Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030
Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030 is a ten-year plan for supporting the growth, better management and sustainability of the state’s protected areas, including our extraordinary national parks and private protected areas.
One of the most naturally and culturally diverse places on earth, Queensland is home to incredibly unique and globally important ecosystems.
Queensland has more than 1000 national parks and other protected areas, and half of Queensland’s native wildlife species are unique to the state.
Queensland also has rich cultural values stewarded by the oldest living cultures on earth—the First Nations peoples from the lands and waters that make up Queensland. This strategy sets the course for transforming Queensland’s protected area system, in a way that provides real benefits to Queenslanders, including First Nations peoples.
The priority actions in progress include:
- accelerating growth of the protected area system to further protect natural, cultural and heritage values
- partnering with First Nations peoples to deliver the best Care for Country through traditional knowledge and expertise, and introducing new co-stewardship arrangements
- enhancing fire management to better protect our communities, wildlife and vegetation from extreme weather events
- creating new and enhanced nature tourism opportunities and visitor experiences, including visitor centre upgrades
- building partnerships to secure land that provides the highest level of conservation outcomes
- implementing an adaptive management model for protected areas, based on an area’s values.
The Strategy supports substantial job retention and employment growth across multiple sectors, including tourism, outdoor recreation, research, education and conservation, plus economic development and self-determination opportunities for First Nations peoples.
The Strategy also seeks to attract new partnerships, philanthropic contributions and private capital to grow and enhance Queensland’s protected areas. The Queensland Government will explore opportunities to bring public, private and philanthropic funders and sponsors together to protect and expand Queensland’s unique natural and cultural heritage through protected areas.
Supporting information
- The Community Summary outlines the key elements of the Strategy, and explains the role that protected areas play in maintaining the overall health of Queensland’s environment, economy, and social and cultural life.
- Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy report cards outline what has been achieved so far (in growing, caring for, and connecting people with Queensland’s protected areas). They also provide baselines for the measures that will be used to track progress over the coming years:
- A report by The University of Queensland outlines the significant economic value that national parks provide to the Queensland economy through tourism and recreational use.
- The Queensland National Park Investment Prioritisation Framework guides the strategic prioritisation of land for addition to the public protected area estate. The framework guides and shapes decisions by providing a consistent, transparent and evidence-based methodology for identifying, assessing, selecting and prioritising potential land acquisitions or transfers of new areas.