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Report on the administration of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (reporting period 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017) Purpose of the report This report provides information about the administration of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 during 2016–17. It has been prepared in accordance with section 139 of the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Public availability This report is available from the departments’ websites: http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/about/corporatedocs/ http://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/about/corporatedocs/ or by phoning 13 QGOV (13 74 68). Alternatively, hard copies of this report can be obtained by emailing [email protected]. Interpreter service statement The Queensland Government is committed to providing accessible services to Queenslanders from all culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. If you have difficulty understanding this report, please contact the Translating and Interpreting Service via www.qld.gov.au/languages or by phoning 13 14 50 and ask them to phone Library Services on +61 7 3224 8412 to arrange for an interpreter to effectively communicate the report to you. Copyright © The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) 2017. Licence This report is licensed by the State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 International licence. In essence, you are free to copy, communicate and adapt this report, as long as you attribute the work to the State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) Report on the administration of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (reporting period 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017). To review a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Disclaimer This document has been prepared with all due diligence and care, based on the best available information at the time of publication. The departments hold no responsibility for any errors or omissions within this document. Any decisions made by other parties based on this document are solely the responsibility of those parties. October 2017 Report on the administration of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017) Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Nature Conservation Act 1992—departmental administrative responsibilities ............................................................. 1 List of legislation and subordinate legislation ............................................................................................................... 1 Amendments ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Nature Conservation Act 1992 .................................................................................................................................. 2 Nature Conservation (Administration) Regulation 2006 ........................................................................................... 2 Nature Conservation (Estuarine Crocodile) Conservation Plan 2007....................................................................... 3 Nature Conservation (Forest Reserves) Regulation 2000 ........................................................................................ 3 Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 ............................................................................................. 4 Nature Conservation (Macropod Harvest Period 2017) Notice 2016 ....................................................................... 4 Nature Conservation (Macropod) Conservation Plan 2005 ...................................................................................... 4 Nature Conservation (Protected Areas Management) Regulation 2006 .................................................................. 5 Nature Conservation (Protected Areas) Regulation 1994 ........................................................................................ 5 Nature Conservation (Wildlife Management) Regulation 2006 ................................................................................. 7 Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 ....................................................................................................... 7 Protected areas............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Special management areas (SMAs) controlled action .............................................................................................. 8 Protected area authorities ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Trustees .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Commercial activity agreements ............................................................................................................................... 9 Conservation agreements for nature refuges ........................................................................................................... 9 Forest reserves ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Management statements and management plans .................................................................................................... 9 Wildlife and habitat conservation ................................................................................................................................ 10 Wildlife licences, permits and other authorities ....................................................................................................... 10 Critical habitats and areas of major interest ............................................................................................................ 10 Declarations ............................................................................................................................................................ 10 Interim conservation orders ........................................................................................................................................ 10 Administration ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Conservation officers .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Offences and prosecutions ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Tables ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 iii Report on the administration of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017) Introduction The Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act) provides a legislative basis for the conservation of nature. The NC Act aims to achieve the conservation of nature, while allowing for the involvement of Indigenous people in the management of protected areas, through an integrated and comprehensive conservation strategy for the whole of the state. It provides the framework for research; community education; dedicating, declaring and managing protected areas; and protecting native wildlife and its habitat. The NC Act also provides for the making of subordinate legislation including regulations, notices and conservation plans. Under section 139 of the NC Act, the chief executive must, within four months after the end of each financial year, give to the Minister a report on the administration of this Act during the year. The Minister must lay a copy of the report before the Legislative Assembly within 14 sitting days after its receipt by the Minister. Nature Conservation Act 1992—departmental administrative responsibilities During the reporting period, the NC Act was jointly administered consistent with the Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 3) 2015, Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 1) 2016, Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 2) 2016, Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 3) 2016, Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 1) 2017 and Administrative Arrangements Order (No. 2) 2017, as follows: • The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) is responsible for the dedication and declaration of protected areas (including nature refuges), protection of native wildlife and its habitats and providing for the ecologically sustainable use of protected wildlife and nature refuges. • The Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing (NPSR), through the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), is responsible for the custody and management of the protected area estate (excluding nature refuges) and forest