The ACT government is to spend $1.37 million to save the Namadgi National Park from long-term damage caused by the bushfires, which burnt through four-fifths of it over six days in January.
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The gateway to the park - the Visitor Centre - is to reopen to the public this coming weekend.
But rangers reckon the worst-damaged core of the park could remain closed for more than a year.
Some of the money will be used on facilities directly for visitors, like restoring tracks, signs, paths and campgrounds.
The money is on top of the $600,000 already allocated to repair fencing and employ more park rangers. About 65 kilometres of boundary fencing was damaged.
The Visitor Centre has been closed since the Orroral Valley Bushfire and staff have taken advantage of the closure to refresh the building with a new paint job, flooring and shop infrastructure.
- Mick Gentleman, ACT Environment Minister
Other parts of the funding will go to ensuring essential parts of the park don't disappear and cost Canberrans dearly in future.
The alpine bogs and fens, for example, are crucial to the city's water supply.
The plants act as a giant sponge holding and clarifying water high in the mountains and then releasing it into the catchment area.
The fires, and the floods which followed, have disrupted that system.
There is more sediment, a higher concentration of metals, particularly iron and manganese. The water is warmer because the tree cover was burnt away, and that has increased the risk of algae.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said: "There is a real danger that some of the things that make Namadgi and Tidbinbilla such special places will be lost if we do not take action."
The task with the bogs is to make sure that the water doesn't move too fast and form channels, according to Justin Foley who is in charge of ACT Parks and Conservation.
"It's really, really critical", he said.
There are some endangered species which depend on a healthy Namadgi National Park, he said, citing the broad-toothed rat and the spiny black fish.
He thinks the work to make the park safe will take more than a year.
"It's a big project. We'll make sure we keep the community up to date," he said.
"It's about making sure it's safe and people get the experience they are seeking."
The Recovery Plan spells out the risks which need to be addressed quickly.
"Individual plants and animals that survived the fire itself will still be affected by loss of habitat and increased risk of predation," it says.
"The lack of vegetation cover has left native fauna exposed to predation by feral pests (such as foxes and cats) and in competition with feral herbivores (such as deer and pigs) for food."
The ACT government reckons more than 8000 "park assets" like trails, steps, erosion bars,signs, wayfinding markers, retaining walls and bridges were damaged in the fires.
The plan warns that the threat to the Namadgi National Park is likely to recur after repair.
"With an increase in the likelihood of fire, changes in seasonal pattern of fires, and extreme weather events, built assets and infrastructure across the fire-impacted area will continue to be at risk," it says.
I am pleased to welcome the community back to the Namadgi Visitor Information Centre.
On the reopening of the Visitor Centre, Environment Minister Mick Gentleman said: "The centre has been closed since the Orroral Valley Bushfire and staff have taken advantage of the closure to refresh the building with a new paint job, flooring and shop infrastructure.
"As we move into spring, it's a great time for visitors to return to the reopened areas of Namadgi and see the green shoots of recovery with their own eyes."