Newland Head and Deep Creek Conservation Park Management Plan amendments

Consultation has concluded

About

We want your feedback on proposed changes to the Deep Creek and Newland Head Conservation Park management plans.

What is being decided?

We are proposing to create new walk-in campsites for Deep Creek and Newland Head Conservation Parks. This is be part of the Wild South Coast Way, a $6 million dollar project to upgrade the Heysen Trail between Cape Jervis and Victor Harbor.

We have identified potential areas for a new campsite in each park specifically to service walkers of the Heysen Trail. These sites have been selected for a variety of reasons, including:

About

We want your feedback on proposed changes to the Deep Creek and Newland Head Conservation Park management plans.

What is being decided?

We are proposing to create new walk-in campsites for Deep Creek and Newland Head Conservation Parks. This is be part of the Wild South Coast Way, a $6 million dollar project to upgrade the Heysen Trail between Cape Jervis and Victor Harbor.

We have identified potential areas for a new campsite in each park specifically to service walkers of the Heysen Trail. These sites have been selected for a variety of reasons, including:

  • minimal disturbance of native vegetation
  • proximity to existing supporting infrastructure such as access tracks
  • incorporation into the Heysen Trail route with minimal re-routing and new trail development required.

To facilitate the new campsites, the existing park management plans require change. Draft changes are outlined in the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments.

We are now seeking your views on these changes to ensure we consider all issues and park values are protected.

Get involved

Read the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments, Summary of amendments, and Walk-in campsites area map.

To have your say:

Department for Environment and Water
National Parks and Protected Area Program
Attn: Park Planning Officer
GPO Box 1047 ADELAIDE SA 5000

Hard copies of the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments may also be inspected at or obtained from the offices of the Department for Environment and Water at:

  • Adelaide—Natural Resources Centre, Ground floor, 81-95 Waymouth Street, Adelaide SA 5000
  • Victor Harbor – National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, 3 Eyre Terrace, Victor Harbor, SA, 5211
  • Deep Creek Conservation Park Headquarters, Deep Creek SA 5204

Your submissions may be made publicly available on the Department for Environment and Water’s website unless you indicate on the submission or survey that you wish for these to remain confidential. Any responses that are made on a confidential basis may still be subject to access under Freedom of Information laws.

How can your input influence the decision?

Your feedback will assist in the preparation of the final amendments that will be adopted by the Minister under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

What are the next steps?

We will collate and review all feedback.

The Parks and Wilderness Council will then consider the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments as well as the feedback received, and provide advice to the Minister for his consideration.

Closing date: 5pm, Thursday 24 June 2021

Background

Park management plans are the primary public accountability document for each of South Australia’s parks. Management plans set strategic direction, and explain how parks are managed.

The Government has committed to developing the Wild South Coast Way, a $6 million dollar project to upgrade the Heysen Trail and associated infrastructure between Cape Jervis and Victor Harbor. The investment will include the development of new walk-in campsites in Deep Creek and Newland Head Conservation Parks.

The management plans for these parks only allow for the development of campsites in specific circumstances and areas, and no suitable areas which meet the strict criteria of the management plans have been found. View full copies of the existing management plans.

It is proposed the management plans for these parks be amended to allow for the development of new campsites.

This process seeks to maintain strong protection for the values of the respective parks, whilst allowing for the development of low-impact, walk-in campsites in appropriate locations along the Wild South Coast Way.

Get involved.

Consultation has concluded

  • Final amendments and consultation report released

    Thank you for your interest in the Newland Head Conservation Park management plan amendment and the Deep Creek and Talisker Conservation Parks management plan amendment.

    Consultation on the draft amendments was open from 24 March 2021 until 24 June 2021. Following the close review of all submissions received during this period, final amendments were prepared and presented to the Parks and Wilderness Council for their advice. These amendments were then provided to the Minister for Environment and Water for their consideration. You can read more about the submission in our analysis of submissions from the consultation.

    The amendments for Newland Head Conservation Park and Deep Creek and Talisker Conservation Parks management plans have now been adopted and are available on this webpage.

  • Walk-in campsites area map

    Current Newland Head zone map

    Proposed Newland Head zone map

    A map for the Deep Creek and Talisker Conservation Park is not available. You can view details about the changes in the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments.

  • Summary of amendments

    Below is a summary of the proposed changes to the ‘Deep Creek and Talisker Conservation Parks Management Plan 1997’ and the ‘Newland Head Conservation Park Management Plan 2004’.

    These changes are described in full in the Park Management Plan Draft Amendments.

    Deep Creek and Talisker Conservation Parks Management Plan 1997:

    • A change is proposed to allow the development of a campsite in Deep Creek Conservation Park, near the existing Tapanappa campsite.
    • The change will allow for a new campsite to be developed when land has not been previously cleared. An assessment of environmental and visitor risks must still be undertaken before a campsite can be developed.

    Newland Head Conservation Park Management Plan 2006:

    • Newland Head Conservation Park only allows the development of new campsites in specific zones. It is proposed a new development zone be created to permit construction of a new walk-in campsite.
    • The new development zone will be within the existing rehabilitation zone, which is an area that was once cleared for agricultural grazing or mined for quarry rubble.
    • A minor increase in the size of the existing Waitpinga campground zoning has also occurred to account for any future development of that site.
    • Other small amendments are required throughout the management plan to account for a new campsite that is walk-in only.