Lord Howe Island Board first detected Myrtle Rust recently was on the Island 3rd February 2023. The biosecurity team continued to monitor the spread of with visits to properties across the Island. Plants with Myrtle Rust were detected on four residential properties, and these plants were subsequently destroyed to try to halt the spread of the disease.
On 3rd March, the Board issued a householder, warning visitors to limit visits to Permanent Park Preserve. The Golf Club and Waste Management Facilities were closed for Myrtle Rust inspections on 6th March.
On Monday 13th March, the Board held a meeting to discuss the situation and a decision was made to close the Permanent Park Preserve to try stop further spread of the disease. The following day, Board staff contacted different government departments on mainland for advice and assistance regarding the management of the Myrtle Rust outbreak and the closure of the Permanent Park Preserve. With a householder going out to the local community at 6pm local time, Tuesday 14th March, effective immediately.
This sudden decision to close the Permanent Park Preserve, which comprises over 70 per cent of the Island, was unprecedented in the history of the Island and took everyone by surprise. The media quickly picked up the news, though it was not always evident in news reports that the Permanent Park Preserve would be inaccessible to visitors.
A flood of enquiries and cancellations inundated the Island Visitor Centre with requests for help dealing with the rescheduling of holidays or for total refunds. The Visitor Centre came under enormous pressure, particularly in the light of the recent loss of all its funding from the Board. However, it simply could not provide any answers to frustrated customers.
In future eco crisis involving the closure or part closure of the Permanent Park Preserve, the Lord Howe Island Tourist Association, which manages the Visitor Information Centre, would strongly recommend that the Board establish a hotline to handle media and tourist enquiries.
After extensive investigation on the Northern end of the walking tracks, the Northern Park of the Permanent Park Preserve was open on 25th March and subsequently, on the 31st of March, the southern part as well.
This article appeared in The Lord Howe Island Signal, 31 March 2023.
Related story: Permanent Park Preserve fully open: LHIB
