Parks Australia

Parks Australia North
Parks Australia South
Marine Protected Areas
Parks Australia contacts
Parks Australia Web Sites

Our vision

A natural and cultural environment, valued, enhanced and protected in harmony with the nation's social and economic goals.

Our Mission

To assist the Minister and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in the conservation and appreciation of Australia's biological diversity and associated cultural heritage, through leadership and cooperation in the management of the Australian Government's protected areas.

Description

Within the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Parks Australia assists the Director of National Parks in performing functions and exercising powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, in particular managing Commonwealth reserves and conservation zones under Divisions 4 and 5 of Part 15 of the Act (sections 342 to 390J). The Director's general functions and powers are set out in sections 514B and 514C of the Act, and the Director also has a number of specific functions and powers under Parts 12 and 17 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000.

The functions of the Director include:

to administer, manage and control Commonwealth reserves and conservation zones
to protect, conserve and manage biodiversity and heritage in Commonwealth reserves and conservation zones
to cooperate with any country in matters relating to the establishment and management of national parks and nature reserves in that country
to provide, and assist in the provision of, training in the knowledge and skills relevant to the establishment and management of national parks and nature reserves
to carry out alone or in cooperation with other institutions and persons, and to arrange for any other institution or person to carry out, research and investigations relevant to the establishment and management of Commonwealth reserves
to make recommendations to the Minister in relation to the establishment and management of Commonwealth reserves
to administer the Australian National Parks Fund
any other functions conferred on the Director under any other Act
to do anything incidental or conducive to the performance of any of the functions mentioned above.

Structure

Administrative responsibilities within the division are carried out by three main areas: Parks Australia Executive; Parks Australia North, and Parks Australia South.

Parks Australia Executive

Parks Australia Executive includes the Director of National Parks and his executive assistant, supported by the Business Management Section, the Parks Strategic Development Section and his Legal Counsel.

Parks Australia North

Consistent with Parks Australia's vision of leadership in natural and cultural heritage conservation through establishing and managing protected areas; acquiring and using biodiversity knowledge; and building and maintaining partnerships with Indigenous Australians, the mission of Parks Australia North is to:

Protect and promote cultural and natural values of Uluru - Kata Tjuta and Kakadu National Parks, and Christmas and Cocos Keeling Islands;
Provide for sustainable recreational, educational and tourist use in the context of the above;
Extend knowledge about our biodiversity;
Build and maintain partnerships, and relationships with stakeholders, and;
Participate in national and international activities.

Managed by the Assistant Secretary, Parks Australia North, this Branch of Parks Australia is composed of the following Sections:

Darwin Office - Parks Australia North - located on the corner of Henry Wrigley Drive & Pederson Road, Darwin Airport
Christmas Island National Park
Kakadu National Park
Pulu (Keeling) National Park (Cocos (Keeling) Islands)
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park

Parks North contacts

Parks Australia South

Consistent with Parks Australia's vision of Leadership in natural and cultural heritage conservation through establishing and managing protected areas; acquiring and using biodiversity knowledge; and building and maintaining partnerships with Indigenous Australians, the mission of Parks Australia South is to:

Protect and promote cultural and natural values in the Commonwealth national parks, botanic gardens and areas for which Parks Australia South is responsible¹ and provide for sustainable recreational, educational and tourist use
Progress the development of a comprehensive, adequate and representative National Reserve System
Extend and disseminate knowledge about our biodiversity
Build and maintain partnerships, and relationships with stakeholders, and
Participate in national and international activities

Managed by the Assistant Secretary, Parks Australia South, this Branch of Parks Australia is composed of the following Sections:

Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research (a partnership between the ANBG and CSIRO) located at the foot of Black Mountain, Canberra.
Australian Biological Resources Study based at the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Booderee National Park which includes a Botanic Gardens zone, based at Jervis Bay, NSW
Genetic Resources Management Policy Section based in the John Gorton Building in Barton, Canberra
Indigenous Land Management Section based in the John Gorton Building
National Reserves System based in the John Gorton Building
Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden

Parks South contacts

Marine Protected Areas

The majority of Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas declared under the EPBC Act are managed by the Land, Water and Coasts Division of the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts under delegation from the Director of National Parks. The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve is managed by the Australian Antarctic Division under delegation from the Director.

These parks and reserves, which are located generally in remote areas, protect tropical islands as well as cays and temperate and sub-Antarctic marine environments.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority under separate legislation.

Web Sites

1 - Areas for which Parks Australia South is responsible include:
a) eastern and southern areas declared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 which are directly managed by the Branch, ie Booderee National Park (including its botanic gardens zone), Norfolk Island National Park, Australian National Botanic Gardens and Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens);
b) Calperum Station, which is managed under contract on behalf of the Director of National Parks. Calperum is part of the Riverland Biosphere Reserve