Director of National Parks facts for kids
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 1975 |
| Preceding |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Australia |
| Headquarters | John Gorton Building, King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT, Australia 35°18′07″S 149°08′03″E / 35.301854°S 149.134155°E |
| Employees | 375.95 (Full time equivalent) as of December 2022 |
| Minister responsible |
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| Parent department | Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |
| Child agency |
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| Key document |
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| Website | https://parksaustralia.gov.au/ |
The Director of National Parks is an important Australian government role. This person is in charge of looking after many special places. These include national parks on land and marine parks in the ocean. These places are protected under a law called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Parks Australia is a team that helps the Director of National Parks. They work together to manage six national parks. They also look after the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Plus, they manage 60 Australian marine parks around Australia. Parks Australia is part of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Contents
Understanding the Director's Role
The Director of National Parks was created under the EPBC Act. It is a special type of organization where one person holds the main power. This means the person appointed to the job is the corporation.
This role began on 17 July 2000. It continued the work of an older office called the Director of National Parks and Wildlife. That office existed under a law from 1975.
As of November 2023, the Director is Ronald 'Ricky' Archer. He used to be the CEO of a group called NAILSMA. Ricky Archer is a Djungan man. He made history by becoming the first Indigenous person to hold this important position. The Director leads efforts to protect and manage some of Australia's most valuable national parks. This work is done together with Traditional Owners.
What the Director of National Parks Does
The Director of National Parks has several key jobs under the EPBC Act:
- Managing Special Areas: Looking after Commonwealth reserves and conservation zones.
- Protecting Nature: Keeping animals, plants, and important historical sites safe in these areas.
- Doing Research: Studying nature to help manage the parks better.
- Working with Other Countries: Helping other nations set up and manage their own parks.
- Giving Advice: Making suggestions to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment.
Areas Under Management
The Director of National Parks is responsible for several groups of protected areas:
- Six Commonwealth national parks.
- The Australian National Botanic Gardens.
- 60 Australian marine parks.
- One Commonwealth marine reserve.
The Director of National Parks has given the job of managing the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Commonwealth Marine Reserve to another group. This group is called the Australian Antarctic Division. It is also part of the Department of the Environment and Energy.
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is not managed by the Director of National Parks. It is looked after by a different government group. This group is called the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
About Parks Australia
Parks Australia is a team within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Before 2022, it was part of a different department. Parks Australia staff are part of the federal environment team.
They help the Director of National Parks manage six Commonwealth national parks. These parks include:
- Kakadu National Park
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
- Booderee National Park
- Christmas Island National Park
- Pulu Keeling National Park
- Norfolk Island National Park
Parks Australia also helps manage the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Australian Marine Parks.
See also
- NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
- Protected areas managed by the Australian government
