Annual Report 2010-11 - Opening statements
© Director of National Parks, 2011 | ISSN 1443-1238
Annual report links
Our mission
To assist the Minister and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities in the conservation and appreciation of Australia's biological diversity and associated cultural heritage through leadership and cooperation in the management of Australia's protected areas, building knowledge of Australia's biodiversity and working with Indigenous Australians.
Our values and approaches
As part of the Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio, Parks Australia is committed to professionalism as a major public service institution serving the Australian Government and Minister in accordance with the values of the Australian Public Service and specific departmental values including:
- caring for the environment
- respecting and responding to the values of Indigenous landowners and other partners
- engaging with and responding to stakeholders
- providing leadership and being active team contributors
- committing to learning and development
- committing to excellence in our operations
- accepting responsibility and being accountable
- acting with integrity and achieving results.
Figure 1: Locations of Commonwealth parks and reserves which are the responsibility of the Director of National Parks in 2010-11
We achieve our objectives by:
- basing our work on the best available information and analysis
- working in partnerships to improve environmental, cultural and heritage outcomes
- communicating and influencing effectively
- valuing and investing in our people to develop their capabilities
- effectively managing risks
- developing and delivering high quality policies and programs
- managing change in a strategic and flexible manner
- monitoring and managing performance to ensure cost-effective outcomes.
Managing the Australian Government's protected areas
An organisational snapshot
The Director of National Parks is the statutory agency responsible for the Australian Government's terrestrial and marine protected area estates. The Director is assisted by Parks Australia, a division of the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, in managing terrestrial reserves. The department's Marine Division and the Australian Antarctic Division are responsible for managing marine reserves.
In 2010-11, the Director of National Parks:
- managed seven terrestrial reserves comprising six national parks and the Australian National Botanic Gardens
- managed 26 marine reserves and two conservation zones through the Marine Division and the Australian Antarctic Division
- managed Calperum and Taylorville Stations through a contract with Austland Services Pty Ltd
- employed 281 full-time equivalent staff around Australia
- recorded a total price output of $66.7 million.
Major highlights and issues for 2010-11
- A number of significant milestones were reached including:
- the 25th anniversary of the handback of Uluru and Kata Tjuta to their Anangu traditional owners
- the 40th birthday of the Australian National Botanic Gardens
- the 25th birthday of Norfolk Island National Park.
- The Australian National Botanic Gardens project to improve non-potable water infrastructure was completed in March 2011, removing the need for the Gardens to rely on Canberra's domestic water.
- Booderee National Park won a Virgin Global Responsible Tourism award in London for the 'best conservation of cultural heritage', recognising the unique partnership between Parks Australia and the Wreck Bay community.
- The World Heritage Committee added the Koongarra Project Area to the Kakadu World Heritage listing and the process has begun to incorporate Koongarra into Kakadu National Park.
- The Director entered into a partnership with Taronga Zoo to establish off-island captive populations of Christmas Island's blue-tailed skink and the recently rediscovered Lister's gecko.
- The purchase of the 527,295 hectare Henbury Station in the Northern Territory with Caring for our Country support was a significant addition to the National Reserve System, enabling a pioneering project to trial funding nature conservation through the emerging carbon economy.