Formed December 1998 | Jurisdiction Queensland | |
Type Protected area management Headquarters 111 George Street, Brisbane Minister responsible Steven Miles, National Parks, Sport and Racing Division executive Ben Klaassen, Deputy Director-General | ||
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a sub-section of the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing within the Government of Queensland. It was formerly part of the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. The primary concern is with the development and maintenance of protected areas within Queensland so as to permit permanent preservation of the area's natural condition. This includes national parks, marine parks and world heritage areas.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service was established in December 1998. The Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Marine Parks Act 2004 provide guiding legislation for the service. Steven Miles, Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef is responsible for the department. The agency is located at 111 George Street in the Brisbane central business district.
Functions
Protected areas in Queensland are needed to provide wildlife habitat, to maintain biodiversity and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. Each national park requires a management plan to be prepared.
The service employs park rangers who are responsible for maintaining campgrounds and picnic areas, providing walking tracks, advice to visitors, recording wildlife data, controlling weeds and feral animals, assist in the preparation of management plans and enforcing park rules.