Victorian Protected Areas Council
Granite Boulders, Wilsons Promontory National Park. Photo by Margaret O’Toole.
Connecting Park Managers - Protecting National Parks
Victoria’s diverse ecosystems and biodiversity are protected in a world-class network of comprehensive and representative protected areas*, established to ensure our unique landscapes are conserved for future generations. These parks and reserves are living cultural landscapes, sustained and cherished by their Traditional Owners for thousands of years. Many are now jointly managed.
However, despite their significance, these protected areas face ongoing management and resourcing challenges.
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Parks Act (1975), a group of retired and former park staff have formed a professional body to share our independent advice and expertise, and advocate for improved resourcing and management of the special places Victorians love and enjoy.
The Victorian Protected Areas Council will engage with government and conservation agencies, Traditional Owner groups, non-government organisations (NGOs) including the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), recreation bodies, and the media to promote and advocate for better resourcing, effective management, improved professional capability, and strategic additions to Victoria’s protected areas as promised by the state government.
*A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values (International Union for Conservation of Nature 2008). In Victoria protected areas on public land include national, state and wilderness parks; marine national parks and sanctuaries; conservation parks; nature conservation, nature and bushland reserves; some natural features reserves; reference and remote & natural areas.
Vision
By 2030, Victoria’s national parks and conservation reserves, and the important natural and cultural values they protect, are healthy, well resourced and managed, and are widely appreciated and respectfully enjoyed by the community.
Purpose
- To advocate for improved effectiveness of protected area management in Victoria.
- To advocate for strategic increases to the protected area network to help meet Australia’s 30×30 commitment (Achieving 30 x 30 Strategy).
- To support the professional development of current protected area professionals.
- To provide a forum for former protected area professionals to stay connected and continue contributing to protected area management in Victoria.
Approach
Connecting: bring together former and retired (and, in future, current) protected area managers as a network to socialise, share skills and professional insights.
Advocating: provide an additional voice with an authoritative on-ground perspective to encourage and promote the effective management of Victoria’s protected areas and the strategic expansion of Victoria’s protected area estate.
Partnering: draw on members with relevant knowledge and an ability to provide advice on issues raised by the Council, conservation organisations, the media or management agencies.
Membership
Initially, membership will be open to retired and former Victorian public land protected area managers and other staff. Once established, membership will be opened to all protected area officers (including current staff) who have an interest in enhancing how protected areas are valued and managed.