Latest news with #NSWNationalParksandWildlifeService
Sydney Morning Herald
02-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Not like there's a Mitre 10 down the road': The mission to rebuild Kosciuszko's famous huts
For nearly 150 years, heritage huts in the high country of Kosciuszko National Park have saved lives and provided refuge to skiers, hikers and workers when the weather turned bad. In January, hiker Hadi Nazari, 23, survived nearly two weeks in the mountains, helped by two muesli bars he reportedly found in one of the 60 mountain huts. Now, 10 heritage huts destroyed by bushfires in 2019-20 have been rebuilt, with the completion of Round Mountain Hut last month. It was a community effort by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the latest generation of families, like the Bradleys and the O'Briens, who built and used the huts, and the conservation group the Kosciuszko Huts Association. NPWS project officer Megan Bowden said the huts, which date back to the 1870s, had saved many a life in the mountains. 'One minute it can be sunny, the next it can be a whiteout,' she said. 'People will ski and walk to these huts as a visitor destination, but they also provide a good shelter in bad weather.' The huts were also like 'little living museums' of the area's history. Bowden said they represented the many different uses of the land, 'ranging from the early graziers to timber getters, prospectors and the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and then later those who built them for use for skiing and walking in the area'. Each hut had been built in its own style and from local materials – and rebuilt in that style after the fires, some using timber milled from burnt trees that had fallen nearby. 'So there are river stone huts down at Geehi on the Murray Valley, the log cabins at Pretty Plains and Vickerys Hut, and the split slab hut of Cascade Hut and Oldfields,' she said. After visiting Four Mile Hut, built in 1932, Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said it was wonderful that the hut had been brought back to life just metres from its charred remains.
The Age
02-06-2025
- The Age
‘Not like there's a Mitre 10 down the road': The mission to rebuild Kosciuszko's famous huts
For nearly 150 years, heritage huts in the high country of Kosciuszko National Park have saved lives and provided refuge to skiers, hikers and workers when the weather turned bad. In January, hiker Hadi Nazari, 23, survived nearly two weeks in the mountains, helped by two muesli bars he reportedly found in one of the 60 mountain huts. Now, 10 heritage huts destroyed by bushfires in 2019-20 have been rebuilt, with the completion of Round Mountain Hut last month. It was a community effort by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the latest generation of families, like the Bradleys and the O'Briens, who built and used the huts, and the conservation group the Kosciuszko Huts Association. NPWS project officer Megan Bowden said the huts, which date back to the 1870s, had saved many a life in the mountains. 'One minute it can be sunny, the next it can be a whiteout,' she said. 'People will ski and walk to these huts as a visitor destination, but they also provide a good shelter in bad weather.' The huts were also like 'little living museums' of the area's history. Bowden said they represented the many different uses of the land, 'ranging from the early graziers to timber getters, prospectors and the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and then later those who built them for use for skiing and walking in the area'. Each hut had been built in its own style and from local materials – and rebuilt in that style after the fires, some using timber milled from burnt trees that had fallen nearby. 'So there are river stone huts down at Geehi on the Murray Valley, the log cabins at Pretty Plains and Vickerys Hut, and the split slab hut of Cascade Hut and Oldfields,' she said. After visiting Four Mile Hut, built in 1932, Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said it was wonderful that the hut had been brought back to life just metres from its charred remains.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Big change looms for camping in national parks with major deadline from tomorrow
Avid campers and lovers of the great outdoors have only hours left to have their say about controversial changes to how camping grounds are managed by authorities in NSW as a proposed overhaul to booking systems is set to see travellers pay more to stay in public national parks. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has invited community feedback on the comprehensive overhaul with the deadline for public consultation ending on Sunday, May 25. The proposal includes pegging fees to increases in the consumer price index, meaning prices would rise each year. It will also categorise all campsites into a hierarchy, with each tier being more expensive. A simple clearing with no facilities will remain free while campgrounds from tier 2 to tier 5 (which make up 85 per cent of sites) will range from $22 per night in high season for the most basic campground to $65 for sites that have water and access to a flushable toilet. The top campsites, tier 6, which have hot showers and BBQ facilities, will cost $89 per night. The proposal has seen critics take to social media with many worrying about the disappearance of an "affordable way to have a holiday". Aussie council makes major caravan rule change to tackle housing crisis Warning as major camping fee hike will 'price ordinary Aussies out' Caravan dad 'blown away' by sketchy problem at Aussie campsites Among those who have voiced concerns about the changes is Mike Atkinson, who appeared on the popular survivalist TV show Alone Australia and produces content about life in Australia's outdoors. "The really serious thing is that they are introducing camping fees to an enormous percentage of campgrounds that never had them before," he told Yahoo News earlier this month. "Never in the history of parks has there ever been a camping fee there... and now my guess is 60 to 70 per cent of campgrounds will have fees for the first time ever. I feel that the executives in NSW National Parks are running it like a business, and it's not, it's a public service." The higher costs are needed due to record investment in campground infrastructure, increased park management costs and changing community expectations, the National Parks and Wildlife Service says. The NSW parks service manages 895 parks and reserves which make up roughly 10 per cent of the state's total land mass. According to the consultation paper, visitation has grown 49 per cent over the last decade, and there are now more than 50 million visits to national parks every year, including 1.8 million overnight campground stays. In a recent video, Mike highlighted the Thredbo Diggings Campground in the Kosciuszko National Park which he believes will go from $6 to as much as $54 under the proposed system. Part of the justification is to tackle the issue of ghost bookings, which has been a problem in campsites across the country where booking systems have been introduced. The perception of ghost bookings is a big part of the reason Victoria is not renewing its free camping initiate from July. Another keen camper, Jay from CampingMates, highlighted the same site in a video discussing the overhaul and calling on people to provide feedback, and shared his own anecdote of ghost booking. "Out of 41 campsites at Thredbo Diggings, when I was there 30 campsites were booked but I was the only person for the entire campsite," he said. Those opposed to the changes say there is other ways to tackle the problem without raising prices on campers, such as automatic reminders and prompts to ensure cancellations are made. With hours left to provide feedback, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service says all public input will still be considered. You can do so here. "All feedback on the proposal, which aims to introduce more consistent and simplified state-wide camping fees and bookings for NSW national parks and reserves will be carefully considered," a spokesperson told Yahoo News. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Science
- The Advertiser
Young humpbacks exposed to danger with shifting births
Every year, thousands of humpback whales journey up Australia's coast to sub-tropical waters for calving. But researchers say an increasing number appear to be giving birth in colder southern waters in what could expose youngsters to more risks. A recent UNSW-led study has documented humpback calves being found more than 1500km further south than their assumed birth zone. Lead author Jane McPhee-Frew was working as a skipper on a whale-watching boat in Newcastle in 2023 when she spotted a new calf. The sighting piqued her interest, sparking a citizen science project that accumulated 200 calf sightings. They received reports from the bottom of Tasmania, the southernmost part of WA and New Zealand's south island. Ms McPhee-Frew said the observations suggested humpbacks might have more complex behaviour than previously thought and much could still be learned about their migration. Calving in cooler waters had been documented in first-hand evidence and whaling log books from the early 20th and 19th centuries, she said. The recent data could be observations of an existing behaviour made more visible as the species' numbers recovered from the bring of extinction, Ms McPhee-Frew added. Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said the number of calves seen in cooler waters was definitely trending upwards. "The number of calves in the last few years just on the Gold Coast ... we have just not seen those numbers, say 10 years ago," he said. Some humpbacks' migratory habits were also shifting and they were not going all the way to their usual Great Barrier Reef end point. "What we do see is an earlier (migration), likely to do with an earlier sea ice melt in the Antarctic and (faster) warming in Antarctica," Dr Meynecke said. "(We've also seen) more intense feeding outside the traditional feeding grounds, just in Australian waters around Victoria, Tasmania and the southeast coast of NSW." Calving further south could be in response to changes in food availability, creating a strategy among females to avoid competition in northern feeding grounds, Dr Meynecke said. "We don't know how much further north mothers migrate with their newborn calves and what effect this has on the newborn," he said. Calves born at more southerly locations might traverse extra kilometres off Australia's coasts, exposing them to greater risk of entanglement or boat collisions. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," Ms McPhee-Frew said. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Adelaide Dedden said boat users needed to be aware of migrating calves. "People need to be aware that calves are being seen not just on the southern migration but also on the northern one," she said. Every year, thousands of humpback whales journey up Australia's coast to sub-tropical waters for calving. But researchers say an increasing number appear to be giving birth in colder southern waters in what could expose youngsters to more risks. A recent UNSW-led study has documented humpback calves being found more than 1500km further south than their assumed birth zone. Lead author Jane McPhee-Frew was working as a skipper on a whale-watching boat in Newcastle in 2023 when she spotted a new calf. The sighting piqued her interest, sparking a citizen science project that accumulated 200 calf sightings. They received reports from the bottom of Tasmania, the southernmost part of WA and New Zealand's south island. Ms McPhee-Frew said the observations suggested humpbacks might have more complex behaviour than previously thought and much could still be learned about their migration. Calving in cooler waters had been documented in first-hand evidence and whaling log books from the early 20th and 19th centuries, she said. The recent data could be observations of an existing behaviour made more visible as the species' numbers recovered from the bring of extinction, Ms McPhee-Frew added. Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said the number of calves seen in cooler waters was definitely trending upwards. "The number of calves in the last few years just on the Gold Coast ... we have just not seen those numbers, say 10 years ago," he said. Some humpbacks' migratory habits were also shifting and they were not going all the way to their usual Great Barrier Reef end point. "What we do see is an earlier (migration), likely to do with an earlier sea ice melt in the Antarctic and (faster) warming in Antarctica," Dr Meynecke said. "(We've also seen) more intense feeding outside the traditional feeding grounds, just in Australian waters around Victoria, Tasmania and the southeast coast of NSW." Calving further south could be in response to changes in food availability, creating a strategy among females to avoid competition in northern feeding grounds, Dr Meynecke said. "We don't know how much further north mothers migrate with their newborn calves and what effect this has on the newborn," he said. Calves born at more southerly locations might traverse extra kilometres off Australia's coasts, exposing them to greater risk of entanglement or boat collisions. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," Ms McPhee-Frew said. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Adelaide Dedden said boat users needed to be aware of migrating calves. "People need to be aware that calves are being seen not just on the southern migration but also on the northern one," she said. Every year, thousands of humpback whales journey up Australia's coast to sub-tropical waters for calving. But researchers say an increasing number appear to be giving birth in colder southern waters in what could expose youngsters to more risks. A recent UNSW-led study has documented humpback calves being found more than 1500km further south than their assumed birth zone. Lead author Jane McPhee-Frew was working as a skipper on a whale-watching boat in Newcastle in 2023 when she spotted a new calf. The sighting piqued her interest, sparking a citizen science project that accumulated 200 calf sightings. They received reports from the bottom of Tasmania, the southernmost part of WA and New Zealand's south island. Ms McPhee-Frew said the observations suggested humpbacks might have more complex behaviour than previously thought and much could still be learned about their migration. Calving in cooler waters had been documented in first-hand evidence and whaling log books from the early 20th and 19th centuries, she said. The recent data could be observations of an existing behaviour made more visible as the species' numbers recovered from the bring of extinction, Ms McPhee-Frew added. Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said the number of calves seen in cooler waters was definitely trending upwards. "The number of calves in the last few years just on the Gold Coast ... we have just not seen those numbers, say 10 years ago," he said. Some humpbacks' migratory habits were also shifting and they were not going all the way to their usual Great Barrier Reef end point. "What we do see is an earlier (migration), likely to do with an earlier sea ice melt in the Antarctic and (faster) warming in Antarctica," Dr Meynecke said. "(We've also seen) more intense feeding outside the traditional feeding grounds, just in Australian waters around Victoria, Tasmania and the southeast coast of NSW." Calving further south could be in response to changes in food availability, creating a strategy among females to avoid competition in northern feeding grounds, Dr Meynecke said. "We don't know how much further north mothers migrate with their newborn calves and what effect this has on the newborn," he said. Calves born at more southerly locations might traverse extra kilometres off Australia's coasts, exposing them to greater risk of entanglement or boat collisions. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," Ms McPhee-Frew said. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Adelaide Dedden said boat users needed to be aware of migrating calves. "People need to be aware that calves are being seen not just on the southern migration but also on the northern one," she said. Every year, thousands of humpback whales journey up Australia's coast to sub-tropical waters for calving. But researchers say an increasing number appear to be giving birth in colder southern waters in what could expose youngsters to more risks. A recent UNSW-led study has documented humpback calves being found more than 1500km further south than their assumed birth zone. Lead author Jane McPhee-Frew was working as a skipper on a whale-watching boat in Newcastle in 2023 when she spotted a new calf. The sighting piqued her interest, sparking a citizen science project that accumulated 200 calf sightings. They received reports from the bottom of Tasmania, the southernmost part of WA and New Zealand's south island. Ms McPhee-Frew said the observations suggested humpbacks might have more complex behaviour than previously thought and much could still be learned about their migration. Calving in cooler waters had been documented in first-hand evidence and whaling log books from the early 20th and 19th centuries, she said. The recent data could be observations of an existing behaviour made more visible as the species' numbers recovered from the bring of extinction, Ms McPhee-Frew added. Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said the number of calves seen in cooler waters was definitely trending upwards. "The number of calves in the last few years just on the Gold Coast ... we have just not seen those numbers, say 10 years ago," he said. Some humpbacks' migratory habits were also shifting and they were not going all the way to their usual Great Barrier Reef end point. "What we do see is an earlier (migration), likely to do with an earlier sea ice melt in the Antarctic and (faster) warming in Antarctica," Dr Meynecke said. "(We've also seen) more intense feeding outside the traditional feeding grounds, just in Australian waters around Victoria, Tasmania and the southeast coast of NSW." Calving further south could be in response to changes in food availability, creating a strategy among females to avoid competition in northern feeding grounds, Dr Meynecke said. "We don't know how much further north mothers migrate with their newborn calves and what effect this has on the newborn," he said. Calves born at more southerly locations might traverse extra kilometres off Australia's coasts, exposing them to greater risk of entanglement or boat collisions. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," Ms McPhee-Frew said. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Adelaide Dedden said boat users needed to be aware of migrating calves. "People need to be aware that calves are being seen not just on the southern migration but also on the northern one," she said.
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Science
- West Australian
Young humpbacks exposed to danger with shifting births
Every year, thousands of humpback whales journey up Australia's coast to sub-tropical waters for calving. But researchers say an increasing number appear to be giving birth in colder southern waters in what could expose youngsters to more risks. A recent UNSW-led study has documented humpback calves being found more than 1500km further south than their assumed birth zone. Lead author Jane McPhee-Frew was working as a skipper on a whale-watching boat in Newcastle in 2023 when she spotted a new calf. The sighting piqued her interest, sparking a citizen science project that accumulated 200 calf sightings. They received reports from the bottom of Tasmania, the southernmost part of WA and New Zealand's south island. Ms McPhee-Frew said the observations suggested humpbacks might have more complex behaviour than previously thought and much could still be learned about their migration. Calving in cooler waters had been documented in first-hand evidence and whaling log books from the early 20th and 19th centuries, she said. The recent data could be observations of an existing behaviour made more visible as the species' numbers recovered from the bring of extinction, Ms McPhee-Frew added. Griffith University marine scientist Olaf Meynecke said the number of calves seen in cooler waters was definitely trending upwards. "The number of calves in the last few years just on the Gold Coast ... we have just not seen those numbers, say 10 years ago," he said. Some humpbacks' migratory habits were also shifting and they were not going all the way to their usual Great Barrier Reef end point. "What we do see is an earlier (migration), likely to do with an earlier sea ice melt in the Antarctic and (faster) warming in Antarctica," Dr Meynecke said. "(We've also seen) more intense feeding outside the traditional feeding grounds, just in Australian waters around Victoria, Tasmania and the southeast coast of NSW." Calving further south could be in response to changes in food availability, creating a strategy among females to avoid competition in northern feeding grounds, Dr Meynecke said. "We don't know how much further north mothers migrate with their newborn calves and what effect this has on the newborn," he said. Calves born at more southerly locations might traverse extra kilometres off Australia's coasts, exposing them to greater risk of entanglement or boat collisions. "The pattern we're seeing is mother whales with calves travelling through some of the busiest shipping lanes and urbanised regions," Ms McPhee-Frew said. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's Adelaide Dedden said boat users needed to be aware of migrating calves. "People need to be aware that calves are being seen not just on the southern migration but also on the northern one," she said.
