveonly and no fires will be allowed in them.

Large communal fire pits may be providedadjacent to either end of the picnic shelterfor evening gatherings if a need for them isestablished. Two open fireplaces arealready provided in the existing shelter.

Direction and orientation signs will belocated at the entrance to the camping

areas and in selected locations alongpedestrian paths. Dune crossings will beprovided as shown on Map 4 and a newcreek crossing giving direct access from thecampground area to the south.

4.7 Marine and Heritage Centre

A proposal to develop a marine andheritage centre is being considered. Thecentre would be developed in that areashown on Map 2 as facilities and servicesarea A and on Map 3 as A. To succeed, thisproposal will be reliant on special purposefunding to meet the capital costs ofconstruction and will be subject to a businessplan assessment of its ongoing viabilitybefore the proposal can go ahead (see 5.1).If capital funding cannot not be obtainedand/or ongoing viability is not at least atbreak even, then the proposal will lapse. Ifso, the area identified for the developmentwill be considered for other developmentswhich are consistent with the managementplan for Maria Island National Park (Parksand Wildlife Service, 1998b) and this siteplan.

The aim of developing the centre is toprovide:

• a field centre for- marine environment research- terrestrial environment research- cultural heritage research;

• interpretation focussing particularlyon the marine environment;

• a venue for education programs fromprimary school through to tertiarylevel;

• a venue for informal learningprograms associated with ecotourism;

• a venue for other programs in anatural setting;

• accommodation for researchers,students, tourists and the generalpublic.

The centre would be focussed on research,formal education programs and informallearning programs as part of tourismexperiences. The centre would be supportedby accommodation facilities and would bemanaged as a self contained complex.


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Map 5


24

The proposed development is shown in moredetail on Maps 5 and 6. Researchers andgroups such as school and university studyvisits, specialised study tours by, forexample bird watchers, zoo specialists andthe like would use the centre. Othercompatible programs and uses such as, forexample, art and photography groups andyoga retreats would be provided for, aswould pre-booked use by ecotourism toursand the general public. Some users wouldmake use of both the centre andaccommodation, others would use either justthe centre or just the accommodation.

The marine and heritage centre wouldinclude a large meeting/seminar spacewhich can also serve as a dining room. Akitchen suitable for food preparation forlarge groups is proposed. A number ofsmaller meeting rooms, laboratory spaces,office and storerooms would be included inthe centre.

Two bunkhouses, which can be developed instages, are proposed. Each would sleepapproximately 40 people, and include acommunal lounge, cooking and dining area.Depending on the final design, toilets andshowers may be incorporated in eachbunkhouse or a separate ablutions blockmay be necessary.

On the upper slopes of the developmentarea, and partially screened from thebunkhouses and centre, ten self-contained,co-joined cabins are proposed. These cabinswould be similar in scale and facilities tothose provided at Lake St Clair, althoughthe architectural design would bedeveloped specifically to suit the location.

One of the self contained cabins would bededicated for accommodation of acaretaker. Additional Park managementaccommodation may be provided for withinthe overall marine and heritage centredevelopment area. Both the bunkhousesand the self contained cabins would beavailable to users of the marine andheritage centre, to the general public, andto commercial tour groups on a bookingsystem.

Upstream of the development, a small damis proposed, subject to site investigation.This dam would provide for firefightingand could be used for other non-drinking

purposes on the site. An equipmentstore/workshop may be located in thevicinity of the dam.

4.8 Accommodation in Heritage Buildings

Both Bernacchi's Terraces and the rear ofthe Coffee Palace have been identified byconservation plans as being suitable forrestoration as visitor accommodation.

Coffee Palace

The front rooms of the Coffee Palace aredevoted to interpretation and will remainso. At the rear, the Coffee Palace providesthe opportunity to develop 6 rooms eachaccommodating up to 2 people. The roomswould have lighting provided. Heatingmay be provided if a safe, cost effectivesystem can be installed. A small motelstyle fridge and tea and coffee makingfacility may be included.

It may be possible to develop a sharedshower/toilet facility in the manner of aboarding house or country pub, and a smallshared sitting area in the former kitchenarea of the building. Otherwise, guestswould need to make use of shower/toiletfacilities located elsewhere.

It may not be feasible to expect an economicreturn on capital funds invested to makeaccommodation use of the building possible.Consequently, public funding of the repair,restoration and upgrading of the buildingswould be necessary unless private orcorporate funding or sponsorship orfavourable taxing arrangements areavailable. However restoration of thebuilding is achieved, ongoing managementof the rear of the Coffee Palace foraccommodation will require that theoperation be financially self sustaining.

Fire safety and other contemporarystandards and requirements will have to bemet and require further detailedinvestigation before a definite decision onthe use of the rear rooms for accommodationcan be made.


25

Map 6


26

Bernacchi's Terraces

Both blocks of terraces require substantialand expensive repair and upgrading, withinheritage guidelines, before they would besuitable for accommodation use. Theerection of skillion additions at the rear ofthe buildings, as approved by theconservation plan, would be necessary toprovide for new facilities such as kitchens,toilets and showers.

The conservation plan suggests that it is notfeasible to expect an economic return oncapital funds invested to repair andupgrade the terraces. Consequently, publicfunding of the repair, restoration andupgrading of the buildings would benecessary unless private or corporatefunding or sponsorship or favourable taxingarrangements are available. Howeverrestoration of the building is achieved,ongoing management of Bernacchi's Terracesfor accommodation will require that theoperation be financially self sustaining.

Fire safety and other contemporarystandards and requirements will have to bemet and require further detailedinvestigation before a definite decision onthe use of the terraces for accommodationcan be made.

Penitentiary

The Penitentiary will be reconfigured toprovide more efficient and flexibleaccommodation options, but still based onapproximately the same style ofaccommodation as is currently provided.In the future when additionalaccommodation options become available, asection of the building may be restored andopened to the general visitor forinterpretation of the building and itshistory of use.

Low energy, discreet, directed lighting willbe provided inside the accommodation andvisitor services spaces of the building. Thiswill allow visitors without their ownlighting provisions to use theaccommodation satisfactorily. It will alsolimit the sometimes careless use of candlesand lanterns and reduce fire risk. On theother hand, visitors need not use the lightsif they prefer their own light sources.

No showers will be provided in thePenitentiary itself. If showers are to beprovided for guests staying in thePenitentiary, these will be developedelsewhere, but nearby. This will requiredetailed investigation both for historicheritage protection and water and sewerageservices provision.

4.9 Site Access and Circulation

The management of visitor access isimportant to protect the special qualities ofDarlington and the recreational experiencesof visitors. Access points and routes forvisitors need to be clearly identified.

Commissariat Store

A footpath will be developed connectingthe Commissariat Store with the road toDarlington to limit the risk of visitorsslipping on wet grass. The path will alsohelp avoid creation of eroded or muddyareas caused by foot traffic.

Darlington Settlement Generally

Because the Darlington settlement is set inopen lawn areas and pastures, paths willgenerally not be developed in thesettlement. However in certain areaswhere foot traffic is concentrated, posingeither an erosion or visitor safety risk,paths or hardened areas may be developed

Penitentiary Compound and Toilets

At present, upgraded surface hardening isproposed near entrances to provide safeaccess to the existing toilets. Low wattage,directed, motion sensor lighting on timers isproposed for the male and female toiletsand above the Penitentiary entry steps.

New Campground

Construct new pedestrian paths in thelocations shown on Map 4. Construct newvehicular access routes to the campgroundand to Preros, and rehabilitate the existinggravel road surface.


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Darlington Beach

Two dune crossings to Darlington Beach willbe reconstructed and maintained in thelocations shown on Map 4. Priority will begiven to the crossing near the toilet. Accessto the remainder of the dunes will bediscouraged by fencing until revegetation ofthe dunes is well established. Thereafter,fencing will be removed.

Marine and Heritage Centre Area

Access to the proposed new marine andheritage centre complex, or any otherdevelopment in the area, will be along theproposed alignment shown on Map 5. Theproposed vehicular track alignment will bein the approximate location shown, butsubject to possible minor adjustment in thefinal site design of any proposeddevelopment.

Subject to archaeological advice, thecrossing of the existing convict roadalignment will be achieved by filling overthe alignment without disturbing it.

Oast House/Hopground Beach Circuit

A walking track connecting the Oast Houseand the Mt Maria track just inland of whereit leaves Hopground Beach will bedeveloped, creating a circuit walk suitablefor day visitors wishing to visit both thePainted Cliffs and the Oast House.

The route of the proposed track will followthe approximate route already identifiedby the Senior Ranger.

Reservoir Circuit

The steep section of the circuit track on theimmediate southern side of the footbridgeover the reservoir weir will be relocated toavoid the steep grade.

Fossil Cliffs Access

A safe access track to the area of the FossilCliffs quarry will be constructed at thelocation shown on Map 3.

Painted Cliffs Access

A new access to the painted cliffs will bedeveloped in the general location shown on

Map 3. This access will help avoid damageto delicate honeycomb weathering features,and provide safer access for visitors,particularly at high tide.

4.10 Heritage Vegetation and Cultural Landscape Management

The heritage vegetation of the DarlingtonZone is an important component of a site ofhigh cultural significance, with aesthetic,historic, and social value.

The surviving plants of the nineteenth andearly twentieth century will be conservedand where necessary replanted with thesame or similar species.

All new plantings will utilise the speciesand cultivars that were commonlyavailable in Tasmania in the period fromthe 1830s to the 1930s.

Tree replacement will be implementedbased on a cyclical program of tree removalsand replantings to maintain the dominantconiferous landscape quality and characterof the Darlington Zone (Robert-Tissot,1997).

The specimens of modern species andcultivars which do not contribute to the latenineteenth-early twentieth centuryconiferous landscape quality and characterof the Zone will gradually be phased outand replaced (eg the 1980s plantings aroundAdkins house).

Archaeological sites associated withplanting, especially non-extant buildings,will be assessed by an archaeologist beforeworks are undertaken on trees which arelikely to result in major below-grounddisturbance.

Reconstruction of non-extant gardens orindividual plantings known to have died orbeen removed may occur, but the prioritywill be to conserve existing plantings ofheritage significance.

The spatial layout of the Darlington Zonewill be protected from inappropriateplanting and random development and notradically altered from its present form.


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Key views and viewfields over therelocated campground shown on Map 4 willbe retained by providing visual corridors forlong views. New planting will be locatedand designed to direct views and partiallyscreen views of any new additions ordevelopments. Where direct seeding isused, some tree and shrub regrowth mayneed to be removed if it is likely to intrudeon important views.

The dying avenue of poplars will beremoved but replanted.

The existing radiata pines along the sanddunes near the picnic shelter will beretained in the short term as a windbreakbut not allowed to spread any further.Selected trees will be removedimmediately for safety purposes (Robert-Tissot, 1997). Outlying seedling pinesfurther north in the dunes will also beremoved.

Professional arborists will be used to assessall heritage trees for health and safety.

4.11 Site Rehabilitation and Revegetation

Revegetation is proposed in a number oflocations throughout the Darlington Zone.Proposals for key areas are listed below,including a general species list.Revegetation is being undertaken for avariety of reasons. These includerehabilitation of eroded areas andprevention of further erosion, screening ofdevelopments or activities, and provision ofwind protection or shade.

Revegetation will include a mixture ofdirect seeding methods and selectiveplanting of species grown on for the purpose.

Except for heritage restoration andmaintenance works, only plant speciesindigenous to Maria Island will be used inrevegetation works.

Generally, revegetation works will uselocal provenance of species. Where theseverely changed local conditions resultingfrom a long history of degradation meanlocal provenances are not available, the

nearest Maria Island provenance will beused. The species listed below areindicative of those that will be used inrevegetation works.

Bernacchi's Creek

Revegetate along Bernacchi's Creek whereit passes through the old campground areaas shown on Map 3

Acacia melanoxylonAsterotrichion discolorEucalyptus viminalisOlearia lirataAcacia verticillataPomaderris apetalaBlechnum nudumBlechnum wattsii

Darlington Beach Dunes

Revegetate the Darlington Beach dunes asshown on Map 3

Acacia sophoraeSpinifex sericeusFestuca littoralisKennedia prostrataIndigofera australisCallitris rhomboideaMyoporum insulareLepidosperma gladiatumEucalyptus viminalisCarpobrotus rossiiPoa poiformisLomandra longifoliaAllocasuarina verticillata

The native species, in particular Acaciasophorae, will be used to smother marramgrass (an introduced species) wherepracticable to do so.

New Campground Areas

Planting will be undertaken within the newcampground area to provide filteredscreening between campsites and betweenthe campground and nearby areas, and toprovide wind screening and shade.

Acacia sophoraeAcacia melanoxylonEucalyptus pulchellaOlearia lirataPomaderris apetala


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Callitris rhomboideaLeptospermum scopariumAllocasuarina verticillataLomandra longifolia

Gully Bordering New Campground Area

Taller trees planted along this gully will beselectively located or removed to ensurethat framed views of key vistas areretained to and from the vicinity of MrsHunts cottage.

Acacia melanoxylonEucalyptus viminalisEucalyptus globulusEucalyptus obliquaOlearia lirataAcacia verticillataBursaria spinosaCoprosma quadrifidaMyoporum insulareLeptospermum scopariumAsterotrichion discolorPomaderris apetalaBlechnum nudumBlechnum wattsii

Workshop Area Gully

Revegetate the gully behind the workshopto provide screening of buildings and thecompound area.

Acacia melanoxylonEucalyptus viminalisEucalyptus globulusOlearia lirataBursaria spinosaCoprosma quadrifidaAsterotrichion discolorPomaderris apetalaBlechnum nudumBlechnum wattsii

Workshop Area Bank

Revegetate the batter and the slopes aboveit to provide screening of the workshop andthe compound area.

Allocasuarina verticillataCallitris rhomboideaBursaria spinosaCoprosma quadrifidaLomandra longifoliaPoa labillardieriPoa poiformis

Marine and Heritage Centre Area

Revegetate and provide screening in themarine and heritage centre area.

Acacia melanoxylonEucalyptus viminalisEucalyptus globulusOlearia lirataBursaria spinosaCoprosma quadrifidaAsterotrichion discolorPomaderris apetalaBlechnum nudumBlechnum wattsiiAllocasuarina verticillataCallitris rhomboideaLomandra longifoliaPoa labillardieriPoa poiformis

Erosion Gully (Fossil Cliffs)

The erosion gully above the fossil cliffs liesalong a geological feature which it istheorised may contribute an inherentinstability to the area. Therefore,geological assessment will be undertakenprior to stabilisation and revegetationworks.

Allocasuarina verticillataLomandra longifoliaEucalyptus globulus

Selected Coastal Cliff Tops

Revegetation will be undertaken along thecliff tops identified on Map 3.

Allocasuarina verticillataLomandra longifoliaMyoporum insulareKennedia prostrataCarpobrotus rossiiPoa poiformisCallitris rhomboideaBanksia marginata

4.12 Interpretation

Interpretation will be used to enhancevisitor understanding and appreciation ofthe environmental and heritage values ofthe Darlington Zone and the adjacentMarine Zone, foster appropriate visitorbehaviour and explain management


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strategies. Interpretation will be guided bythe overall interpretation strategy for thePark, prepared separately, and alreadypart implemented. Aboriginalinterpretation will continue to be developedin consultation with the Aboriginalcommunity.

All signs will conform with theappropriate specifications of theDepartmental Signs Manual (Departmentof Parks, Wildlife and Heritage 1991).

Signs will be used in those situations wherethey are the most practical and effectivemeans of communicating messages tovisitors.

Information to assist visitors orientatethemselves on arrival will be located in theCommissariat Store. Information onappropriate use of facilities and minimalimpact behaviour will also be located here.

The Coffee Palace will be the main locationof high quality information andinterpretation on the environmental andheritage values of Darlington and the Parkin general.

Specialist information and interpretationon key research and study projects and onthe marine environment will be located inthe marine and heritage centre.

Marine interpretation may also be locatedin the site arrival area.

4.13 Services

Facilities and services area A shown onMap 2 will provide, among other things, forthe connection to, or development, orrelocation of infrastructure services such assewerage, water supply, power, andcommunications for the adjacent mainDarlington settlement.

Because some visitor facilities are remotefrom this area, such as the jetty arrivalarea and the existing picnic shelter area,separate systems for these areas arealready in place. In the case of the jettyarea, this is likely to remain the case. Inthe picnic shelter area, which is to becomethe new campground area, connection toservices in facilities and services area A

will be considered if necessary to meet thedemands placed upon water and seweragesystems by the campground development.

Power Supply

Except for the marine and heritage centre,electricity provision will be based on acombined diesel generator/battery storagesystem for the foreseeable future. Solarpanels may be added to the generatingsystem in the future.

The marine and heritage centre may linkinto, and extend and upgrade the existingpower system if this is practicable andprovided the costs are met from the marineand heritage centre development budget.Otherwise, the centre will develop its owndiscreet power supply system.

Water Supply

A new storage tank may be providedadditional to the existing two tanks. Thiswill supplement the storage capacity.Potable water supply for the marine andheritage centre will be drawn from thisincreased storage capacity. A small damupstream from the centre will providesupplementary water supplies forfirefighting and other non-potablerequirements.

Sewerage

Sewerage treatment systems will bemaintained, extended, or upgraded to ensurecompliance with contemporary treatmentstandards.

Stormwater

Where practicable, roof stormwater will becollected in rainwater tanks. Where roofsare gutterless or where it is not feasible toinstall water tanks, gravel or other dripline or downpipe provisions will be made toprevent stormwater erosion and allow forcontrolled dispersal of runoff to naturaldrainage patterns.

Roadside drains and culverts will bedrained to swales designed to slow anddisperse concentrated stormwater flow.

Solid Waste


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The existing recycling program atDarlington will be continued and wherepossible improved upon. Developments notmanaged by Parks staff will be required toprovide a similar standard of service.

Litter bins designed to prevent wind blownlitter and access by wildlife will beprovided at a limited number of selectedlocations. However, visitors will beencouraged to take their garbage with themwhen leaving the Park.

The existing tip will be retained andmanaged to minimise environmentalimpact.

Fuel Storage

Fuel storage for Park management purposeswill be centrally located in the workshopcompound. Fuel storage for the marine andheritage centre will be located with in thedevelopment area for the centre.

Communications

The existing management radio telephonesystem will continue to be used untiltechnological changes requireimplementation of an alternative system.

If costs and changes in phone technologyallow, a public telephone will be retainedin the Darlington settlement but relocated.Depending on technical issues, the newlocation will either be on the verandah ofthe School Masters House (the Rangeroffice) or in the side alcove of the formerPost Office.

The marine and heritage centre, if it goesahead, will have an internally locatedoffice telephone and an externally locatedpublic telephone included in thedevelopment.

Lighting

Internal lighting may be installed in anybuilding if necessary to allow safe andeffective use of the building for thepurposes for which it is approved.

External lighting will only be provided forsafety and in limited locations. Lightingwill be movement sensor activated and timecontrolled, low wattage and directed

downwards or onto specific objects tominimise off-site visibility and to reduce onsite ambient lighting levels to thosenecessary for safe movement. Externallighting will be located and limited to thefollowing locations:

- movement sensor operated lights at theentrances to the toilets in theDarlington compound;

- movement sensor operated lights at theentrances to the existing toilets nearDarlington beach;

- movement sensor operated lights at theentrances to the bunkhouses and self-contained cabins adjacent to the marineand heritage centre complex, able to beturned off by the occupants but notswitched on for continuous use; and

- movement sensor operated lights atentrances to the main centre in themarine and heritage centre complex andoperator controlled lighting in thecourtyard/amphitheatre area for nighttime uses of that space.

Further lighting, in accordance with theabove provisions, may be provided forsafety in high movement areas ifmonitoring indicates the need.

5 Effects of Development

5.1 Economic Effects

The likely economic benefits and effects ofthe proposed developments will occurincrementally depending on the time scalefor the full implementation of the site planand the order in which developments occur.

Marine and Heritage Centre

While it is expected that meeting thecapital cost of developing the centre willrely on a specially sourced funding grant,ongoing operating costs of the centre must befully recoverable. A business plan will beprepared to determine these requirementsbefore any final decision is made to proceedwith the development. If the centre can beshown to be viable, and goes ahead, therewill be direct economic benefits both duringthe construction period and thereafter inthe operation of the centre.


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Accommodation in Heritage Buildings

Effects have not been calculated forproposed accommodation in heritagebuildings at this point in time. Suchdevelopment is predicted to be a longer termeventuality

5.2 Tourism Effects

There is currently a very limited tourismproduct to cater for special interest markets,particularly authentic "eco-tourism"products of international and nationalquality.

The benefits identified that will apply inthe Spring Bay region include:

- lifting the image and profile of theregion as a destination in the State;

- significantly boosting the regionaleconomy;

- employing local people;- attracting a wider range of visitors to

the area; and- increasing visitor interest in Maria

Island and the Spring Bay areagenerally.

These potential benefits may helpovercome some of the area's deficiencies intourism. For example, in 1996 only 1.7% ofinterstate visitors visited Maria Island,21% visited Orford and 31% stayedsomewhere in the east coast region at leastone night.

5.3 Changes in the Character of the Site

The relocation of the campground will shiftthe impacts of camping from one area toanother. This will change the character ofboth the old camping area and the newarea.

The old inland campground site will becomequieter and lose the visual intrusion of acamping area. The creek through the areawill be revegetated.

The new campground site will have anincrease in noise levels, although it is

already used by day visitors and sometimescampers playing ball games. Visualintrusion will increase, but be substantiallyameliorated by revegetation and amenityplanting. With the revegetation measuresproposed the overall impact on sitecharacter of Darlington will be beneficial.

The marine and heritage centre, or similaralternative developments, will be locatedin an area almost never visited and notreadily visible from those areas which arenormally visited. Nevertheless thelocation of a development of this scale willintroduce some localised changes in thecharacter of the site, by introducing newbuilt elements, changes in visitor movementpatterns, and increases in visitor numbers.These changes are not expected to have anyappreciable detrimental effect on thecharacter of Darlington as a whole. Themarine and heritage centre buildings willpermanently impact on the environment inthat they will occupy an area notpreviously built upon. These impacts arenecessary to achieve the objective ofconstructing the facilities.

Public access to the heritage buildingsproposed for conversion to accommodation iscurrently not permitted because of theircondition. Accommodation in heritagebuildings will create some sense ofprivatising of the building spaces. Thiswill be countervailed by the majorupgrading of the building fabric, bothprotecting it and presenting an improvedbuilding aesthetic. Access to the buildingswill be available for those who bookaccommodation in them.

5.4 Site Disturbance and Environmental Impacts

Construction of the marine and heritagecentre and its access road would cause somelocalised site disturbance. The disturbanceis predominantly of former pastures areasand environmental impacts on these will beminimal. A pipeline drawing fresh seawater for marine research tanks wouldconnect the centre with the sea. The pipewould be located along the creekline andwould result in some localised disturbancewhich would be rehabilitated andrevegetated.


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Preliminary assessments of Aboriginal andhistoric heritage values indicate that sitedisturbance for the centre will not impact onheritage values. Nevertheless, moredetailed Aboriginal and historic heritageassessments will be undertaken prior to andduring construction works.

Strict limits on the extent of site works willbe imposed and controls on erosion andrunoff during construction will be put inplace.

Rehabilitation and revegetation at theconclusion of construction works willimprove the site from its current slightlydegraded state.

In the main Darlington area, sitedisturbance may occur to provide services tobuildings or to construct built extensions tobuildings where this is permitted by aconservation plan. All proposed sitedisturbance will be preceded byarchaeological assessment.

Relocation of the campground will result insome minor site disturbance for theconstruction of service vehicle access andfootpaths, possible levelling andconstruction of tent pads, and provision ofnew, upgraded or extended water andsewerage services to existing buildings.

Rehabilitation of dunes and the adjacentcreek gully will occur as well as amenityplanting in the campground area. This willinitially require ground cultivation andfencing which will involve some sitedisturbance.

All proposed site disturbance in the newcampground area will be preceded byassessment of Aboriginal and historicheritage.

By maintaining, extending or upgradingsewerage treatment systems to comply withcontemporary treatment standards, impactswill be contained within acceptable levels.

The impacts of stormwater runoff will beminimised by the measures outlined in 4.13.

Improved solid waste management isalready reducing impacts and ongoing

management will continue to improve uponthe existing program where possible.

5.5 Visual Intrusion

The main impacts of visual intrusion willoccur in the localised area of the marineand heritage centre development. The siteof the centre has been selected so thatexisting established vegetation screeningwill make development there virtuallyinvisible from other parts of the DarlingtonZone. Some filtered glimpses of thedevelopment through the trees may occur.Maps 4 and 5 illustrate the screening effect.In addition, external colour selection forbuildings in the marine and heritage centrewill be restricted to muted colours whichharmonise with the surrounding landscape.

To a lesser extent, visual intrusion will alsooccur in the relocation of the campground.However, this will in the first instancemerely shift the visual intrusion from onelocality to another. As the proposedrevegetation program takes effect, thevisual intrusion of the campground will beless conspicuous than is currently the case.

In the site arrival area, the existing jettyand visitor toilets are both visuallyprominent. Because of the localisedcharacteristics of the site, no attempt willbe made to screen these developments.Additions or modification to facilities inthis area, such as a dive wash down area,will be consistent with the existing visualcharacter in colour and form. However,exposed and eroding banks will berehabilitated and derelict equipment notrequired for heritage purposes will berepaired or removed.

5.6 Rehabilitation

The heritage vegetation managementproposed in Section 4.9 and siterehabilitation and revegetation worksproposed in Section 4.10 will have asignificant beneficial impact on the currentstate of the Darlington Zone.

5.7 Heritage Impacts


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The Darlington Zone is a significantheritage site with procedures to protectheritage values set out in the managementplan for Maria Island National Park.Developments proposed in this site planwill be consistent with the prescriptions ofthe management plan. No impacts onheritage values that are not consistent withthe management plan and requirements andprocedures set out in it are anticipated.These requirements include the need for on-site assessment and monitoring ofAboriginal and historic heritage at boththe planning and construction stages. SeeSection 6 for further details on heritagemanagement.

5.8 Recreational Impacts

Generally, the range of recreational andtourism pursuits in the Zone resulting fromthe developments outlined in this site planwill be similar to those already popular.There will be an improvement in qualityand some additional facilities similar toand compatible with the existing facilities.

Within the foreseeable future, and based onrecent years, visitor numbers are expected toincrease relatively slowly. In the longerterm, and at full capacity, up to three timesthe current level of day and overnightvisitors can be expected.

Given the size of the Darlington Zone andthe extent of the Park beyond it, increasesin day visitor numbers should beaccommodated quite readily without anappreciable recreational impact. Someshort duration and localised crowding mayoccur at popular visitor destinations on daysof peak attendance.

Although the proposed overnight visitorfacilities would eventually increase theovernight visitor capacity by up to 70%,this is off a small base and will be finite forany one night. Recreational impacts fromovernight visitors should not be significantsince the main growth in overnight visitornumbers is expected to be in greater numbersspread into periods beyond the current peakperiod. This will occur because of theimprovement in the range and quality ofaccommodation available to attractvisitors in cooler or wetter periods.

6 Environment and HeritageManagement Program

Physical disturbance to the Zone needs to beminimised to protect environmental andheritage values while providing forsuitable visitor facilities. When planningany future development or action for thearea, the impacts on environmental andheritage values need to be assessed prior toany action being taken. Any adverseimpacts need to be avoided or mitigated.

6.1 Application and Assessment

All development and activities will accordwith the management plan and this siteplan.

Any development or activity not directlydealt with by this site plan (but inaccordance with the prescriptions of it)will require a comprehensiveenvironmental and heritage effectsassessment in accordance with guidelinesestablished by the Director. Anenvironment and heritage management planwill also be required, detailing the ongoingand sustainable management of theenvironment and heritage effects of thedevelopment in accordance with this planand the management plan. These documentswill be made available for public commentfor a minimum period of thirty days beforethe development is finalised and approved.

Where an environmental and heritageeffects assessment is not required additionalto this site plan, any development,activity, landscape modification, research,management or maintenance work involvingany ground breaking, structural disturbance,or environmental manipulation of any kindwill be assessed in accordance withprocedures approved by the Director.

Major developments such as the marine andheritage centre and all commercialdevelopment proposals for facilities orservices will submit a detailed business andfinancial plan showing at least a threeyear projection of operations whichdemonstrates economic viability.


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Design concepts and details for eachdevelopment or activity permitted by thisplan will be prepared and approved beforeany work commences.

Costing for implementing works will beprepared in conjunction with preparation ofdesign details for those works.

Variations to the approved design conceptsand details will require confirmation andapproval by the Director or the Director'snominee.

Development proposals will include a plan,with a north point, at a scale of not lessthan 1 : 500 (unless otherwise approved)showing the details of the existing siteincluding, depending on the nature of thedevelopment:

- site topography at a maximum of 1metre contour intervals;

- site features such as rock outcrops,locations of heritage sites, and existingbuildings, structures, works, roads,drains and culverts;

- catchment hydrology characteristicsand drainage lines, wet areas and bogs;and

- location and species of existingvegetation.

Development proposals will include a plan,with a north point, at a scale of not lessthan 1 : 200 (unless otherwise approved)showing the details of the developmentproposal including, depending on the natureof the development:

- location, size and orientation ofproposed buildings;

- location of vehicular tracks andpedestrian paths;

- areas to be cleared, slashed, blasted orotherwise disturbed;

- locations of stockpiling areas includingtopsoil and spoil dumps;

- machinery fuelling and servicing areas;- scope and staging of proposed

earthworks;- slope stabilisation and revegetation

measures;- detailed design for safe stormwater and

drainage management both duringconstruction and at completion of theworks;

- water supply arrangements;

- sewerage disposal arrangements;- landscape planting and vegetation

screening information;- fire management provisions;- proposals for staging the use or

development.

Development proposals will include a planincluding a north point at a scale of not lessthan 1 : 100 showing the details of thebuilding or structure proposals including:

- methods of construction;- type of materials, colours and finishes

to be used (particularly for externalwalls and roofs);

- the internal layout of buildings;- major elevations of buildings and

structures;- relationships of the elevations to

natural ground level showing anyproposed cut or fill;

- external storage and service areas; and- external vehicular and pedestrian

circulation connections.

Drawings will be accompanied by relevantworks specifications, with both to astandard comparable to those commonlyprepared by professionally recognisedarchitects, landscape architects andengineers.

A construction program which includes atimetable setting out intendedcommencement and completion dates of allmajor components of the works will berequired.

6.2 Planning and Design

Conservation and management ofAboriginal heritage will be undertaken inaccordance with the requirements of themanagement plan for the Park.

Conservation and management of historicheritage in the Zone will adhere to theBurra Charter of Australia ICOMOS(Marquis-Kyle & Walker, 1992) and itsassociated guidelines.

More particularly, the Darlington Zonewill be conserved and managed inaccordance with the Conservation Plan forDarlington (Godden Mackay, 1992).


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A conservation policy statement orconservation plan, including specificassessment of significance, will be preparedbefore any decisions about major works, use,removal or interpretation of individualelements within the heritage precinct.Such statements or plans will be preparedin accordance with the principles outlinedin the Burra Charter, using themethodology outlined in Kerr (1996).

Except in facilities and services areas A, Band C, new stand-alone buildings will not bepermitted.

In the facilities and services area A, builtforms and silhouette will relate to thetopography of the site and the vegetativecharacteristics and colours of the adjacentlandscape. Design, detailing and materialswill emphasise and complement theadjacent landscape and reflect a rural orbushland character. Buildings will bestepped down slopes to follow thelandform. Roofs will be Colorbond, limitedin colour to Mist Green, Rivergum, Ironbarkor Slate Grey.

In facilities and services areas B and C, newbuildings will be coordinated in style, scale,form and colour with the heritage setting inwhich they occur. Roofs will be Colorbondin colours which closely match roof coloursin adjacent heritage buildings.

In all remaining areas of the DarlingtonZone, the design, detailing and materials ofany building works will be in accordancewith the conservation plan for the Zone(Godden Mackay, 1992) or with individualconservation plans for specific buildings.

Most new buildings for the marine andheritage centre will be located onpreviously cleared pasture land to avoidhabitat and other environmental impacts.

Buildings, roads, dams and servicesprovisions for the marine and heritagecentre which require some clearing or othersite disturbance will be sited to limitimpact by avoiding healthy trees andshrubs identified for retention in thedetailed design of the development.

6.3 Construction

Areas of disturbance arising from any siteworks permitted by this plan will beminimised. Where necessary, the limits ofthe site which may be disturbed will bepegged or fenced. If trees or shrubs or othersite features to be retained occur within thisarea, they will be protected for theduration of the works.

In the course of construction, work will ceaseif any sub-surface indicators of Aboriginalsites (such as shell in the presence ofcharcoal, or stone that is not endemic to thearea or appears to have an unusual shape)or historic heritage are located. TheCultural Heritage Branch of the Parks andWildlife Service will be informed and workin the area will not continue without theirapproval.

Erosion control and silt traps will be usedduring construction to prevent sitedisturbance effects on the water quality ofwatercourses, lagoons and coastal waters inor adjacent to the Zone.

Geoconservation values will be assessedbefore undertaking any major grounddisturbance and before any extraction ofmaterials for building purposes.

All provision of services will take accountof the potential impact on heritagevegetation.

All walking tracks will be constructed to atleast the standards set in the WalkingTrack Management Manual (Department ofLands, Parks and Wildlife 1987).

All practicable steps will be taken toprevent the introduction or spread ofPhytophthora cinnamomi in the area.

Guidelines provided by the Phytophthoracinnamomi Hygiene Manual (Parks andWildlife Service, 1993) for controlling thedisease will be used for any development,maintenance, rehabilitation or other workinvolving vehicles, machinery, tools, roadmaterial, fill or soil.

6.4 Heritage Construction and Restoration


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The crossing of the convict road formationwill be constructed to the approval ofheritage experts in accordance with thehistoric heritage management requirementsof the management plan and this site plan.

Dangerous structures will be made safe.

Damaging uses, activities anddevelopments which intrude upon or detractfrom the heritage values of the Zone willbe removed.

Regular maintenance and remedial work onbuildings, particularly maintaining roofs,guttering, flashings, and ground treatmentfor rainwater run-off will be undertaken.

Adaptations will be readily reversible andnew services will not be apparent fromoutside buildings, or impact upon them.

Accurate, detailed working documentation,appropriate to the scale and significance ofthe works, will be prepared prior to anyconservation works.

Accurate, detailed documentation,appropriate to the scale and significance ofthe works, will be prepared to record anyconservation works “as built”.

Priority in conservation works will be givenfirst to maintenance, then preservation,then restoration (with possibleadaptation).

Missing fabric elements may bereconstructed in accordance with aconservation policy statement or plan, buthypothetical reconstruction of built fabricwill not be permitted.

Laboratory conservation and curation willbe sought for any items removed forprotection, security or scientific purposes.

The introduced landscape elements andspaces will be treated as integral parts ofthe cultural heritage of the island,requiring maintenance and, wherenecessary, replanting (see 4.10).

To avoid disturbance of historic groundfeatures, sub-surface remains, andarchaeological deposits such as buildingfootings, hopground drainage channels and

tracks, an archaeological assessment willbe required before any development orground-breaking work is approved.

The Aboriginal community will be consultedon any undertaking or development whichmay impinge on Aboriginal sites.

6.5 Rehabilitation

All proposed new site development workswill include funding for rehabilitation inthe project budget.

Except for heritage restoration andmaintenance works, only local provenanceof plant species indigenous to Maria Islandwill be used in revegetation works.

6.6 Fire Management

Within the Darlington Zone, the highestpriority of fire management will be theprotection of life and property, particularlyproperty of heritage value.

A system to provide visitors with notice oftotal fire ban days and fire restrictions willbe developed and implemented.

Visitor and management facilities will bedesigned, constructed and managed tominimise the possibility of fire escapes.

Provide adequate external and internal fireprotection to all structures.

Fire management will be undertaken inaccordance with the management plan forthe Maria Island National Park (Parks andWildlife Service, 1998b) and the currentfire management plan.

Outdoor fires will be restricted todesignated fireplaces and barbecuesprovided or approved by the managingauthority.

6.7 Operational Requirements

Staff will be trained to implement theobjectives and prescriptions of the site plan.


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Development, protection and conservationwork will be coordinated by a five yearworks program for the Zone.

The works program will be reviewedannually. Add a further year's program ateach annual review.

When suitable planned and programmedworks, and adequate supervision, areavailable, volunteers will be encouraged toassist with construction works, siteservicing and maintenance, and supervision.

6.8 Monitoring

To ensure that the environmental andheritage values of the Zone are protected,monitoring is proposed.

Generally

Notwithstanding provisions in this siteplan, if monitoring indicates the need,limits may be set on development or use ofthe Darlington Zone.

Unless funding permits otherwise,monitoring will be limited to inspection,observation and/or photographictechniques.

The efficacy of management practices in theZone will be monitored, and wherenecessary, those practices will be modified.

The methods and frequency of monitoringwill be reviewed regularly.

The site plan will be reviewed and revisedif monitoring results indicate the need.

Environmental Monitoring

The objectives of environmental monitoringare to:

- Provide information on theenvironmental and recreationalcondition of the Zone which will governhow the area is managed; and

- Ensure that impacts are kept withinlimits which accord with this site planand the management plan for the Park.

Baseline water sampling and testing will beundertaken in Bernacchi's Creek and thegully near the existing picnic shelter priorto commencement of developments set out inthis site plan.

Key photo monitoring points will beestablished and baseline photos taken priorto commencement of developments set out inthis site plan.

The following indicators of environmentaland recreational conditions will bemonitored:

- shifts in the recreational and tourismcharacter of the Zone;

- walking and vehicle track surfacesincluding muddiness and erosion;

- evidence of trampling and side tracks;- beach erosion;- damage to coastal vegetation;- marine water quality;- changes in terrestrial and marine

species populations;- weeds;- litter;- the occurrence of Phytophthora

cinnamomi ;- water quality;- fire history including ignition source;- any enlargement of the camping area;- crowding at picnic areas;- visitor satisfaction;- unruly visitor behaviour and conflicts

between types of recreation.

Heritage Monitoring

The objectives of heritage monitoring are to:

- Provide information on the heritagecondition of the Zone which will governhow the area is managed; and

- Ensure that impacts are kept withinacceptable limits which accord withthis site plan.

The following indicators of heritageconditions will be monitored:

- damage to the historic heritage ofDarlington Zone;

- damage to the Aboriginal heritage ofthe Darlington Zone; and

- shifts in the recreational and tourismcharacter of the Zone.


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References

BRADBURY, J., 1993; A Preliminary Geoheritage Inventory of the Eastern Tasmanian Terrane;unpublished report to the Parks and Wildlife Service, Hobart.

BROWN, S., 1991; Aboriginal Archaeological Sites in Eastern Tasmania; Occasional Paper No31, Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Tasmania.

COMMONWEALTH DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, 1994; National Ecotourism Strategy;Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

GILFEDDER, F., & ASSOCIATES, 1997; Darlington, Maria Island Heritage Vegetation Study;unpublished report to Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and LandManagement, Hobart.

GODDEN MACKAY, 1991; Bernacchi's Terraces Maria Island - Conservation Plan; unpublishedreport to the Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Tasmania

GODDEN MACKAY, 1992; Darlington Precinct - Maria Island Conservation Plan; unpublishedreport to the Department of Construction and Department of Parks, Wildlife andHeritage, Tasmania

GODDEN MACKAY, 1995; Darlington Precinct, Maria Island Smith O'Brien's Cottage, TheMess Hall, The Coffee Palace Conservation Plans; unpublished report to the Parks andWildlife Service, Department of Environment and Land Management, Tasmania

GODDEN MACKAY, 1997; Darlington Precinct, Brickfields Conservation Plan; unpublishedreport to the Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Environment and LandManagement, Tasmania

HEWETT, P., 1984; Historic Tree Report; unpublished report to the National Parks andWildlife Service, Hobart.

KERR, J. S., 1996; The Conservation Plan: A Guide to the Preparation of Conservation Plans forPlaces of European Cultural Significance; fourth edition, National Trust (NSW), Sydney.

MARQUIS-KYLE, P., & WALKER, M., 1992; The Illustrated Burra Charter, Making gooddecisions about the care of important places; Australia ICOMOS Inc, Sydney.

PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, 1993; Phytophthora cinnamomi Hygiene Manual;Department of Environment and Land Management, Hobart.

PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, 1998a; Introduced Plants Policy; unpublished report,Department of Environment and Land Management, Hobart.

PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, 1998b; Maria Island National Park and Ile Des PhoquesNature Reserve Management Plan 1998; Department of Environment and LandManagement, Hobart.

PARKS, WILDLIFE & HERITAGE, DEPARTMENT OF, 1991; Departmental Signs Manual;Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Hobart.


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ROBERT-TISSOT, A., 1997; Introduced Trees at Darlington, Maria Island - Risk Analysis andHorticultural Advice; unpublished report to Parks and Wildlife Service, Department ofEnvironment and Land Management, Hobart.

TODD, J., 1992; Maria Island Engineering Study; in GODDEN MACKAY, 1992; DarlingtonPrecinct - Maria Island Conservation Plan; unpublished report to the Department ofConstruction and Department of Parks, Wildlife and Heritage, Tasmania

TOURISM, SPORT, AND RECREATION, DEPARTMENT OF, 1990; The Implications of theEmerging Market for Tasmanian Tourism; Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation,Hobart.


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Appendices

Appendix 1 Water Consumption Projections(These projections use as a basis approximate consumption figures drawnfrom the Maria Island Engineering Study: Energy, Water, Sewage, andSolid Waste Services for the Darlington Area by Dr John Todd, 1992,page 23. Peak demand is calculated by assuming every possibleaccommodation bed is used on a particular night.)

Staff and Temporary or Casual Workers - Peak Demand

Ranger Houses(Assuming three families in occupancy)

3 houses (12 persons) @ 600 litres 1800L/day

Single Staff Quarters (Bernacchi's Terraces)

1 unit (2 persons) @ 300 litres 300L/day

Workshop (No laundry)

8 persons @ 130 litres 1040L/day

Annexe (No laundry)


Prero's and Annexe (No laundry)


Sub Total 30 staff 4180L/day

Overnight Visitors (Indoor Accommodation) - Peak Demand

Penitentiary (No kitchen, basic laundry and assuming showers)


Restored Bernacchi's (Kitchen and showers, no laundry)


Restored Coffee Palace (Central kitchen, no laundry and assuming showers)


Area A - 10 Self Contained Units (Kitchen, laundry and showers)



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Area A - Bunkhouse (Central kitchen, no laundry and assuming showers)


Sub Total 236 persons 31880/day

Overnight Visitor (Campground) - Peak Demand

Campground (No kitchen, no laundry and assuming showers)


Sub Total 180 persons 15600L/day

Day Visitors - Peak Demand

Day Visitors (Toilets and limited washing)


Sub Total 200 persons 4000L/day

Total Peak Daily Demand 55660L/day


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Appendix 2 Implementation Priorities

The priorities for implementation are set out below in approximate order.

• Collect seed and propagate tube stock for revegetation works• Obtain tree surgeon report on risk management issues• Provide lighting for night safety (Penitentiary, nearby toilets, picnic shelter, nearby

toilets)• Remove dangerous limbs, trees• Propagate or otherwise obtain and grow on heritage species for replanting• Establish photo monitoring points• Undertake baseline water sampling• Remove seedling pines in dunes• Remove overmature trees ready for replanting• Commence revegetating dunes• Commence revegetating gully near picnic shelter• Commence campground planting• Construct shower cubicles• Construct new fuel storage facility in workshop compound• Prepare business plan/financial analysis on viability of marine and heritage centre• Seek funding for marine and heritage centre if determined viable by business plan• Replant (sequentially) heritage species in accordance with the Heritage Vegetation

Study• Construct new path layouts (Commissariat Store, new campground area, Penitentiary

toilets entrances)• Reconstruct dune crossings• Reconfigure picnic shelter• Install signs• Open new campground• Close old campground• Undertake maintenance and preventative tree surgery on plants to be retained• Commence revegetating workshop gully and bank• Commence revegetating Bernacchi's Creek• Construct walking track link between Oast House and Hopground Beach• Upgrade access to Fossil Cliffs• Relocate the public telephone

maria island national park darlington site plan

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