Annual Report 2010-11 - Appendices
© Director of National Parks, 2011 | ISSN 1443-1238
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Appendix A: Agency Resourcing Statement 2010-11
The Agency Resourcing Statement was introduced to Portfolio Budget Statements in 2008-09 to provide information about the various funding sources that the Director of National Parks may draw upon during the year.
The Director of National Parks is required to publish the Agency Resourcing Statement in the annual report that reconciles to cash reserves in the financial statements.
Appendix B: Portfolio Budget Statements reporting 2010-11
KEY RESULT AREA 1 - NATURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT
PBS Target - Viable populations of selected significant species maintained
- Park managers have nominated 36 species across the six terrestrial reserves to determine whether viable populations of selected significant species have been maintained in those reserves. Of the selected species, the populations of 4 species are increasing; 13 species are remaining steady; 7 species are decreasing; 1 species is likely to be extinct; 2 species may be locally extinct; and for 9 species population data are deficient.
Booderee National Park
Christmas Island National Park
Kakadu National Park
Norfolk Island National Park
Pulu Keeling National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
PBS Target - No net increase in distribution/abundance of significant invasive species
- Park managers have nominated 24 significant invasive species across the six terrestrial reserves to identify changes in overall distribution and abundance. Of the selected species, the populations of 9 species are increasing; 3 species are remaining steady; 4 species are decreasing; and for 8 species population data are deficient.
Booderee National Park
Christmas Island National Park
Kakadu National Park
Norfolk Island National Park
Pulu Keeling National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
KEY RESULT AREA 2 - CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT
PBS Target - 100 per cent of key sites, as agreed with traditional owners, inspected and treated as required (Jointly managed parks only)
- All key sites at Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks were inspected as agreed with traditional owners with various treatments undertaken as required. An inspection and treatment program is not yet in place at Booderee National Park.
KEY RESULT AREA 3 - JOINT MANAGEMENT AND WORKING WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES
PBS Target - Five per cent increase in numbers of Indigenous staff and/or contractors directly or indirectly providing park services (Jointly managed parks only)
- Overall the number of directly employed Indigenous staff throughout the year declined slightly in the jointly managed parks.
- The number of Indigenous staff (including intermittent and irregular employees) and contractors indirectly engaged to provide services at Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks remained steady. Anangu participation in flexible employment through the Mutitjulu Community Ranger program has remained high with a number of wati (men) and kungka (women) regularly engaged in park activities. Anangu participating in the Mutitjulu Community Ranger program are also attending the park's literacy and numeracy program which is run weekly at Nyangatjatjara College.
- Bininj were engaged as part of the Kakadu Indigenous Ranger Program, with eight and a half full-time equivalent positions filled for the entire year plus up to an additional six temporary positions at various times throughout the year.
- WBACC Contracting Services (the enterprise arm of the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council) provided $1.9 million of cleaning, road maintenance, entry station, horticultural and infrastructure maintenance services to Booderee National Park. In its 2010 annual report, WBACC reported that it employed 15 permanent full-time, three permanent part-time and a number of casual staff to deliver these services.
- The Director and Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council completed draft service level agreements for the second round of outsourcing at Booderee, including infrastructure maintenance and horticultural services.
KEY RESULT AREA 4 - USE AND APPRECIATION OF PROTECTED AREAS
PBS Target - Greater than 90 per cent of comments received from park users about their visit are positive
- Visitor surveys were undertaken in Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Booderee and Norfolk Island National Parks. All reserves recorded satisfaction from greater than 90% of park users (Kakadu - 91%; Uluru - 91%, Booderee - 97% Norfolk Island - 98%).
KEY RESULT AREA 5 - STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERSHIPS
PBS Target - Stakeholders and partners are actively involved during the year
- Stakeholders and partners were actively involved and contributed effectively to park management activities. Key stakeholder included national and regional tourism organisations (including the Transport and Tourism Forum and Tourism Australia), industry groups, universities, non-government organisations and community groups.
- Research partnerships continued with a range of organisations such as the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service, CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, Australian National University, University of Canberra, Charles Darwin University and the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Three projects were supported by Australian Research Council Linkage Grants.
- A partnership agreement with Taronga Zoo for conservation of Christmas Island's declining reptiles, including off-island captive breeding, was signed in May 2011.
- Constructive partnerships in managing Commonwealth reserves continued with: local government including Councils, state government parks agencies and other relevant agencies including schools and educational institutions and conservation and land management agencies, and Commonwealth agencies including the Department of Defence, the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
- The Australian National Botanic Gardens and the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research continued their support for, and involvement, with the Council of Heads of Australian Botanic Gardens and the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria.
KEY RESULT AREA 6 - BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
PBS Target - Five per cent reduction in number of risks identified in Risk Watch Lists as 'extreme', 'very high' or 'high'
- There was no net reduction in the number of extreme, very high and high risks in risk watch lists over 2010-11.
- The Director has participated in the Comcover Risk Management Benchmarking Scheme since 2002-03. In 2010-11 the Director scored 7.6 out of a possible 10 compared to an average score for all Australian Government agencies of 6.4. For the last six years the Director has consistently scored above the average for all agencies.
PBS Target - Eight management plans and six implementation schedules in place
- Three management plans covering four terrestrial reserves are in place (Norfolk Island National Park and Norfolk Island Botanic Gardens are two reserves covered by one management plan). Draft management plans are being finalised for Booderee, Christmas Island and Pulu Keeling National Parks and the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
- Three implementation schedules are in place. Implementation schedules are not in place for the reserves with expired management plans.
PBS Target - No major injuries to staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors relating to an undertaking of the Director of National Parks
- Seven major injuries were sustained by parks staff and contractors including amputated fingers. Four park visitors died (two drownings and a death due to dehydration in Kakadu and one heart attack in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park) and there were 18 major injuries to visitors (mainly fractures from slips, trips and falls).
PBS Target - Eight parks with climate change strategies in place
- Five of the eight terrestrial reserves have climate change strategies in place. The Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden Climate Change Strategy 2011-2016 was finalised and endorsed during the year and draft strategies were progressed for Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Christmas Island and Pulu Keeling National Parks. Policies related to climate change monitoring, mitigation and adaptation are also being incorporated into management plans as they are being drafted.
- Climate change strategies for each park identify actions to address five key objectives:
- Understanding the implications of climate change
- Implementing adaptation measures to maximise the resilience of our reserves
- Reducing our carbon footprint
- Working with communities, industries and stakeholders to mitigate and adapt to climate change
- Communicating the implications of climate change and our management response.
PBS Target - Three new actions implemented which reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Greenhouse gas emissions associated with stationary and transport energy use over the year were estimated to be 4,718 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is a reduction of around 12 % compared with the average emissions over the past three years.
- Kakadu and the Australian National Botanic Gardens have undertaken carbon emissions audits (consistent with ISO14064-1) that considers energy use (including lighting, heating and cooling), waste, water and support infrastructure (e.g. insulation) across all buildings, vehicles and equipment used in the park and at the Gardens. At the Gardens the recommendations have been reviewed and as appropriate will be implemented as funding permits.
- As part of the department's ICT Refresh Program, Booderee National Park received an upgrade to its computers and printers. As a result, the park anticipates a reduction in desktop energy consumption.
- The ANBG is limited in its ability to reduce energy consumption, due to its business requirements for maintaining plant and herbarium specimens at very specific conditions. The ANBG continues to aim for a 10 per cent offset in its energy usage and in 2010-11 increased its purchase of GreenPower to 126,883 kilowatt hours (approximately 10.8 per cent of purchased electricity).
- Parks staff continue to make a conscious effort to minimise business-related travel, while recognising that face-to-face contact and visits to remote locations are sometimes necessary, particularly for the three parks that are managed jointly with their Indigenous owners. Parks Australia regularly uses alternatives to air travel such as tele- and videoconferencing.
- Obtaining accurate measurements of greenhouse emissions related to waste remains challenging and estimates were not available for all reserves. Ongoing efforts are focused on providing web-based visitor and interpretative materials, which will further reduce printing and paper consumption.
- Access to regional recycling facilities is gradually improving for remote locations such as Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks and external territories. Basic recycling facilities are now available on Norfolk Island and office paper is being sourced from renewable sources when available. Kakadu National Park is participating in a regional recycling and resource recovery program and is continuing its recycling programs in and around offices for paper, glass and aluminium. Where recycling facilities are cost effective and available, for example at the ANBG, improvements in recycling have lead to the diversion of approximately 39 tonnes of waste from landfill.
KEY RESULT AREA 7 - BIODIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
PBS Target - Five per cent increase in website unique users and publications accessed
- The Parks Australia websites (parksaustralia.gov.au and kakadu.com.au) received an almost 10 percent increase in visitation in 2011 with 593, 038 visits (an average of 1,624 per day). Use of online PDF publications decreased by almost 30 percent to 76,158 downloads as more and more publications are provided in html and smart phone friendly alternatives in line with Government Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 requirements.
Appendix C: Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance
Section 516A of the EPBC Act requires Australian Government organisations to include in their annual reports details of the organisation's contribution to ecologically sustainable development as well as the environmental performance of the organisation. Section 516A also promotes development of a framework that integrates environmental, economic and social considerations and helps improve the environmental performance and ecologically sustainable development of Australian Government agencies.
The following is a summary of activities by the Director of National Parks in 2010-11 in accordance with section 516A of the EPBC Act.
1. How the activities of the organisation, and the administration of legislation by the organisation, accord with the principles of sustainable development (section 516A(6)(a))
The following activities accord with the principles of integrating environmental, social and economic considerations:
- ensuring the long-term sustainability of biodiversity in Commonwealth terrestrial reserves by managing biodiversity in accordance with management plans prepared under the EPBC Act. The EPBC Act explicitly recognises the principles of ecologically sustainable development
- managing Commonwealth reserves in consultation with boards of management and advisory committees
- undertaking monitoring and assessment programs for plants and animals within the reserves
- undertaking compliance operations resulting in detection and fines against illegal activities in the reserves
- working with traditional owners to implement traditional management and use of resources
- establishing criteria for preparing tourism master plans which provide for safe and memorable visitor experiences, while improving benefits to local communities and ensuring the environmental values of Commonwealth reserves are not affected.
The following activities accord with the principles of ecologically sustainable development, especially by employing or promoting the use of the precautionary principle:
- making decisions that comply with the EPBC Act (sections 324-390A) and in accordance with decision making and environmental impact assessment procedures for works and new developments in Commonwealth reserves
- adapting management approaches to take account of the Parks Australia Climate Change Strategy.
The following activities accord with the principles of ecologically sustainable development by aiming to promote conservation of the environment for the benefit of future generations:
- promoting enjoyment and understanding of protected areas and their conservation objectives as set out in management plans for each reserve
- working with traditional owners to ensure traditional knowledge about management and use of the land is incorporated into park management activities and that opportunities are created for young Indigenous people to learn about and contribute to park management.
For a summary of activities undertaken in 2010-11 refer to Chapter 4 of this annual report under KRA 3 - Joint management and working with Indigenous communities and KRA 4 - Use and appreciation of protected areas.
The following activities accord with the principles of ecologically sustainable development by ensuring that conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity is a fundamental consideration in decision making:
- Commonwealth reserves are managed in accordance with management plans established under the EPBC Act and with IUCN Protected Area Categories which have as their primary purpose the long-term conservation of nature
- management plans set out clear decision-making and environmental assessment procedures for works and new proposals in Commonwealth reserves to ensure the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity.
For a summary of activities undertaken in 2010-11 refer to Chapter 4 of this annual report under KRA 1 - Natural heritage management.
The following activities accord with the principles of ecologically sustainable development by aiming to improve valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms:
- tour operator workshops and tour guide accreditation aim to improve the quality and consistency of visitor experiences
- entry and park use fees at heavily visited reserves ensure visitors contribute to the cost of park management.
2. How the outcomes specified in the relevant Appropriations Act contribute to ecologically sustainable development (section 516A(6)(b))
The Director of National Parks' key outcome as identified in the 2010-11 Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Portfolio Budget Statements is the conservation and appreciation of Commonwealth reserves through the provision of safe visitor access, the control of invasive species and working with stakeholders and neighbours. The Portfolio Budget Statements describe this outcome as follows:
The conservation and appreciation of natural and cultural values of Commonwealth reserves through best practice management of nationally significant assets, provision for appropriate recreation and tourism and better understanding of their values. Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Booderee National Parks are jointly managed with their indigenous owners.
Activities undertaken during 2010-11 to achieve this outcome are described in Chapter 4 of this annual report and the State of the Parks Report at environment.gov.au/parks/publications/annual/10-11.
3. Effect of the organisation's activities on the environment (section 516A(6)(c))
The Director is responsible for managing Australia's Commonwealth reserves. Three of these reserves are managed jointly with their Indigenous owners.
Potential large-scale threats to the reserves are managed by statutory protective mechanisms and decision-making and assessment processes set out in management plans. The Director manages commercial activities (such as tourism and camping) within reserves through the EPBC Act and the EPBC Regulations and in accordance with the management plan for each reserve.
4. Measures being taken by the organisation to minimise the impact of its activities on the environment (section 516A(6)(d))
The Director maintains a strong commitment to continuous improvement in environmental performance. The Director conducts environmental audits of operations to maximise efficient use of resources, reduce waste, and build environmental awareness among its employees and volunteers.
Each management plan identifies actions to reduce the ecological impact of the reserve's operations. Office paper, toner cartridges and organic waste are recycled and office machines (photocopiers and printers) are automatically programmed to save power. Printers are programmed to duplex documents to reduce paper use.
Climate change strategies including actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are in place or under development for all Commonwealth reserves.
For a summary of activities undertaken in 2010-11 refer to Chapter 4 of this annual report under KRA 6 - Business management.
5. Mechanisms for reviewing and increasing the effectiveness of these measures (section 516A(6)(e))
In accordance with the Australian Government's policy on energy efficiency in government operations, the Director reports on annual energy performance through the Online System for Comprehensive Activity Reporting (OSCAR) system. Public reporting provides a number of benefits to the Director including:
- increasing awareness of energy and greenhouse issues
- measuring relative performance
- providing a benchmarking tool
- tracking changes over time
- identifying high-intensity areas
- encouraging improvement through transparency.
Close analysis of the OSCAR reporting will help the Director determine how to most effectively adopt energy performance measures to meet the Director's needs and the government's revised energy intensity targets.
A summary of environmental performance related to energy use is provided in Tables C1 and C2, for waste in Tables C3 and C4 and for water use in Table C5.
Environmental Performance
The environmental performance of Parks Australia's metropolitan (Canberra and Darwin) office-based staff is included in the environmental performance report for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. This report covers Parks Australia's operations in the following locations:
- Kakadu National Park
- Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
- Territory of Christmas Island (Christmas Island National Park)
- Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Pulu Keeling National Park)
- Jervis Bay Territory (Booderee National Park)
- Territory of Norfolk Island (Norfolk Island National Park and Botanic Garden)
- Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG).
Operational requirements at each site, such as electricity, transport, developing new infrastructure and managing waste, contribute to the carbon footprint. Some properties have specialised needs - for example the ANBG maintains climate-controlled conditions in many of its glasshouses. The remote location of some reserves limits opportunities to reduce their environmental impact.
Reserve management activities such as revegetation projects and fire and pest management may also have implications for the carbon cycle. Conserving biodiversity is a primary objective for all reserves and careful management of the use of fire and vegetation can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, reliable indicators are not yet available to measure the contribution that Parks Australia's biodiversity management activities make to cutting emissions.
Environmental performance - energy use
Management plans and climate change strategies are in place or in preparation for all sites. These include provisions designed to minimise energy consumption across park operations and may include:
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions from park operational activities (such as energy use, transport and waste management) to 10 per cent below 2007-08 levels by mid-2015
- developing environmental management plans identifying actions to reduce the carbon footprint of park operations and the level of carbon emission reductions associated with each mitigation action
- changing existing electric hot water systems to solar hot water, instantaneous gas or heat pumps as replacement becomes necessary
- installing energy efficient light fixtures and light-controlling devices (such as motion sensors) in all park facilities
- replacing older vehicles with more efficient vehicles.
Total energy consumption has decreased in 2010-11. As part of the department's ICT Refresh Program, Booderee National Park received an upgrade to its computers and printers. As a result, the park anticipates a reduction in desktop energy consumption.
Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks rely on diesel power generation as they are not on an electricity grid. However, consistent with a three-year Energy Audit completed in 2009-10, Kakadu National Park has commenced the process for replacing its diesel-powered generators with more efficient systems requiring less fuel.
The ANBG is also limited in its ability to reduce energy consumption, due to its requirements for maintaining plant and herbarium specimens at very specific conditions. The ANBG continues to aim for a 10 per cent offset in its energy use and in 2010-11 purchased 126,883 kilowatt hours of GreenPower (approximately 10.8 per cent of purchased electricity).
Parks staff continue to make a conscious effort to minimise business-related travel, while recognising that face-to-face contact and visits to remote locations are sometimes necessary, particularly for the three parks managed jointly with their Indigenous owners. Parks Australia regularly uses alternatives to air travel such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing.
Table C1: DNP terrestrial reserves greenhouse gas emissions 2007-11 - stationary energy use
Table C2: DNP terrestrial reserves greenhouse gas emissions 2007-11 - transport energy use
Environmental performance - waste
Obtaining accurate measurements of greenhouse emissions for waste remains challenging and estimates were not available for all reserves.
The Director adopts environmental best practice principles for resource use and management of waste products. Management plans are in place or in preparation for all sites including provisions to minimise waste production across park operations and may include:
- establishing guidelines to formalise waste reduction strategies into standard park practices (such as reducing consumption, printing double-sided, recycling)
- sourcing consumable items such as office paper from renewable sources
- where possible, providing recycling facilities to visitors or promoting 'rubbish bin free' sites that encourage the public to take their waste home for recycling
- for island sites such as on Norfolk Island, arranging for mainland recycling of consumables such as used printer cartridges.
Ongoing efforts are focused on providing web-based visitor and interpretative materials, which will further reduce printing and paper consumption. Overall paper usage in 2010-11 declined by 10 per cent compared with the previous reporting year and 28 per cent compared with the average use of the previous three years. There were significant increases in paper consumption in 2010-11 associated with the 25th anniversary of Handback at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the 40th anniversary celebrations at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Several reserves use 100 per cent post-consumer recycled paper for printing.
In 2010-11 Parks Australia purchased an average of 3.7 reams of paper per employee (excluding metropolitan office-based staff) which means that all parks and reserves are well under the departmental target of 12 reams per employee. Over time, technology upgrades at all locations will provide more opportunities to print double-sided, reducing paper wastage further.
Access to regional recycling facilities is gradually improving for remote locations such as Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks and external territories. Basic recycling facilities are now available on Norfolk Island and office paper is being sourced from renewable sources when available. Kakadu National Park is participating in a regional recycling and resource recovery program and is continuing its recycling programs in and around offices for paper, glass and aluminium. Where recycling facilities are available, for example at the ANBG, improvements in recycling have lead to the diversion of 39 tonnes of waste from landfill. Recycling facilities will continue to be available in all ANBG offices and onsite facilities including composting of organic kitchen waste.
Table C3: DNP terrestrial reserves greenhouse gas emissions 2007-11 - waste
Table C4: DNP terrestrial reserves paper consumption 2010-11 - reams of paper
Environmental performance - water
Protecting water quality is a high priority for Parks Australia. Management plans are in place or in preparation for all sites including provisions designed to ensure water use is minimised and water quality maintained and may include:
- auditing water use in Commonwealth reserves and implementing actions to provide efficiencies and improvements
- implementing water saving initiatives such as rainwater harvesting, water recycling, the use of water saving devices and upgrading water reticulation infrastructure
- providing information to visitors on how to protect water quality.
The quality of surface water, groundwater and waterholes in reserves is regularly monitored and activities in each reserve must not interrupt the natural flow of water. Capacity to measure water consumption at each reserve is improving but consistent data are not yet available. The reduction in water use recorded across the reserves in 2010-11 was due largely to an extended wet season in Kakadu National Park and vacant housing in the park headquarters area; the completion of the Australian National Botanic Gardens' water extraction project; and only partial water data being available from Booderee and Pulu Keeling National Parks.
The Australian National Botanic Gardens' non-potable water extraction project was completed in 2010-11 and water from Lake Burley Griffin is now used for irrigation and will save up to 170 million litres of Canberra's potable water supply every year. Booderee National Park continued to install water saving devices such as waterless urinals and touch-pad showers in the park and is exploring the potential for harvesting rainwater. Norfolk Island National Park is completely reliant on captured rainwater. An extra 2,000 litre rainwater tank has been purchased to collect water for the Parks hut on Phillip Island increasing the water storage capacity by 33 per cent. A new 22,000 litre underground rainwater tank has been incorporated into the new toilet block at Cooks Monument. This replaces the old 2,000 litre tank and increases capacity by 20,000 litres. All water used in the Norfolk Island National Park is captured in rainwater tanks. As part of Pulu Keeling National Park's efforts to minimise water use additional rainwater tanks installed have been installed at park residences with plans to convert as main water supply. A rainwater tank was also installed to water the native seedlings nursery.
Table C5: DNP terrestrial reserves - water consumption 2007-11
Appendix D: Freedom of information statement
The Director of National Parks received no applications pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). No applications were made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The FOI Act extends to the Australian community the right to obtain access to information in the possession of the Australian Government. Access is limited only by exemptions necessary for the protection of essential public interests and the private and business affairs of persons in respect of whom information is collected and held by departments and statutory authorities.
Section 8 of the FOI Act requires departments and statutory authorities to make available information about their functions, organisations and operations. This information is included in other parts of this annual report.
Details of the categories of documents each agency maintains, and the facilities for public access, are also required under section 8 of the FOI Act.
For information about the Director of National Parks' functions and the organisation structure, see Chapter 2 and Figure 3.
Arrangements for outside participation in decisions, policy and administration
Public participation in the management of Commonwealth reserves under the EPBC Act is facilitated through a number of consultative mechanisms, including by publishing notices inviting public comment on any proposals to declare, revoke or amend a Commonwealth reserve or to make a management plan for a Commonwealth reserve and by making draft management plans for Commonwealth reserves available for public comment.
For Commonwealth reserves on Aboriginal-owned land (Kakadu, Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Booderee National Parks) the EPBC Act provides for both consultation with, and involvement of, representatives of the Aboriginal landowners in relation to management of the reserve. The consultative processes are outlined in Chapter 7 of this report.
Information about categories of documents
Categories of documents held by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities on behalf of the Director of National Parks include:
- files relating to all aspects of the activities and functions of the Director;
- studies, reports and surveys;
- agenda papers and minutes of meetings; and
- procedures manuals.
The Director of National Parks publishes on its website information used to assist in the exercise of its functions and powers. This information includes, but is not limited to;
- guidelines and template agreements;
- information to assist members of the public and organisations to comply with statutory requirements, such as guidelines, procedures, application forms, brochures and fact sheets;
- policy documents; and
- tool kits.
Queries related to operational information may be directed to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Community Information Unit on 1800 803 772, or by email at ciu@environment.gov.au.
Freedom of information procedures and initial contact points
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities handles requests by the public under the FOI Act on behalf of the Director of National Parks. Contact details for the Freedom of Information Contact Officer are:
Phone: (02) 6274 2147
Fax: (02) 6274 1587
Email: foi@environment.gov.au
Formal freedom of information requests must:
- be in writing;
- state that the request is an application for the purposes of the FOI Act;
- provide information about the document(s) to assist us to process your request; and
- provide an address for reply.
Requests should be addressed to:
Freedom of Information Contact Officer
Legal Section
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
or by email to: foi@environment.gov.au
Appendix E: Compliance index
This annual report has been prepared in accordance with the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies (Report of Operations) Orders 2005.
Glossary and shortened forms
Anangu
Western Desert Aboriginal person or people (generally those Aboriginal people with traditional affiliations to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park)
ANAO
Australian National Audit Office
ANBG
Australian National Botanic Gardens
Benthic
Marine organisms that live on, in or near the ocean floor
Bininj
Traditional owners of Aboriginal land and traditional owners of other land in Kakadu National Park, and other Aboriginals entitled to enter upon or use or occupy the Park in accordance with Aboriginal tradition governing the rights of that Aboriginal or group of Aboriginals with respect to the Park
CAC Act
Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997
Cetaceans
Whales, porpoises and dolphins
China-Australia Migratory
Birds Agreement (CAMBA)
Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the People's Republic of China for the Protection of Migratory Birds and their Environment
CSIRO
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
EEZ
Exclusive Economic Zone
Endemic
(Of a taxonomic group) confined to a given region
EPBC Act
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
FOI Act
Freedom of Information Act 1982
GIS
Geographic information system
GPS
Global positioning system
IBRA
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia
IMCRA
Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia
IUCN
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Japan-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement (JAMBA)
Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan for the Protection of Migratory Birds in Danger of Extinction and their Environment
Korea-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement (ROKAMBA)
Agreement between the Government of Australia and Republic of Korea for the Protection of Migratory Birds
KRA
Key result area
Migratory Species (Bonn) Convention
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn, 1979)
MoU Box area
An area within Australian waters covered by a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesia that includes Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island and is open to traditional Indonesian fishers
Pelagic
Species or activities that normally live or occur near the ocean surface or the water column
Seamounts
Large cone-shaped remnants of extinct volcanoes rising from the ocean floor
Terrestrial
Relating to the land or land-dwelling
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Wetlands (Ramsar) Convention
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar, 1971)
World Heritage Convention
Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Paris, 1972)