AGY-4050 | National Parks and Wildlife Service [II]

Full description

Background
The National Parks and Wildlife Service [I] was initially established by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1967 (Act No.35, 1967) (1), and reconstituted by the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (Act No.80, 1974). (2)

The National Parks and Wildlife Service [II]
On 23 April 2003 the National Parks Service was effectively abolished and reconstituted as the National Parks and Wildlife Service [II]. This occurred when the sections of the Public Sector Employment and Management (General) Order 2003 relating to the transfer of staff from National Parks and Wildlife Service to the Department of Sustainable Natural Resources were largely revoked, and the wildlife function appeared to have been transferred back to the Service. The transfer of staff for the Parramatta Parks Trust, and staff administering Regional Parks under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (Act No. 80, 1974) to the Department of Sport and Recreation was not revoked by the Order. (3)

The function of the Service were:
To ensure the conservation of protected native animals and plants throughout New South Wales;
To protect and manage Aboriginal Sites, objects and places of special significance to Aboriginal people;
To promote community awareness, understanding and appreciation of the conservation of nature and our cultural heritage;
To investigate and acquire land for inclusion in a system of national parks and nature reserves to conserve a complete range of the natural environment of the state;
To manage historic places within the reserve system and to acquire historic places of significance;
To manage these areas and culturally significant feature for enjoyment and conservation;
To identify, protect and manage wilderness throughout New South Wales (4)

On 24 September 2003 the Minister for the Environment announced that the Environment Protection Authority, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Royal Botanic Gardens and Resource NSW would combine to become the Department of Environment and Conservation. (5)

ENDNOTES:
(1) National Parks and Wildlife Act 1967 s.5.
(2) National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 s.6.
(3) NSW Government Gazette, 23 April 2003, pp.4549-4551.
(4) National Parks and Wildlife Service Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2003, p.8.
(5) NSW Government Gazette, 24 September 2003 pp.9505-9509.