A fur seal colony on Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve. Photo: NPWS.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has pushed ahead with its controversial new management plan that cuts the number of visitors who can visit Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve.
Eurobodalla Shire Council and tour operators are concerned the lower limits could impact the viability of Narooma’s boat charter operations and harm the town’s visitor economy.
The management plan was approved by the NSW Environment Minister in April and published on 29 May.
The maximum number of public visitors on authorised short duration tours in any given 24-hour period has been cut from 200 to 120.
The maximum number of public visitors on authorised short duration tours at any one time has been cut from 80 to 40. The maximum for penguin tours used to be 50.
The maximum visitor to guide ratio has been cut from 40:1 to 30:1.
NPWS said the cut to 40 visitors at any one time was to “reinforce a remote recreation experience and limit crowding at popular sites” while the reduced visitor to guide ratio was to “enable guides to effectively communicate with their groups, helping visitors to appreciate, enjoy and understand the park. A modest group size also allows guides to manage their groups to limit their impacts and to manage any medical emergencies”.
The changes prompted the council to issue a press release which said the council and local charter operators had objected to the cuts when NPWS had invited submissions in January 2024.
Mayor Mathew Hatcher said the council’s submission to the NPWS addressed areas of concern within the plan, however these appear to have been ignored.
Barunguba Montague Island is home to one of the world’s longest running sea bird research projects. The island also has important Indigenous and European heritage. Photo: NPWS.
“Poor visitor behaviour and ensuring a positive visitor experience were posed as the rationale for reduced visitor numbers to the island,” he said.
“We are not aware of the assessment methods used by NPWS to determine that a reduction in visitor numbers will improve behaviour or the experience.
“While I certainly support our environmental obligations to protect the island, the economic implications for long-term Eurobodalla businesses are significant, and I’m concerned the process has failed to work with the industry to transition through this change.”
The current boat operator licences to Barunguba Montague Island expire on 31 August. The reduced visitor numbers take effect on 1 September. On 4 June NPWS invited expressions of interest from qualified operators to take visitors to the island.
“NPWS is offering up to two licences to provide boat transfers for NPWS Discovery tours and overnight guests staying at the Lighthouse Keepers Cottages, and up to two additional licences to collect overnight guests to participate in water-based activities.”
The closing date for submissions is 22 July.
Mayor Hatcher said that over summer the two charters were running up to three tours per day, with one boat able to seat 60 passengers.
“The new arrangements mean these boats will not be able to operate anywhere near capacity, particularly during peak tourism season.
“When the charters are impacted, so is Narooma’s visitor economy. I’d like to see NPWS come to the table and work with the operators as they transition through this change,” he said.
Barunguba Montague Island is one of Australia’s four green listings from the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Photo: NPWS..
The three- to four-hour tours are not cheap, starting from $140 per adult.
Tourism is critical to Narooma’s economy with 8.3 per cent of the population employed in the accommodation and cafe/restaurant sectors. That compares with 2.8 per cent across NSW as a whole.
There were minimal changes from the draft plan of management that was circulated in late 2023 and the final plan despite 24 submissions being received during the public exhibition.
In a statement NPWS said “these submissions were considered and had an impact on the final plan of management”.
One slight change is around opportunities for Aboriginal people to access the island and to maintain, renew or develop cultural practices and associations. That has been refined to Aboriginal people “with a cultural connection to the South Coast”.
Another change is that commercial overnight guests may participate in short duration tours and they would be in addition to the new visitor limits.
Additionally, NPWS’s ability to construct additional accommodation and research facilities on the island is now subject to approval by the minister and no longer limited to the Nursery Precinct.
The plan is silent on the destruction of kelp forests on Australia’s southeast coast due to overgrazing by long-spined sea urchins. NPWS said the boundaries of the reserve were to the high tide mark.
