Reports
NPAQ has hosted two workshops in the last year on topics relating to protected area estate. For further information about the workshops, click on the link to the reports or read the summaries below.
Growing Pains Workshop:
The Workshop "Growing Pains: managing a larger protected estate" was held on April 6, 2005 to investigate growing concern with a range of issues, including:
- The adequacy of the protected area estate
- Funding and staffing levels and staff development
- Growing Commercial tourism
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Weeds and exotic animal impacts
- Inappropriate fire regimes
The Growing Pains Workshop was sponsored by the National Parks Association Queensland Inc (NPAQ), World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), Queensland Conservation (QCC), Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ) and the Wilderness Society.
Read the report findings. (Download pdf)
Great Sandy Workshop:
On Sunday 6th and Monday 7th of November 2005, a large coalition of concerned local, state and national conservation groups met in Hervey Bay with local residents, Hervey Bay Whale Watch industry representatives and Butchulla Elder Marie Wilkinson to discuss the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) "Strategy" for the Great Sandy Marine Park (GSMP) (Northern Section).
The groups expressed great concern about the lack of conservation measures proposed in the Strategy.
This concern was shared by the Butchulla elders, other local residents and ecotourism operators.
All agreed that a range of activities threaten the ecological integrity and health of the marine environments of the Great Sandy region. The key threats highlighted by the workshop included:
- Overfishing by both commercial and recreational sectors
- Sea-based aquaculture
- Regional development pressures and poor coastal planning
- High speed vessels and subsequent boat strike of threatened turtles and dugongs
After the presentations, participants expressed great disappointment that the EPA did not define conservation targets for adequate protection of regional biodiversity in the GSMP nor apply a scientifically rigorous and independent methodology to zoning the GSMP. Read the report findings: (Downlad pdf)
