ANNUAL REPORT 2017–18 Acknowledgement Image Acknowledgements Contents of Country Aboriginal people, through their rich culture, have Cover Coolart Homestead, been connected to the land and sea, for tens of image Coolart Historic Area thousands of years. Parks Victoria respectfully Inside Spotted Pardalote – Murray River acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners, their cover Reserve. Jeremy Tscharke Area cultures, knowledge and their continuing connection image Chief Ranger – Parks Victoria to and cultural obligation to care for Page 7 Murray Sunset National Park Chair’s Overview ii their Country. Page 8 Parks Victoria Marine Pest Officer Chief Executive Officer’s Overview iii – Waratah Bay Parks and Waterways Page 9 Anglesea Heath About Parks Victoria 1 Page 11 Gunaikurnai Rangers Our Achievements 5 Parks Victoria manages many sites such as piers, – Buchan Caves Reserve Conserving Victoria’s Special Places 7 waterways, ports, bays, historic buildings, trails, Page 13 Rock art urban parks, small conservation reserves and large Connecting People and Parks 15 national and state parks. For the sake of brevity, Page 15 Junior Ranger program Providing Benefits Beyond Park Boundaries 23 these are collectively referred to in this document as – You Yangs Regional Park ‘parks’, unless a specific type of site is stated. Page 17 Sherpa volunteer program Enhancing Organisational Excellence 30 – Dandenong Ranges National Park For further information about Parks Victoria and Compliance and Disclosures 41 the parks it manages visit www.parks.vic.gov.au Page 20 Walk in the Park program Financial Management Compliance Attestation 59 or call 13 1963. – You Yangs Regional Park Page 23 Planned burning program Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2018 61 Copyright © State of Victoria, Parks Victoria 2018 Level 10, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Page 26 Oscar Vintage Coffee Van ISSN 1448 – 9082 Page 27 Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson, ISSN 1448 – 9090 (online) Alysia Brandenburg and John Published on www.parks.vic.gov.au Kenwright attending the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards – Perth Page 31 Scar tree – Grampians National Park Page 36 Aerial surveying Inside Wombat – Wilsons Promontory back cover National Park. Richard Southerton image Ranger – Parks Victoria B About Parks Victoria Parks Victoria Annual Report 2017–18 i Chair’s Overview Chief Executive Officer’s Overview In accordance with the Financial Management Act We also initiated a number of programs to tackle I am proud to present an outline of our service The Parks Victoria Act 2018 will establish Parks 1994, I am pleased to present the Annual Report for our visitor management challenge to ensure that delivery and key achievements. Victoria as a more autonomous park management Parks Victoria for the 2017–18 financial year. our visitors have a great experience, while protecting agency. We can now move forward with clarity This year’s operating surplus was primarily due to the the very environmental values that visitors want and certainty around the powers and resources On behalf of the Board, I would like to sincerely timing of project and tied expenditure, and increased to enjoy. A significant initiative in this area was to that will be available for Parks Victoria to deliver thank our dedicated staff who are there every revenues from existing commercial activities. complete the detailed planning for a major upgrade on our environmental, cultural, community and day caring for our parks, waterways and coasts: of visitor facilities in the Port Campbell National Park, The 2017–18 financial year was Park Victoria’s 21st government expectations. and the many volunteers who also make such particularly at the Twelve Apostles. These works will year of operation, and was, in many ways, our a large contribution. Our business plan for 2018–19 includes key actions commence later in 2018. ‘coming of age’ year. such as: I also thank and acknowledge the former Chair, Our commercial operations will never be the major Over the past year we made some notable changes Andrew Fairley AM, and former Board Members: • enhancing our conservation and research part of our work, but it is vital that they are well including: Deputy Chair, Andrew Grant, Professor Robert Wallis, investment managed to provide good visitor services, to support and Natalie O’Brien. Their contributions were significant. • publicly promoting our environmental research many community groups that are our tenants, and • a significant capital works schedule that delivers skills and capability through media and Our primary role is one of conservation of this to ensure that Parks Victoria is not inappropriately world class nature based tourism experiences, communications precious natural estate for generations yet to come. subsidising commercial activities. Significant and sports and recreation opportunities in our Key priorities for the year were to further progress improvements were made over the year in the • enhancing our website and improving how we parks partnership agreements with Traditional Owners, management and oversight of these operations. interact with the public, including through social • the largest Seasonal Rangers program ever to continue conservation planning, to significantly media platforms I would like to thank our Minister, the Hon. Lily delivered by recruiting up to 100 Seasonal increase our investment in environmental research, D’Ambrosio MP, for her strong support. I also • increasing front line ranger capacity with Rangers, three times more Rangers than the and to continue to actively tackle the major challenge thank other Board Members and Matthew Jackson 53 rangers across Victoria 2017–18 financial year of introduced species in our parks and marine CEO, for their expertise, passion and wise counsel environments. A good example is our ongoing • establishing the Managing Country Together • a strong focus on the culture of the organisation throughout my initial time as Chair. program at Wilsons Promontory National Park to Directorate to strengthen our commitment I continue to be inspired by our diverse workforce’s undertake integrated ecological burning and grazing The next year will bring many challenges and towards working with Traditional Owners talent, passion and ongoing commitment to the control to reduce the now-dominant cover of Coast opportunities. With strengthened funding and a new across the State work that we do. I am proud of the entire team Tea Tree and allow the grassy woodland habitat to Parks Victoria Act to come into force this year, we are • restructuring the Executive Management Team across the organisation and all the work they have re-establish. well placed to meet these challenges and continue and the Commercial, and Marketing and put into making Parks Victoria the success it is today. to protect and manage our parks, waterways and Significant new funding was provided by the Communications Divisions. marine environments. I look forward to more to come in the 2018–19 Victorian Government to strengthen on-ground This past year saw significant outcomes for Parks and beyond, which promises exciting times for park management through the recruitment of an Victoria. As a result of the Victorian State Budget Parks Victoria. additional 53 rangers. All of these positions have 2018–19, we secured a record financial investment been filled, resulting in a diverse group of skilled new of $70.6m (over four years) and $20m ongoing people joining our team. funding. The Victorian Government has also committed a We maintained our commitment to continual safety significant increase in Park’s Victoria’s base funding improvement to support our employees, who have for the coming financial year, which will further also taken personal ownership of our safety journey. strengthen our core conservation work and quality Our ongoing Safety First Zero Injuries Initiative Jeff Floyd visitor services. helped drive a positive safety culture across our Chair 2017-current We continued to work on our vision of Healthy organisation and resulted in a 47 per cent reduction Parks Victoria Parks Healthy People, in particular working to ensure in our Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate Matthew Jackson healthy parks underpins all of our activities. compared to the previous period. Chief Executive Officer Our ongoing commitment to working in partnership with Traditional Owners across Victoria continues to be a priority focus and inspires the organisation towards achieving our reconciliation journey. ii Chairman’s Overview Parks Victoria Annual Report 2017–18 iii About Parks Victoria Who we are What we manage Our Vision Healthy Parks Parks Victoria commenced operations on 12 December The network of parks that we manage includes Parks Victoria is a world-class park service ensuring Healthy People 1996 and was established as a statutory authority national and state parks, marine parks and healthy parks for healthy people. Healthy Parks Healthy People is the very foundation under the Parks Victoria Act 1998, to manage Victoria’s sanctuaries, wilderness areas, regional and of how we manage parks and gives us the diverse parks system. In recent years, the area that metropolitan parks. Within the estate there are opportunity to improve the health of both our we care for has increased to 4.1 million hectares, thousands of Aboriginal and post-European cultural Our Purpose parks and communities. or 18 per cent of the State. and heritage sites, significant gardens and around 70 per cent of Victoria’s coastline. Parks Victoria At Parks Victoria, we inspire the community to Healthy Parks Healthy People aims to unlock the power We manage this estate in partnership with Traditional is also the Local Port Manager for Port Phillip Bay, conserve and enjoy Victoria’s unique natural and of nature and parks for their preventative and Owners, Government and non-government Western Port and Port Campbell, and the Waterways cultural heritage. Together, we care for Country and restorative health and wellbeing benefits, while organisations, park neighbours, friends’ groups Manager for the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers. promote the value of our parks and waterways for conserving biodiversity.