Zoning
The Booderee National Park Plan of Management introduced a zoning scheme in April 2002 to the Park. It is designed to provide for the appropriate use of the Park, whilst protecting the Park's natural and cultural features. The Park has been divided into four main zones and several sub-zones.
Special purpose zone | Bowen Island
The Bowen Island Special Purpose Zone
includes the whole island and the waters
on the western side of the island out to 30
metres from the mean high tide mark. The
zone aims to protect nesting seabirds and
their habitat from disturbance.
Regulation:
- Public access is prohibited on Bowen Island and within the waters 30 metres to the west of the island.
Sanctuary zone | Bowen Island Marine Area
This zone comprises the waters to the west of Bowen
Island, extending from the Special Purpose Zone boundary
30 metres from the island out to 100 metres seaward from
the mean high tide mark.
To limit your impact:
- Bowen Island Marine Area Sanctuary is a no-take area zone, fishing and the collecting of marine organisms is prohibited — except with a permit which will be issued only for scientific research
- anchoring is prohibited in this zone
- private boats may enter this zone but boat entry to the zone by commercial operators, other than by permit, is not allowed
- swimming, snorkelling and SCUBA diving are permitted in this zone.
Habitat protection zone - marine
Habitat protection zones safeguard
sensitive rare and endangered habitats. This zone protects marine life in marine and
littoral areas of the park, including seagrass beds.
It includes all the marine areas of the park apart
from the Bowen Island special purpose zone and
sanctuary zone, and the special purpose zone at
HMAS Creswell.
To limit your impact:
- fishing is allowed (refer to the fishing regulations)
- the taking of shellfish and the disturbance of marine vegetation is prohibited
- spearguns or handspears are not permitted
- jetskis are not permitted
- waterskiing or the towing of people behind boats is prohibited
- anchoring is prohibited in an area of the zone shown in map 2 and 3.
Anchoring is not allowed in depths less than 10 metres at mean low tide (which closely follows the edge of the seagrass meadows and some important algal communities) and also includes the zone between 100 metres and 200 metres west of Bowen Island.
Habitat protection zone - freshwater environments
This zone protects freshwater aquatic life, particularly the habitat of rare and endangered species. It includes Murrays Wetland, Steamers Waterholes, Blacks Waterhole and Ryans Swamp.
To limit your impact:
- no plants or animals can be taken from these areas
- except in accordance with a permit issued by the Director of National Parks, to allow for scientific research, or for management purposes.
General protection zone
This zone includes extensive terrestrial areas of the park, where the first priority is management for nature conservation and quiet use and enjoyment. This zone provides for moderate levels of low impact recreational use and infrastructure development.
To limit your impact:
- public activities allowed in this zone include walking and cycling (on existing tracks only) and picnicking (no facilities available)
- camping is prohibited, and commercial activities may only be undertaken in accordance with a permit issued by the Director of National Parks
