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Statutory Bodies

There are two statutory advisory bodies who provide advice to the Minister on issues relating to the management of Victoria's parks and reserves system. They are:

• The National Parks Advisory Council (NPAC)
• The Reference Areas Advisory Committee (RAAC)

National Parks Advisory Council Members - Expressions of Interest

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Gavin Jennings MLC, is seeking expressions of interest for four positions on the National Parks Advisory Council. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to Victoria’s national parks system.

Members will be appointed for up to three years from 1 October 2009.

The Council is established under the National Parks Act 1975 and provides advice to the Minister on the administration of the Act and on particular matters as specified in the Act.

Applicants must satisfy one of the following criteria:

• have skills or experience relating to the preservation and protection of parks
• be a professor or teacher of ecology, biology or earth science at a university in Victoria
• be a rural resident with experience in matters affecting the interests of the community
• be a metropolitan resident with experience in matters affecting the interests of the community.

Some Council members are also appointed as members of the Reference Areas Advisory Committee under the Reference Areas Act 1978. This committee advises the Minister on the protection, control and management of reference areas on public land. Applicants for membership of the National Parks Advisory Council are invited to indicate their interest in membership of the Committee.

The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring that the diversity of our boards represents the diversity of our communities. Women, Indigenous people, people with a disability, young people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How can I apply?

Please read the information about the National Parks Advisory Council and the Reference Areas Advisory Committee, and the application process. To apply, fill in the the Application Form and the Curriculum Vitae Template.

The information kit, the Application Form and the Curriculum Vitae Template can be downloaded here:

Information Kit - NPAC EOI 2009 (PDF - 41 KB)

Application form - NPAC EOI 2009 (PDF - 23 KB)
Application form - NPAC EOI 2009 (MS Word - 55 KB)

CV Template - NPAC EOI 2009 (PDF - 43 KB)
CV Template - NPAC EOI 2009 (MS Word - 64 KB)

Please send application form and curriculum vitae marked ‘Private and Confidential’ to:

Ms Kathleen Marcoux
Executive Officer, National Parks Advisory Council
Forests and Parks Division
Department of Sustainability and Environment
PO Box 500, East Melbourne VIC 3002
or via e-mail to kathleen.marcoux@dse.vic.gov.au

Expressions of interest close COB Monday 22 June 2009.


National Parks Advisory Council

The National Parks Advisory Council (NPAC) is established under the National Parks Act 1975 to advise the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on the administration of the Act and on several specific matters.

Its functions are to:

• advise the Minister generally in relation to the administration of the Act and on particular matters in relation to that administration on which the Minister seeks its advice
• advise the Minister on any proposed excision from a park referred to it by the Minister
• provide advice on certain leases and on consents for particular activities relating to earth resources in parks
• submit an annual report to the Minister.

NPAC activities

The NPAC generally has four to six meetings and two field inspections of parks each year. During inspections of parks, members discuss various park management issues with regional managers, chief rangers and parks staff. Members gain a first-hand understanding and appreciation of park management that provides a sound basis for providing advice to the Minister. The NPAC adopts a thematic approach that guides both the setting of agendas for its meetings and the planning of its inspections of parks.

Themes for 2008-2009 include:

• Indigenous involvement in park management
• The River Red Gum Forests Investigation
• The management planning of the Greater Alpine national parks.
  

Annual report 2007-2008

NPAC Annual Report 2007-2008 (PDF - 890 KB)

Previous annual reports are also available for download:

NPAC Annual Report 2006-2007 (PDF - 119 Kb)

NPAC Annual Report 2005-2006 (PDF - 208 Kb)


NPAC members

The Act provides that the NPAC is made up of 10 members with specific skills and experience, including a convenor, as follows:

Specific appointees

• Secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment or his or her nominee
• Director of National Parks (who is the Chief Executive Officer of Parks Victoria)

Members with specific skills and experience appointed by the Governor in Council

• Two persons with skills or experience relating to the preservation and the protection of parks
• A professor or teacher of ecology, biology or earth science at a university in Victoria
• A person with experience in local government who resides in a municipality in which there is a park
• Four persons with experience in matters affecting the interests of the community (at least two of whom reside outside the metropolitan area).

Members are generally appointed for 3 years. Members may be re-appointed.

Contact

By post:

Executive Officer
National Parks Advisory Council
c / - Forests and Parks Division
Department of Sustainability and Environment
PO Box 500
East Melbourne VIC 3002


Reference Areas Advisory Committee

The Reference Areas Advisory Committee (RAAC) is established under the Reference Areas Act 1978. The RAAC advises the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on the protection, control and management of reference areas on public land.
Its main functions are to:

• develop standards, policies and management directives for the protection of reference areas, for the consideration of the Minister
• provide advice to management authorities on the management of particular reference areas.

RAAC activities

The RAAC generally meets three to four times a year. Meetings are held in Melbourne, and usually on the same day as the NPAC meetings. Meetings usually one to two hours. Each year, the RAAC program is built around issues relating to reference areas on which the Committee’s advice is required under the Reference Areas Act 1978 and also in response to requests for advice on particular management issues as they arise.

RAAC members

The Reference Areas Act 1978 provides for a Committee made up of no more than six members, including the chairperson:

• 3 are nominated by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change
• the remainder are persons with qualifications in one or other of the scientific disciplines concerned with matters relating to the preservation or management of land and ecological communities.

Members are appointed for a period of up to five years, and are eligible for re-appointment.

Contact

By post:

Executive Officer
Reference Areas Advisory Committee
c / - Forests and Parks Division
Department of Sustainability and Environment
PO Box 500
East Melbourne VIC 3002