Access Compliance a priority for Parks Victoria
The Grampians are known for their spectacular natural beauty, hikes and walks, wildlife and wildflowers. Ellen Naismith, Access Consultant took the trip to this magnificent part of Victoria to conduct an audit review for the Brambuk Visitors Information Centre and Cultural Centre facilities, surrounding pathways and carpark located in the Grampians National Park.
Known as Gariwerd by local Indigenous people, the region has been home to the Djab Wurrung and Jardwardjali people for 20,000 years and contains the densest concentration of rock art paintings and the largest assemblage of Aboriginal art motifs in Victoria.
Brambuk is the place to discover all there is to know about the Grampians National Park, including its rich Aboriginal culture. Brambuk is located 2.5km south of Halls Gap and 270km from Melbourne.
Parks Victoria appointed Architecture & Access with the aim of achieving access compliance for the centre and surrounding areas. Our service involved three stages:
- Site audit and existing conditions report
- Stakeholder consultation and recommendations report
- Ongoing consultation with the project team.
As part of Brambuk Master Plan, Parks Victoria is looking to repair and upgrade part of the cultural centre which has sustained some water damage during Covid, as well updating elements of the Parks Victoria offices which are all located on the one site. Architecture & Access was asked to review the compliance of the existing infrastructure as well as looking at the overall inclusion provided by the various buildings and paths.
As part of the review process, recommendations that we provided will be discussed with traditional owner groups. Such formal recommendations to improve access & inclusion must align with both Parks Victoria and the priorities of the traditional owners.
Upon entry to the visitors centre our consultant, Ellen observed a purpose-built all terrain wheelchair, which sits just inside the door.
“This highlights the fact that bushwalking is not accessible for many people, in particular people with a mobility disability. Having the chair on display sends an important message to all visitors that access matters”
Ellen Naismith, Access Consultant
The TrailRider has transformed the way people with mobility issues interact with our natural places. It is a single wheel all-terrain wheelchair capable of exploring beyond the realm of conventional wheelchairs. It can travel over obstructions like rocks, stairs and logs.
While walking the track Ellen completed a drawing of Venus Baths. Venus Baths is fed by Stony Creek and flows over a beautiful sandstone shelf, creating pools of flowing water. Ellen has many strings to her bow, including her role as an Access Consultant, artist, illustrator, and sculptor.
Ellen has a hidden disability, fibromyalgia, she chose this walk as it was a manageable length and not too steep. She was able to make this decision based on the walking track selector provided in the All-Abilities Walking Track and TrailRider Guide.
Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 2021, National Heritage Places – Grampians National Place, https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places/national/grampians
