Queensland scene

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) manages Queensland’s national parks, State forests (non-plantation areas) and marine parks on behalf of the State Government and the Minister for National Parks, Sport and Racing. QPWS has 10 regions throughout Queensland—six terrestrial (South East, Western, Sunshine Coast/ Burnett, Capricornia, Wet Tropics and Cape York/ Savannah) and four marine (Moreton Bay, Great Sandy, Central and Northern).

QPWS has responsibility for managing more than 400 of Queensland’s State forests and timber reserves gazetted under the Forestry Act 1959, over 600 reserves (including national parks, regional parks, resource reserves and forest reserves) gazetted under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, as well as Queensland’s seven recreation areas established under the Recreation Areas Management Act 2006.

State forests in Queensland

Queensland has around three million hectares of State forests and timber reserves.

The division is also directly responsible for managing Queensland’s (State) marine parks with a total area of approximately 72,000 square kilometres and has primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (345,000 square kilometres).

The majority of QPWS staff are located in regional Queensland with more than 700 rangers operating from national parks and bases around the state. In addition there are more than 400 additional QPWS staff who provide technical and scientific advice, operational planning and policy development and corporate and administrative functions at district, regional and head offices.

Queensland’s Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service managed reserves, Current Gazettals as at 18 December 2011

Legislation	Reserve	Number	Area (hectares)
Nature Conservation Act 1992	National parks	320	8,253,001
	Conservation parks	224	68,232
	Resources reserves	43	341,511
	Forest reserves	99	192,698
Forestry Act 1959	State forests	411	2,984,105
	Timber reserves	9	67,559

Queensland's national parks are an important part of our natural heritage. Through careful management, people can enjoy the parks, confident that this natural and cultural heritage will be passed to future generations.