National Parks Council of Australia poll on how the community feels about national parks and nature protection

Note: much of the text below has been crafted by our colleagues at the Victorian National Parks Association. Thanks to VNPA Nature Conservation Officer Elizabeth Morison for allowing NPA to adapt her article for NSW.

The National Parks Australia Council (NPAC) brings together the peak non-government environmental organisations focused on the future of National Parks, Nature Reserves and other elements of our Protected Area Networks.  The Council allows NPAs to share the experiences of each State and identify common challenges and opportunities to improve the condition of protected areas. 

National Parks Australia Council welcomes ALP promise to protect National Parks

The National Parks Australia Council commends the announcement today by the Australian Labor Party to continue with their promise that if elected they will extend the EPBC Act’s Matters of Environmental Significance to include a National Park Trigger, strengthening the Federal Government’s role in protecting the places that all Australians hold dear and which is crucial for the conservation of our wildlife and wild places.

Michelle Prior, President of the National Parks Australia Council said “The forty thousand plus members of National Park Associations around Australia will welcome this move towards greater Federal stewardship of our National Parks. As it is National parks and other protected areas that rely solely on state-based protection are under threat – it’s the ‘death of a thousand cuts’ as State and Territory governments continue to try and introduce activities that are incompatible with the primary purpose of National Parks – the conservation of nature. Just consider the proposed move by the former Victorian Government to allow grazing into the fragile ecosystems of the Alpine National Park!”