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Issues in Australian Protected Area Management

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Issues in Australian Protected Area Management Issues in Australian Protected Area Management Graeme L. Worboys and Michael Lockwood Background THE NATIONAL RESERVE SYSTEM OF AUSTRALIA is one of the great land- and sea-use success- es of this country. It is an inspiring story of dedicated and visionary individuals, community leaders, conservation organizations, bureaucrats, and outstanding politicians who, from the reservation of Australia’s first national park, the Royal National Park near Sydney 128 years ago, have helped establish more than 7,700 protected areas up to 2007. As a concept, pro- tected areas have stood the test of time despite diverse and pervasive human pressures from surrounding lands and seas. Australia has invested in the active care and management of these lands to achieve this outcome. The Royal, for example, originally established in bush- land adjacent to early Sydney settlements, is now surrounded by suburbs. Thanks to sus- tained management, its coastal scenery, heathlands, rainforests, beaches, headlands, and native animals continue to provide enjoyment and inspiration, regional economic benefits, and protection of these natural systems for their own sake. In the 1960s, grand parks such as Lam- play catch-up in dealing with a formidable ington, Wilson’s Promontory, Kosciuszko, array of threats, such as weeds, pest ani- Cradle Mountain, Belair, Katherine Gorge mals, inappropriate fire regimes, pollution, (now Nitmiluk), and Rottnest Island were and illegal hunting, fishing, and taking of prominent, but there were relatively few water and timber. This protection work and others. Most of Australia’s protected areas clean-up still continues in 2007, and many were established after the 1970s. Driven by areas will require major investments for the community-based pro-conservation cam- long term. A lack of resources, inadequate paigns, and in some cases guided by land- knowledge and suboptimal systems are also use planning processes such as those adopt- hampering the achievement of effective ed by Land Conservation Council in the management outcomes. Working with com- state of Victoria, many protected areas have munities and building capacity through been established Australia-wide. From their partnerships, participatory planning, and beginnings as an obscure land and sea use, sharing successes, such as species con- protected areas of various kinds have risen served and tourism destinations opened, to become a major feature on the Australian has been a wise investment. The system as a landscape. whole, as well as the professionalism and Protected area management is thus in diligence of park staff, are generally valued the direct eye of the community. By the and respected by the community.For exam- 1980s, every state and territory had estab- ple, a survey of Tasmanians showed that lished a professional protected management 70% agree that Tasmania has about the organization, but park staff often needed to right amount of reserve area, while 27% Volume 24 • Number 3 (2007) 33 think that more areas need to be protected; Achieving an effective reserve system 45% place “very high,” and 33% “fairly Australia’s national reserve system is high,” value on Tasmania’s protected areas; unfinished, and there are two imperatives to 80% were satisfied with the performance of complete this action. The first is an obliga- Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service; and tion to Australia’s current and future gener- 98% think that having the parks and wildlife ations that there are sufficient Royal Na- system in Tasmania is a valuable part of the tional Park equivalents extant for the long Tasmanian community (Roy Morgan Re- term to help maintain a sample of natural search 2005). Australia. A benefit of such action is the bio- The community has also expressed diversity and other heritage that is con- concern about the environment. A targeted served, as well as the ecosystem services 2007 Galaxy Research poll revealed that that are sustained. However, the rate of 95% of voters were concerned about cli- habitat change is very great in many loca- mate change impacts on wildlife and natural tions, and this action is urgent. The second areas (WWF Australia 2007). Commis- imperative is to be a responsible party to an sioned by the national affiliate of the World international effort by the secretariat of the Wide Fund for Nature for some marginal Convention on Biological Diversity for each electorates in Australia, the survey also nation to achieve a comprehensive and rep- identified that voters were willing to invest resentative terrestrial reserve system by higher-than-recommended funds in new 2010. For marine environments, a similar protected areas to protect wildlife and natu- international target has been established for ral areas (WWF Australia 2007). This con- 2012. clusion is reinforced by a 2006 community An effective national reserve system survey which found that 88% of Australians must embrace not only those reserves man- believe that if we don’t act now we will aged by government protected area organi- never control our environmental problems zations: indigenous, private, and areas man- (Roy Morgan Research 2006). In a global aged by nongovernmental organizations are context of significant climate change effects increasingly important. Securing and sup- by 2100, a projected 9.3 billion people on porting such areas and their different gover- Earth by 2050, and post-peak oil impacts nance modes are vital. The percentage of by 2020, these concerns are very real. area reserved for each bioregion across all Protected area managers need to be governance types is one method for deter- responsive to community issues and con- mining the adequacy of the national reserve cerns. They need to build on the good work system. Other crucial factors are achieving of those who have helped establish protect- an adequate balance between IUCN cate- ed areas and the professional way in which gories I–IV and categories V–VI, the strate- they are managed. We have identified three gic nature of some lands and seas (such as key issues as being of particular significance refugia and connectivity areas), and the bio- as we move forward into the 21st century: diversity conservation quality of reserved (1) establishing an effective reserve system, terrestrial and marine environments. (2) sustaining community support, and (3) Reinforcing the current system is targeting the effective management of pro- another element of an effective national re- tected areas. serve system. Many existing protected areas 34 The George Wright Forum are surrounded by lands and seas that will with other issues, protected areas need to never be part of the reserve system. A land be seen to be part of the solution, not part of management ethic guided by stewardship a perceived problem. Some examples illus- must be fostered by governments and the trate the point. community. There is no longer any need or • For southern and eastern Australia, justification for the historic and perverse including Tasmania, fires are forecast incentives that helped destroy or modify to be more frequent and more intense. much of Australia’s native habitats, particu- Working with communities to help larly when these are increasingly valuable as mitigate the risks is imperative. This water catchments and are vital to help includes dealing with planning and buffer the forecasted impacts of climate zoning issues, such as amenity migra- change. Strategic investments such as the tion to bushland environments adja- Alps to Atherton (A2A) connectivity con- cent to reserves. servation initiative are providing leadership • With increased drying, water supply for such work. Such initiatives are address- catchments become even more valu- ing the “adequacy” part of a comprehen- able, and the special efforts being taken sive, adequate, and representative national to maintain the natural integrity of reserve system. They require protected area catchments by protected area organiza- managers to think and act at landscape and tions need to be known and widely seascape scales. They demand that protect- supported. ed area managers work in partnership with • With tourism destinations such as the local and regional communities. They are Great Barrier Reef and Snowy part of a new future for protected areas. Mountains affected by climate change, Sustaining community support for pro- alternative arrangements will need to tected areas be considered and introduced to assist the industry. Maintaining community support for the long term is critical to the future of pro- Such initiatives will mean new partner- tected areas. Building broader support, ships. Unexpected issues will also need to including from “non-traditional” con- be dealt with, such as sudden changes in stituencies in both rural and urban commu- pest animal populations and increases in nities, is essential for “mainstreaming” pro- extreme weather events. Building an tected areas and securing a higher level of enhanced adaptive planning and manage- political commitment. Key to this is a wider ment capacity, in partnership with govern- promulgation of the diverse economic, ments, communities, and civil society insti- social, and environmental benefits that pro- tutions, is critical to ensure an effective tected areas supply. The historical formula response to such contingencies. of being relevant, supportive, and respon- sive to community concerns is also impor- Targeting effective management tant. New challenges and opportunities of protected areas continue to emerge. Climate change is of Lack of funding for protected area course currently at the top of the agenda, management is the single greatest factor and is likely to remain so. In this arena, as impacting effective Australian protected Volume 24 • Number 3 (2007) 35 area management in the 21st century. At an the purchase of local goods and services. average investment of AUD$7.69 per Economic activity generated by protected hectare of protected area, Australia is areas can be a new source of long-term spending only about 50% of the estimated prosperity for areas affected by the declin- AUD$14.20 per hectare that has been iden- ing profitability of agriculture.
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