National Parks are the cornerstone of our conservation effort. They protect not just native plants and animals, but whole ecosystems. They also provide clean water, air and opportunities for rest, recreation and respite for millions of Australians and visitors alike.

But although they're called National Parks, the National (Australian) Government has very little to do with most National Parks at present. They are managed by State Governments.

And State Governments across Australia are talking about using our National Parks for logging, grazing, mining, large-scale tourism developments and other destructive practices for short-term political or commercial gain.

The damage this would cause would last for generations. The Federal Government needs to act now, in this session of Parliament, to protect our National Parks and reserves systems.

Contrary to popular belief, the Australian Government currently has only limited powers over most National Parks – they are ‘National’ in name only.

The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) is currently running a campaign urging people to email or write to Federal Environment Minister, the Honourable Tony Burke MP, asking him as a matter of urgency to bring forward legislation to list National Parks as a ‘matter of environmental significance’ under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The Minister has to table this regulation within the next sitting week of Parliament if it is to take effect before the next Federal Election.

For more information on the VNPA campaign, please click here.

Or to send an email to Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke via the VNPA ‘eletter’, please click here.

John Lemons, a Professor of Biological and Environmental Science from the USA, has written a very interesting article called ‘Splendid no more - America's national parks are overrun with cars and visitors – what happened to the spirit of wilderness preservation?’.

If you’re interested in reading this article, please click here.

Dear NPAQ Members and Supporters,

In a startling decision made on Tuesday 14 May 2013, the State Government announced that 5 existing National Parks and 8 properties (purchased by the State Government as National Park) will be subject to cattle grazing. Indeed, Deputy Premier Seeney went so far as to say that the number of National Parks opened up for grazing may even be expanded.

This action is a direct contradiction of what our National Parks stand for.

NPAQ has started a postcard campaign to urge the Premier to stop grazing in National Parks. If you would like copies of this postcard to send to the Premier, please contact the NPAQ office on (07) 3367 0878 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

I also urge you to write to the Premier (address below) and your local MP to implore them to overturn this decision. Some comments you might like to make could include:

• National Parks are there to conserve our wild plants, animals and landscapes - not as cow paddocks.

• 70% of Queenslanders visited a National Park in the last 12mths - none of them came to see a cow.

• There were 27 million domestic visits to a terrestrial Parks over the same period, but who wants to come and see cattle grazing our National Parks.

• The 8 National Reserve System properties were all purchased with support from the federal government with the clear expectation that they will be made National Park.

• The State Government recently gave the National Parks Association a clear commitment that grazing will not be allowed in National Parks. NPAQ considers this action a complete breach of that commitment.

• These National Parks and properties protect listed wetlands, river catchments, newly discovered species of plants, and rare animals. Most of them have significant tourism potential and would support local regional economies.

• There is no way that grazing will deliver improved conservation outcomes for Queenslanders (quote from LNP election commitment).

• Visitors to Queensland’s National Parks spend over $1 billion a year and contribute more than $439m to the gross state product. These visitors are directly responsible for the employment of over 7,000 people, but this is at risk now from an action that compromises the National Park image and brand.

• This action will irrevocably change how people perceive National Parks in Queensland.

Hon Campbell Newman
Premier of Queensland
PO Box 15185
CITY EAST QLD 4002

In addition, if you’re interested in writing to State Government Ministers regarding this issue, then please click here for the Directory of Queensland Ministers.

Warm regards,

Paul Donatiu
Executive Coordinator
National Parks Association of Queensland

If you're interested in viewing the presentation made by the then Treasurer - Ted Van Reil - at the 19 September 2012 AGM then please click here.

As per the August and September issues of NPA News, this year the NPAQ 2011-2012 Audited Financial Report is available online.

To view the Report, please click here.

Any members who would like a paper copy of the Report in advance of the AGM may obtain one from the office.

Also, copies of the Report will be available at the AGM.