The MMNR byelaws were gazetted by the CCN in 1994
under section 201 of the Local Government Act,
prior to the splitting of the Reserve between the
CCN and CCTM. These byelaws cover a wide range
of
issues such as the role and authority of the
senior warden, visitor rules and regulations, and visitor
entrance
fees. In the past, and in the absence of a strong
management plan to guide the management of the
MMNR,
these byelaws have served a vital function in
guiding Reserve management and use. However, while many
of
the byelaws are still appropriate, some are now
outdated and have been superseded by events. In
addition,
the development and implementation of this new
management plan will create the need for further
revisions
to the byelaws to ensure that they complement and
reinforce the management plan’s prescriptions.
This
management action will therefore involve a review
and revision of the current MMNR byelaws taking
into
account the changes proposed in this management
plan, and based on any other lessons learnt and
specific
needs identified. Of particular importance in this
regard is increasing the penalties for illegal activities by
tourism
industry staff, which are currently too low to
provide a strong enough disincentive to breaking the
visitor
rules and regulations. As these byelaws are
relatively inflexible, they should wherever possible refer to
the
appropriate section of the management plan, which,
as a more flexible document, can respond better
to
changing situations and therefore ensure that the
byelaws remain relevant. Once drafted, the revised
byelaws
will need to be jointly gazetted by both CNN and
TMCC.
