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PARKS VICTORIA ANNUAL REPORT 2009/10 Earlier this year, a team of five Yorta Yorta rangers Parks Victoria acknowledges Traditional Owners and were recruited to work on Yorta Yorta Country. recognises their culture and connection to the land This joint initiative between Yorta Yorta Nation and sea, including areas now managed as parks. Parks Aboriginal Corporation, the Federal Government and Victoria acknowledges them as Traditional Owners of Parks Victoria will build the capacity of Yorta Yorta these areas. People to actively participate in co-management of Barmah National Park. Parks Victoria also acknowledges the links and contribution from other Indigenous communities and Pictured on the front cover are the five rangers, individuals and those maintaining a custodial role. along with other Yorta Yorta staff members: (left to Parks Victoria is committed to strong relationships right) Reg Murray, Leon Atkinson, Hilda Stewart, Joel with Victoria’s Traditional Owners and their full Ritchie, Bryan Andy, Greta Morgan, Mark Atkinson participation in cooperative and joint management and Des Morgan of agreed areas of public land in Victoria. Photography: Copyright © Parks Victoria 2010 Published on www.parkweb.vic.gov.au Christian Pearson Level 10, 535 Bourke Street, (cover), Thomas Melbourne, Australia. This publication is copyright. No part may Chambers, James be reproduced by any process except in Lauritz and ISSN 1448 - 9082 accordance with the provisions of the Rachel Pilgrim ISSN 1448 - 9090 (Online) Copyright Act 1968. CONTENTS REPORT OF OPERATIONS Chairman’s message 4 Chief Executive’s message 5 ABOUT PARKS VICTORIA Parks Victoria’s Board 9 Board committees 10 Organisational structure 11 The year in review 12 HEALTHY PARKS Caring for the natural environment 13 HEALTHY PEOPLE Visitor experience 21 Cultural heritage 30 SUPPORTING HEALTHY PARKS HEALTHY PEOPLE Fire and emergency management 35 Commercial operations 39 Responsibly managing our resources 41 Governance and compliance 44 Corporate performance 47 Environmental performance 48 Financial performance 49 FINANCIAL REPORT 51 APPENDIX Disclosure index 100 Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 3 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE On behalf of the Parks Victoria Board, I am pleased to The Board welcomed the improvement in Parks submit Parks Victoria’s 2009-10 Annual Report. Victoria’s internal systems, procedures and practices This financial year was one of delivery of key milestones during the year. The new Finance and People System for Parks Victoria and the start of some major new supports improved planning, analysis and reporting of initiatives for the organisation. Parks Victoria’s resources so we can deliver efficiently and effectively. Parks Victoria took on the management of four new national parks and a number of other parks protecting On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mark northern Victoria’s iconic River Red Gum landscape. Stone and his executive team for their leadership These new parks represent future directions for Parks during the year in which Parks Victoria was again seen Victoria with agreement to establish co-management as one of the world's leading park agencies. with the Yorta Yorta Traditional Owners in Barmah I would also like to thank my fellow Board members for National Park and Wadi Wadi Traditional Owners in the care, diligence and leadership through the course Nyah-Vinifera Park. of a very busy year. A highlight of the year for the Board was the inaugural International Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress. The Congress, two years in the making, brought together leading experts and thinkers from around the world, and was opened by the Premier, the Hon. John Brumby MP. Speakers shared diverse Rob Gerrand perspectives and experiences on the Healthy Parks Chairman Healthy People message. I congratulate those July 2010 involved for their vision and leadership in promoting the Healthy Parks Healthy People message to an Australian and international audience. Fire management is a growing area of planning and delivery for the organisation. Parks Victoria delivered the first year of the four-year, $21 million Melbourne Bushfire Protection Program, increasing and improving bushfire protection activities around Melbourne. Parks Victoria will play a significant role in continuing to implement the government’s response to the Royal Commission into the February 2009 fires and in increasing the intensity of our fire preparation, response and recovery efforts. 4 Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S MESSAGE Parks Victoria has been developing and promoting partnership we welcomed five new Yorta Yorta rangers the Healthy Parks Healthy People approach for nearly to our organisation during the year. They appear on the a decade. This year we significantly broadened that cover of this report. discussion through our inaugural International Healthy Parks Healthy People Congress. This report covers a wide range of issues and achievements. I will highlight two more. For a number I am proud of our organisation’s effort in initiating, of years, Parks Victoria has worked with other planning and holding this important event. Experts departments and agencies to promote Victoria’s from around the world gathered and presented new bays and maritime areas. A significant milestone was research and ideas about the connection between reached this year with the completion and opening of health and nature. It is the first time such a congress the Queenscliff Harbour in March after a $38 million has been held for a diverse range of disciplines – from redevelopment. The harbour is now a major tourist the health industry to park and recreation agencies to destination. urban planners. Across the state we were fortunate to have a fairly mild At the opening of the Congress, the Premier announced bushfire season this year. This assisted us in stepping up park entry fees were to be removed from 1 July. This our bushfire preparation and planning. Parks Victoria was a great outcome for Parks Victoria. In Victoria there led the Melbourne Bushfire Protection Program. The are families and pensioners for whom entry fees were a program delivered new staff, new equipment and barrier to regular use of some our parks. In keeping with increased protection works around Melbourne. In our Healthy Parks Healthy People message, removal of addition, we delivered an extensive planned burn fees will allow more people to get out and enjoy parks. program with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and continued to implement a major fire We also established new parks this year. There has been recovery program. significant investigation and planning for new River Red Gum parks in northern Victoria over a number of years. This culminated in four new national parks being proclaimed: Barmah, Gunbower, Lower Goulburn and Warby-Ovens national parks. The existing Murray- Sunset, Hattah-Kulkyne and Terrick Terrick national parks were expanded and other new parks established. All up, more than 100,000 hectares have been added to the parks estate to protect this iconic landscape. Mark Stone Chief Executive To manage these new parks, we are working closely July 2010 with Traditional Owners. As an important first step, Traditional Owner Land Management Boards will be established for Barmah National Park with the Yorta Yorta People and for Nyah-Vinifera Park with the Wadi Wadi People. As a practical expression of this Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 5 ABOUT PARKS VICTORIA WHO ARE WE Parks Victoria is a statutory authority, established at the core of everything we do. It expresses under the Parks Victoria Act 1998. The responsible the strong link between community health and Minister for the reporting period was Gavin access to nature. Jennings MLC, Minister for Environment and Climate Change. Parks Victoria manages parks in the context of their surrounding landscape and in partnership Under the Parks Victoria Act 1998, Parks Victoria’s with Traditional Owners. We work in partnership responsibilities are to provide services to the with other government and non-government State and its agencies for the management of organisations and community groups parks, reserves and other land under the control including the Department of Sustainability and of the State. Environment (DSE), catchment management authorities, private land owners, friends groups, Parks Victoria has a strong reputation volunteers, licensed tour operators, lessees, nationally and internationally as a leading research institutes and the broader community. park management agency. We are committed to conserving and enhancing the natural environment. Healthy Parks Healthy People is Parks Victoria - Annual Report 2009-10 7 ABOUT PARKS VICTORIA Parks Victoria’s management responsibilities include: ❚ 45 national parks ❚ 25 state parks ❚ 13 marine national parks ❚ 11 marine sanctuaries ❚ 3 wilderness parks ❚ 30 metropolitan parks ❚ 60 other parks (including regional and reservoir parks) ❚ More than 2,700 natural features and conservation reserves ❚ 10,412 formally registered Aboriginal cultural heritage sites ❚ More than 2,500 non-Indigenous historic places. Parks Victoria supports recreational and tourism opportunities on public land and waterways. All commercial tour operators operating on public land Vision and Purpose and waterways are licensed by Parks Victoria. Parks Victoria is committed to preserving the natural and cultural values of the areas we manage. Our The parks and waterways attract 88.5 million visits each vision is for an outstanding park