Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)

Department of Parks and Wildlife

Generic (Western Australia) shoulder patch for Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife officers, 2014
Agency overview
Formed	1 July 2013
Preceding agency	Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)
Jurisdiction	Government of Western Australia
Agency executive	Mr Jim Sharp, Director General
Website	dpaw.wa.gov.au

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (P&W) is a department of the Government of Western Australia. It is responsible for managing lands described in the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 and implementing the state's conservation and environment legislation and regulations. The minister responsible for the department is the Minister for the Environment.

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) was separated on 30 June 2013 forming the Department of Parks and Wildlife (P&W) and the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) which both commenced operations on 1 July 2013.^[1]

P&W focuses on managing multiple use state forests, national parks, marine parks and reserves.

DER focuses on environmental regulation, approvals and appeals processes, and pollution prevention.

Status (at 30 June 2016)

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has management responsibilities in:^[2]

• State forests (1,304,154 ha),
  

  Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Conservation Employee changing a culvert pipe at Dombakup Block, Warren State Forest in May 2015.
• 100 national parks (6,248,684 ha),
  

  Western Australia Parks and Wildlife National Park Ranger assessing public frequentation on a Metro Count Vehicle Classifier System, Warren National Park, Donnelly District, December 2014.
• 17 conservation parks (856,393 ha),
• 13 marine parks (2,239,612 ha),
• 1 marine nature reserve (132,000 ha),
• nature reserves (10,248,014 ha), and
• other lands and waters throughout the state.

At 30 June 2016, the total area under Parks and Wildlife's care was 29,192,323 ha. The land area managed by the Department is about 10.3 per cent of the land area of Western Australia.

The lands and waters managed by the Department received in 2014-15^[3] 18.6 million visits a year, with visitor satisfaction at a high level of 89%. The average level of visitor satisfaction with their visit on Parks & Wildlife lands and waters was of 91.4% in 2015-16.

10,910 people were registered volunteers with the Department in 2014-15 that helped in a range of projects across the State with 610,000 hours contributed. During 2015-16, 5,189 active volunteers of the total 13,737 registered individuals contributed 638,747 voluntary hours to more than 200 Parks and Wildlife environmental and recreational programs.^[4]

Parks and Wildlife is responsible for the wildlife conservation project Western Shield^[5] which is pest animal control (4 million hectares of conservation reserves and State forests baited for feral animal control) as well as weed control on more than 89 million hectares of unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves.^[6]

There are a number of internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots within Western Australia and in particular in the South West of the State.^[7]

Parks and Wildlife also manages two of the world's greatest long distance trails: the 1,000 km Bibbulmun Track^[8] for walkers, and the 1,000 km Munda Biddi Trail^[9] for cyclists.

An important duty of the Department (with the help of the Forest Products Commission crews) is to be responsible for bushfire prevention and suppression on its lands as well as fire prevention in unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves by:^[10]

• managing fuel loads through prescribed burning and other means,
  

  WA Parks and Wildlife fire crew lighting a prescribed burn (echelon lighting) at Octopus Bore track buffer, Lorna Glen former pastoral lease, now joint managed with traditional owners, May 2015.
• responding to bushfires and
  

  Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Fire Fighters mopping up the fireline with the help of a Gang Truck fire appliance (GT3 - Donnelly 36) after a machinery constructed track was opened on a bushfire on Topanup Block, Tone State Forest, March 2015.
• undertaking research into fire behaviour and effects.

Some of the most severe West Australian bushfires that the Department had to suppress, in chronological order, have included:

Preceding agencies

Earlier forms of Nature conservation in Western Australia were under:^[14]

• Department of Lands and Surveys: 1 January 1890 - (partly split) 31 December 1895
• Wood and Forests Department: 1 January 1896 – 31 December 1918
• Forests Department: 1 January 1919 – 21 March 1985
• State Gardens Board: 15 December 1920 – 30 April 1957 (Parks and Reserves Act 1895)
• National Parks Board: 1 May 1957 – 30 July 1977
• Department of Fisheries and Fauna: 1 October 1964 – 31 December 1973
• National Parks Authority: 1 August 1977 – 15 April 1985 National Parks Authority (National Parks Authority Act 1976)
• Wildlife section of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife: 1 January 1974 – 21 March 1985 Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
• Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM): 22 March 1985 – 30 June 2006 (Conservation and Land Management Act 1984)
• Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC): 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2013
• Swan River Trust: 1989 (Swan and Canning Rivers Management Act 2006) - 1 July 2015^[15]

See also

• National Parks of Western Australia

Vehicles

The Department maintains and coordinates a range of specialist equipment and emergency response vehicles. This includes pumpers and tankers and other equipment relating to operations involving search and rescue and firefighting.

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  Gang Truck fire appliance Izusu 550 (GT2 - Donnelly 37) at Dwellingup in October 2014.

• 

  Heavy Duty fire appliance Izusu 550 (HD122 - Blackwood) at Pemberton depot in March 2015.

• 

  Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife Light Patrol (fast attack) Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D SR at Dwellingup depot in October 2014.

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  WA Department of Parks and Wildlife 4WD vehicle (used by a Sector Commander) Toyota Land Cruiser, Perth Hills, October 2014.

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  Pantech Communication Vehicle at Pemberton depot during DON019 O'Sullivan bushfire in February 2015.

• 

  WA P&W National Park Ranger light patrol in Toyota Landcruiser V8D4D Turbo Work Mate at Nambung National Park in October 2013.

• 

  Western Australia P&W Komatsu WA320 Front End Loader (Plant P7) in Perth Hills for a prescribed fire in October 2014.

• 

  WA Parks and Wildlife Caterpillar D6 Dozer (Plant P2) at Mount Solus group bushfire in November 2015.

• 

  WA Parks and Wildlife Deere 670D Grader (Plant P28) at Dwellingup depot in October 2014.

• 

  Parks and Wildlife's Fire Bomber Airtractor 802 being reloaded at Orleans Farm (Tagon) airstrip, close to Cape Arid National Park, Esperance, November 2014.

• 

  Parks and Wildlife American Scout Champion Aircraft 8GCBC (Spotter 642) at Bunbury airport, August 2015.

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  Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Helicopter during O'Sullivan bushfire, Manjimup airport, February 2015.

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  Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Helicopter during Mount Solus group bushfire, Perth Hills, November 2015.

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  Bell 412EP Helitaks water bomber during Mount Solus group bushfire, Perth Hills, November 2015.

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  WA P&W Izusu 300 4WD Tender at Dwellingup depot, October 2014.

Uniforms and equipment

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has 3 types of uniforms:^[16]

• a standard khaki and bottle green uniform with appropriate badging is supplied to and worn by staff whose duties include the monitoring of legislative compliance (National Park and Marine Rangers, Conservation and Land Management Officers, Forest Officers, Wildlife Officers and Authorised CALM Officers under Bush Fire Act),
• a work wear (khaki and bottle green only with generic badge) for those that work in the field and personal protective equipment or clothing (TecaSafe gold overshirt, TecaSafe dark green trousers and vest, Kevlar helmet with goggles, gloves, belt and fire boots) for staff who are involved in fire management activities,
• a corporate apparel worn by employees who are in regular contact with the public or members of other departments (sand, grey or white shirt, black trousers).

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  Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife shoulder's badges, 2013.^[1]

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  Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife shoulder's badges, 2015.

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  Department of Parks and Wildlife's logo positioned above the left pocket on all corporate apparels, 2013.

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  Conservation and Land Management Officer under CALM Act 1984 shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

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  National Park Ranger under CALM Act 1984 shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

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  Marine Ranger and Officer shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

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  Conservation and Land Management Officer under CALM Act 1984 (with Bushfire Act 1954 powers) shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2015.

• 

  Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife Fire Personal Protective Clothing chest badge, 2014.

• 

  Bush Fire Kevlar helmet Bush Ranger 9 (Pacific) used for bushfires and prescribed burns, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2014.

1. ^ Department of Parks and Wildlife Branding guidelines, April 2014.

Notes

External links

• Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)
• Department of Environment Regulation

Government departments of Western Australia
Departments	Agriculture and Food Attorney General Child Protection Commerce Communities Corrective Services Culture and the Arts Education Education Services Department of Environment Regulation Department of Parks and Wildlife Department of Fire and Emergency Services Fisheries Health Housing Indigenous Affairs Local Government Mines and Petroleum Planning Premier and Cabinet Racing, Gaming and Liquor Regional Development and Lands Sport and Recreation State Development Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission Training and Workforce Development Transport Treasury and Finance Water
Statutory agencies	Landgate Worksafe (Western Australia)
List of Western Australian government agencies