Draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy
Department of Environment and Heritage ProtectionDepartment of National Parks, Sport and RacingDraft QueenslandProtected Area StrategyA discussion paper on building a diverse andeffective protected area systemArid Landscape, WintonPhoto: Tourism and Events Queensland
Idalia National Park, South West QueenslandPhoto: Fiona Leverington, Queensland Government2
Minister’s messageQueensland’s terrestrial protected areas, including national parks and nature refuges,are world-renowned for their diversity, unique flora and fauna, and breathtakingscenery. They are the cornerstone of Queensland’s nature conservation programs;protecting our state’s rich biological diversity. This protection is increasinglyimportant in the face of a changing climate.Our protected areas contribute to conserving Indigenous and European cultural heritage; provide social and economicbenefits to the wider community, including the tourism industry; and are a relaxing place to unwind from the pressuresof everyday life. These are all aspects that we value for a healthy and prosperous environment and economy.This draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy outlines the key principles that form the foundation of Queensland’smanagement approach to, and aspirations for, its terrestrial protected areas. While the transition to a larger protectedarea system may mean forgoing other economic uses for some land, impacts will be managed in a way that balancesconservation outcomes with the needs of our regional communities. Jobs will continue to remain a high priority.Currently, Queensland’s terrestrial protected areas cover just under 8% of the state. I am committed to expandingthe protected area system to secure and conserve representative and resilient samples of all of Queensland’sbiogeographical regions. We will also continue to work towards the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversitytarget of 17% terrestrial protected area coverage. We also remain committed to ensuring the sound management ofQueensland’s national parks. This is a critical element of the Queensland Government’s vision to have a world-leadingprotected area system.One of the overarching themes addressed in this draft strategy is the need to pursue innovative and cost effectiveapproaches to grow and manage the protected area system in partnership with the community. This includesrecognising and supporting the growing participation of local governments and non-government organisations,groups and individuals in managing our protected areas.The draft strategy proposes key actions to expand and effectively manage protected areas and provides anopportunity for all Queenslanders to share their ideas and thoughts on growing and better managing our terrestrialprotected area system.I invite you to read this draft strategy and provide feedback on how Queensland can continue to grow and manageits protected areas.Dr Steven Miles MPMinister for Environment and Heritage Protection andMinister for National Parks and the Great Barrier ReefDraft Queensland Protected Area Strategy 3
Our vision for Queensland’s protected area system“Queensland will grow a world-leading protected area systemto effectively conserve the state’s unique natural assets.”This will be achieved by: working towards the terrestrial protected area target set through the United NationsConvention on Biological Diversity conserving and managing a comprehensive, adequate and representative sample ofQueensland’s biodiversity to secure geographically well connected protected areas thatprovide important ecosystem services, conserve biodiversity and that are resilient toimpacts, such as the effects of climate change recognising and supporting the community’s significant and diverse contribution toprotected areas striving for Queensland’s protected area system to meet best practice standards.Protected areas in contextQueensland’s protected areas are managed to provide key ecological, economic and social benefits to all Queenslanders. Inaddition, Queensland has a number of international and national obligations regarding the establishment and managementof protected areas.United Nations Convention onBiological DiversityAustralia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention onBiological Diversity (the Convention). The Convention is alegally binding global treaty that promotes the developmentof national strategies for the conservation and sustainableuse of biological diversity. The parties to the Conventionagree to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem servicesthrough effectively and equitably managed, ecologicallyrepresentative and well-connected systems of protectedareas and other effective area-based conservation measures.Australian contextOne of the key requirements of the Convention is thatmember countries implement the Convention througha national biodiversity strategy. This strategy is thenconsidered in all planning and activities that impact onbiodiversity. The Australian, state and territory governmentsadopted Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy2010–2030 to achieve their commitments under theConvention. The strategy provides a nationally agreedapproach to conserving Australia’s biodiversity in the faceof climate change and other threats, and identifies thatAustralia needs to rapidly and effectively address the threatsto its biodiversity and take appropriate actions to maintain,restore and protect its ecosystems.4 Additionally, the Australian, state and territory governmentscollaboratively deliver the National Reserve System (NRS),which aims to provide long-term protection to samples ofAustralia’s ecosystems, and the plants and animals theysupport, in a national network of public, Indigenous andprivate protected areas.While the NRS currently extends to just over 17% of Australia’sterrestrial areas, significant work still needs to be done,including in Queensland, to ensure that the NRS containscomprehensive and adequate representation of ouroutstanding natural values.Queensland contextThe Queensland Government is committed to protectingand enhancing its protected areas, as well as meeting itsinternational and national obligations.Maintaining and protecting healthy and resilientecosystems provides a wide range of significant benefits toQueenslanders, including improved nature conservation,climate change mitigation, improved water quality,reduced soil erosion, cleaner air, health benefits, tourismopportunities and areas for social interaction.The draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy is beingdeveloped to give focus to government actions to updateand improve protected area programs and partnershipsusing innovative approaches. The Queensland Governmentis seeking your input in developing this strategy.
Guiding principles1.State-owned and managed national parks will continue to form the core of the protected area system,and will conserve representative and viable samples of all biogeographical regions of the state.2.The selection and management of protected areas will be in accordance with accepted best practicestandards and principles, including climate change resilience, landscape connectivity, and CARprinciples (Comprehensiveness, Adequacy and Representativeness).3.The protected area system will consist of a mosaic of protected area types to maximise biodiversityconservation through public and private participation.4.Existing and new public protected areas will be managed to high standards of condition and function,recognising their significant contribution to conservation, climate change mitigation, tourism, health,recreation and economic outcomes for Queensland.5.The majority of the protected area system will continue to be secured from conflicting land uses, suchas resource extraction.6.The values and management of a protected area, rather than its ownership, will determine itslevel of protection.7.Respect is given to the rights, responsibilities, knowledge and aspirations of Indigenous people ascustodians of their land and sea country and as skilled partners in management of the protected areasystem.8.Private protected areas will be an increasingly important component of the protected area systemand investment should be encouraged to recognise and support their contribution to the state’sconservation objectives.9.Partnerships will be encouraged to contribute to the establishment and effective managementof protected areas.10.Due to factors such as the likely decrease in availability of land with desirable attributes and conditionover time, early effort in achieving protected area targets will be more cost effective for both acquisitionand management, and will be more likely to yield high conservation benefits.11.Local governments will be encouraged, through the availability of appropriate protective mechanismsand support, to declare significant conservation reserves as private protected areas.Draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy 5
Actions to deliver our visionThe draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy outlines actionsthe Queensland Government is already working on delivering andproposes a number of other actions aimed at growing and bettermanaging Queensland’s protected area system. These actions alignwith the guiding principles on page 5. The document A Master Planfor Queensland’s parks and forests to 2025 will also be reviewed toensure consistency with the final strategy. A number of questionshave been included throughout this document, to prompt yourthoughts and ideas on how the Queensland Government can bestrealise its vision for the protected area system.Brooklyn Nature Refuge, Einasleigh UplandsPhoto: Queensland Government6
1. Expanding and better managing the protected area systemIn 1908, Tamborine National Park (Witches Falls section) became Queensland’s first protected area. Since that time,Queensland’s land-based protected area system has grown to almost 8% of the state, and covers both public and privatelands, such as national parks and nature refuges. Growing Queensland’s protected area system to meet the United NationsConvention on Biological Diversity 17% terrestrial area target (Convention target) will require coordinated actions across bothpublic and private sectors. This strategy aims to identify and coordinate a range of actions that will shape the QueenslandGovernment’s approach to protected areas.Coordinating public and private efforts inprotected areasThe Queensland Government recognises the importanceof engaging the community in conservation and hasestablished the Environment Roundtable, which includesrepresentation from major environmental stakeholder groupsand associations, to provide a regular forum for discussing arange of environmental issues.While protected area management issues are discussed atthese roundtables, there is a further need for a dedicatedgroup to coordinate strategic protected area outcomes acrossthe public and private sectors. An informal protected areacoordination group will be established to bring together themajor conservation land owners, managers and investors tocoordinate and cooperate on the acquisition, managementand resourcing of protected areas.The sharing of knowledge and expertise in protected areamanagement across the public and private sectors will builda better protected area system and improve managementoutcomes for these areas.ACTION UNDERWAYA1.Establish an informal coordination group of majorconservation land owners, managers and/orinvestors to facilitate coordinated protected areamanagement and investmentCape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution ProgramThe Queensland Government is continuing to fund the CapeYork Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program. This programhas the dual purpose of returning both ownership andmanagement of land on Cape York Peninsula to AboriginalTraditional Owners. Areas of high conservation significancewill be protected in jointly managed national parks (CapeYork Peninsula Aboriginal Land — CYPAL) and nature refuges.The program also converts existing national parks to jointlymanaged national parks (CYPAL).What is a national park (CYPAL)?A national park (CYPAL) is a special category of protectedarea which is unique to the Cape York Peninsula region. Theunderlying tenure is Aboriginal freehold land, with the titleheld by an Aboriginal land trust or corporation. Followingthe transfer of land to an Aboriginal land trust or Aboriginalcorporation, an Indigenous Management Agreement(IMA) is signed by the Queensland Government and therelevant trust/corporation. The IMA directs the area’s futuremanagement as a national park (CYPAL).Thus far the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Programhas facilitated the dedication of 22 national parks (CYPAL)(covering almost 2 million hectares) and 17 nature refuges(covering approximately 560,000ha) on Cape York Peninsula.The program is working toward converting existing nationalparks and several resources reserves in the Cape YorkPeninsula region to national parks (CYPAL).Traditional Owner participation and recognitionEngaging with Traditional OwnersThe Queensland Government is conscious of, and respectsthe rights, responsibilities, knowledge and aspirations of,Indigenous people as custodians of their land and sea countryand as skilled partners in the management of the protectedarea system. This is reflected in the object of the NatureConservation Act 1992 (the Act). The Act was amended in 2016to reinstate the conservation of nature as its main purpose,while continuing to recognise the involvement of Indigenouspeople in the management of protected areas in which theyhave an interest under Aboriginal tradition or Island custom.ACTION UNDERWAYA3.Continue working with Traditional Owners todedicate and manage land as national parks(CYPAL)The participation of Indigenous and local communities isalso recognised in the Convention target. Traditional Ownerscontribute to the management of national parks in a numberof ways, including joint management of national parks onCape York Peninsula and North Stradbroke Island, and insome circumstances through the use of voluntary agreementssuch as Memorandums of Understanding and IndigenousLand Use Agreements.ACTION UNDERWAYA2.Continue to innovate and build on the successof existing initiatives being implemented bygovernment that engage Traditional Owners inprotected area managementDraft Queensland Protected Area Strategy 7
Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger ProgramIndigenous Protected AreasThe Queensland Government’s Indigenous Land and SeaRanger (ILSR) Program contributes to the protection ofQueensland’s ecosystems and Indigenous cultural heritage,increases meaningful involvement of Indigenous peoplein land and sea country management, increases economicopportunities in ranger communities, and provides positiveoutcomes for employment and capacity building.Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are voluntary (nonstatutory) agreements between the Australian Governmentand Traditional Owners that facilitate the conservation ofbiodiversity and cultural resources through the adoption ofagreed management plans. IPAs also deliver health, educationand economic benefits to Indigenous communities.A number of Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger groupsundertake joint on-ground management activities on publicprotected areas through collaborative agreements with theQueensland Government. The government is continuing toinvest in the ILSR program, and is exploring opportunitiesfor Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers to be involved in theconservation management of private protected areas throughcollaborative on-ground projects.ACTION UNDERWAYA4.Continue to facilitate Indigenous participation inprotected area management, including throughthe Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea RangerProgramIPAs differ from other protected areas as they are not protectedunder legislation and therefore can be withdrawn by theIndigenous community without undergoing a statutory processusually associated with the revocation of protected areas.There are currently 12 IPAs in Queensland, totalling over4.4 million hectares. Much of this area overlaps with othertypes of protected areas. To date, Queensland has notincluded IPAs in its accounting of protected areas, which iscurrently limited to protected area classes under the NatureConservation Act. However, IPAs are recognised by theAustralian Government as an important part of the NationalReserve System, and are included in national reporting onprotected area targets under the United Nations Conventionon Biological Diversity.ACTION PROPOSEDA5.Laura Rangers recording and managing rock art, LauraPhoto: Queensland Government8 Recognise Indigenous Protected Areas byincluding them in Queensland’s protected areareporting
WHAT DO YOU THINK?Q1. Do you have thoughts on ways thatIndigenous people, government and privatelandholders can work together on protectedareas?Q2. If you are a private protected area manager, wouldyou be interested in exploring opportunities towork with Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers toimplement conservation management activitieson your protected area?Q3. What are your thoughts on including IndigenousProtected Areas in Queensland’s protected areareporting?Cape York PeninsulaPhoto: Queensland GovernmentDraft Queensland Protected Area Strategy 9
2. Private protected areasBetter protection for privately managedconservation landsNew type of private protected areaPrivate protected areas make an important contribution toQueensland’s protected area system, and are recognisednationally and internationally as being critical to the success ofrobust protected area networks. They are effective in creatinglandscape-scale linkages with public protected areas andcontribute to a comprehensive, adequate and representativeprotected area system in Queensland. Private protected areascomplement public protected areas and are an important part ofthe mosaic of protection types in Queensland.In Queensland, nature refuges are currently the onlyprotection type available for private landholders to securetheir land in legislation and protect its biodiversity values asa protected area. Nature refuges are voluntary and perpetualand are established through the development of a bindingconservation agreement between the State and the landholder.The protection afforded to nature refuges is reflected in thetypes of activities allowed on these areas in association withconservation. Currently over four million hectares of Queenslandare protected under nature refuges.The Queensland Government is committed to introducing ahigher level of protection for private land identified as beingof outstanding natural value. A new type of voluntary privateprotected area is currently being considered by government,which would offer protection similar to that of a nationalpark where the private landholder agrees to manage theland to a national park standard. The new type of voluntaryprivate protected area, which will be called a “Special WildlifeReserve”, would fit within the existing protected area framework(see Table 1).The Queensland Government recognises that conservation isa valid and desired use of leasehold land. The governmentwill ensure that where a protected area declaration is madeover leasehold land, conservation is recognised as beingconsistent with the purpose of the lease and any conditionsplaced upon the lease. This will provide certainty tolandholders of protected areas that management decisionsthat deliver conservation outcomes will be consistent withthe primary lease purpose.Table 1. Level of protection across public and private protected areasHigh-level protectionModerate-level protectionPublicownershipNational park Restricted management and protected from otherland uses Perpetual – in accordance with the NatureConservation ActConservation park or Resources reserve May have a broader range of uses, includingresource extraction Perpetual – in accordance with the NatureConservation ActPrivateownershipProposed “Special Wildlife R
Draft Queensland Protected Area Strategy 3 Minister’s message Queensland’s terrestrial protected areas, including national parks and nature refuges, are world-renowned for their diversity, unique flora and fauna, and breathtaking scenery. They are the cornersto
3 Source: Consumer Price Index (report), June quarter 2021 , Queensland Government Statisticians Office, Queensland Treasury. 4 Source: Consumer Price Index (report), September quarter 2021 , Queensland Government Statisticians Office, Queensland Treasury. 5 Source: Wage price index, Queensland and Australia, 1997-98 to 2020-21 , Queensland
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and the Great Barrier Reef 4. Develop a Queensland Science Strategy to drive the impact and value of Queensland science 5. Work with government owned energy and water providers to maximise our state assets to build innovation opportunities BUILD INNOVATION IN OUR REGIONS 6. Investigate the establishment of an Agtech Hub in regional Queensland 7.
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