Overview

Parks Victoria is committed to conserving and protecting cultural and environmental values to ensure they are healthy and resilient for current and future generations.

To respond to key challenges - including climate change, population growth, changing community needs, increased visitation, invasive pest species, accessibility requirements and more - Parks Victoria is developing a state-wide Land Management Strategy (LMS) to guide and inform future planning and decision-making across the parks estate.

Parks Victoria is now inviting communities and stakeholders to provide their feedback on the draft Aspiration and Guiding Principles that will form the basis of the Land Management Strategy.

There will be further opportunities for feedback once the draft Land Management Strategy is released.

Public consultation is open until midnight, Sunday the 29th of September 2019.

Background

Victoria has a precious parks estate covering over 4 million hectares of diverse marine and terrestrial parks and reserves. These parks and reserves protect unique, intrinsic and invaluable natural and cultural heritage values, and provide treasured opportunities for people to experience and enjoy them. They must be managed well to ensure current and future generations can continue to do so.

The LMS will set out long term and high-level directions, strategies and priorities to guide the protection, management and use of all parks and reserves managed by Parks Victoria.

A number of parks and reserves have been returned to Aboriginal ownership under Aboriginal Title. The LMS will reflect that management of these parks is directed by joint management plans, developed by Traditional Owner Land Management Boards, and that joint management is expected to apply to more of the parks estate in the future as further formal agreements with Traditional Owners are implemented.

As visitors and supporters of Victoria’s parks and reserves, your understanding and experience of the parks estate is critical to the development of the LMS. As the project progresses we will use this page as a place to share documents, generate discussion and to gather your feedback.

Credit: Parks Victoria

Victoria’s parks are resilient, inclusive and valued; conserving nature and cultural heritage; supporting Traditional Owner aspirations; and contributing to healthy communities

To read through the full definitions of the draft Guiding Principles, please refer to our LMS engagement pack (underneath the heading "Document Library")

1. Maintain and strengthen the parks estate

Land will be managed in accordance with the purpose for which it is reserved and to protect its environmental, cultural and social values. All actions should enhance the park estate, be purposeful and embrace design for all. Park management will reflect best practice, and parks will be fit for their identified purpose and function.

2. Prepare for the future

Park plans and management will prepare for, and respond to emerging environmental and social issues and anticipate how the park estate will be in the future. This includes responding to forecasted changes resulting from climate change, changing recreational patterns and recognising that more parks and reserves will be transferred to Aboriginal title and be managed according to joint management plans.

3. Connect with community

Parks will be inclusive destinations that provide for a range of visitor experiences and access for all. The community will have a variety of ways to engage with, connect to, understand and be active in the parks estate. Parks will be recognised and appreciated not only for their environmental, cultural and landscape values, but also for the services that provide broader community benefits including health and wellbeing, sense of community, clean water, climate regulation, coastal protection and pollination services. Traditional Owner connections to Country will be respected and supported.

4. Use knowledge and evidence-based management

Decisions will be supported by science, knowledge, understanding of risks and community values. Evidence-based management that utilises the best available science and knowledge will be used to deal with uncertainty and drive adaptive management.

5. Protect natural and cultural values

The ecological and cultural integrity of the parks estate will be strengthened by being protected and actively conserved to become sustainable and resilient to adapt or recover from the disturbance of major threats.

6. Build Partnerships

Partnerships and community involvement that provide mutual benefits to the parks estate and the community will be sought and supported across landscapes. These are to provide mechanisms for effective management and realising emergent opportunities.

7. Promote public safety and adopt a risk-based approach

There is an element of risk in experiencing Victoria’s natural environment and the outdoors. Managing risk, including preparing for and managing fire and other threats, responding to emergencies, and appropriately managing risks to park visitors will be a key consideration in park management decision making.

8. Apply rational decision making

All strategic decision-making will be characterised by rationality and predictability using, where appropriate, structured decision support systems. Sound judgement will be used to consider all stakeholders involved. All decisions will be consistent with a risk-based approach to meeting the requirements of policies, plans, programmes and legislation.

Complete the Survey

Please provide your feedback on the draft Aspiration and Guiding Principles through the survey below.
What is your relationship to Victoria’s parks estate (you can choose more than one option) Required
Are you responding on behalf of an organisation? Required
You have 255 characters left.

Please read the Aspiration Statement and Guiding Principles before answering the below questions

How do you rate the Aspiration Statement overall? Required
How do you rate the Guiding Principles overall? Required
Strongly support
Support
Neither support or oppose
Slightly oppose
Do not support at all
1. Maintain and strengthen the parks estate
2. Prepare for the future
3. Connect with community
4. Use knowledge and evidence-based management
5. Protect natural and cultural values
6. Build Partnerships
7. Promote public safety and adopt a risk-based approach
8. Apply rational decision making

If your comments relate to a specific principle, please indicate which principle you are commenting on (using the principle's corresponding number)

A copy of your submission will be sent to this address

Your contact information is used to administer the public consultation process and will be separated from your submission. To view the privacy statement, click here.

DELWP Vision for the Management of Public Native Forests

Concurrently to Parks Victoria’s Land Management Strategy, The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) are developing a Vision for the Management of Public Native Forests in partnership with Traditional Owners and Parks Victoria. The Vision for the Management of Public Native Forests will provide a clear, shared direction for future management of public native forests – across Parks, reserves, and State forests.
  • The Vision values the unique ability of Traditional Owners to care for Country and their role as partners in land and forest management.
  • The Parks Victoria Land Management Strategy will complement the Vision for the Management of Public Native Forests.
  • The Parks Victoria Land Management Strategy will sit alongside a State Forest Management Strategy being developed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. These strategies will be informed by the priorities and aspirations of Traditional Owners, and the broader community. The strategies will guide forest and park management plans and strategic and operational decisions.
  • The Vision for the Management of Public Native Forests and these strategies will deliver key parts of the current major program of forest management reform in Victoria and will help us to meet forest management challenges including climate change, biodiversity decline, population growth, and changing community needs.