Department of Parks and Wildlife (Western Australia)

Department of Parks and Wildlife

Generic (Western Australia) shoulder patch for Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife staff uniform, 2014
Agency overview
Formed 1 July 2013
Preceding agency
Jurisdiction Government of Western Australia
Agency executive
  • Mr Jim Sharp, Director General
Website dpaw.wa.gov.au

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) is a department of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's conservation and environment legislation and regulations.

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) was separated on 30 June 2013 forming the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and the Department of Environment Regulation (DER) which both commenced operations on 1 July 2013.[1]

DPaW focuses on nature conservation and the community’s enjoyment and appreciation of Western Australia’s world-class network of national and marine parks.

DER focuses on environmental regulation, approvals and appeals processes, and pollution prevention.

Status (at 30 June 2015):[2]

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has management responsibilities in:

At 30 June 2015, the total area under Parks and Wildlife’s care was 28,544,745 ha. The land area managed by the Department is about 10.3 per cent of the land area of Western Australia.

The lands and waters managed by the Department received in 2014-15 18.6 million visits a year, with visitor satisfaction at a high level of 89%.

10,910 people are registered volunteers with the Department that help in a range of projects across the State with 610,000 hours contributed.[3]

Parks and Wildlife is responsible for the wildlife conservation project Western Shield[4] which is pest animal control (4 million hectares of conservation reserves and State forests baited for feral animal control) as well as weed control on more than 89 million hectares of unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves.[5]

There are a number of internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots within Western Australia and in particular in the South West of the State.[6]

Parks and Wildlife also manages two of the world’s greatest long distance trails: the 1,000 km Bibbulmun Track[7] for walkers, and the 1,000 km Munda Biddi Trail[8] for cyclists.

An important duty of the Department (with the help of the Forest Products Commission crews) is to be responsible for bushfire prevention and suppression on its lands as well as fire prevention in unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves by:[9]

Some of the most severe West Australian bushfires that the Department had to suppress, in chronological order, have included:

Fire Location Area burned
(1 ha ≈ 2.5 acres) 		Date Human fatalities Livestock death/Properties damaged
2014 Parkerville bushfire Western Australia 386 ha 12 January 2014 0 56 homes.
2015 O'Sullivan bushfire (Northcliffe - Windy Harbour) Western Australia 98,923 ha 29 January – 20 February 2015 0 1 home and 1 inhabited shed, 5 farm sheds and thousands of production forests (karri and jarrah) or national parks.
2015 Lower Hotham bushfire (Boddington)Western Australia52,373 haJanuary 201501 house, 1 farm shed, 1 bridge and thousands of production forest (jarrah) or national parks.
2015 Esperance bushfires Western Australia more than 200,000 ha[10] October – November 2015 4[11]About 10 houses and public buildings (Scaddan), 5 Nature Reserves et most area of Cape Arid national park.
Perth Hills bushfire complex - Solus GroupWestern Australia10,016 ha15 to 24 November 20150Jarrah production forest and Conservation Park.
2016 Murray Road bushfire (Waroona et Harvey)Western Australia69,000 haJanuary 20162About 160 habitations (Yarloop) and thousands of production forest (jarrah)

Preceding agencies

Earlier forms of Nature conservation in Western Australia were under:[12]

See also

Vehicles

The Department maintains and coordinates a range of specialist equipment and emergency response vehicles. This includes pumpers and tankers and other equipment relating to operations involving search and rescue and firefighting.

Uniforms and equipment

The Department of Parks and Wildlife has 3 types of uniforms:[14]

  1. ^ Department of Parks and Wildlife Branding guidelines, April 2014.

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us
  2. ↑ Department of Parks and Wildlife 2014–15 Annual Report, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2015, ISSN 2203-9198 (Print), ISSN 2203-9201 (Online).
  3. ↑ http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/get-involved/volunteering-opportunities
  4. ↑ http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-diseases/westernshield
  5. ↑ http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-diseases
  6. ↑ Australian Geographic, "Biodiversity hotspot in WA explained", Lydia Hales, 19 February 2014.
  7. ↑ https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/
  8. ↑ http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
  9. ↑ http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/fire
  10. ↑ http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/esperance-bushfire-flares-up-again--and-more-lightning-could-be-on-the-way-20151121-gl4ho8.html
  11. ↑ Taylor, Roxanne; Powell, Graeme (18 November 2015). "German backpackers, farmer believed dead in Esperance fires". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Information from the Aeon database at State Records Office of Western Australia
  13. ↑ Amalgamation of the Swan River Trust with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Minister for Environment media release, Tuesday, 30 June 2015 11:24.
  14. ↑ Policy on corporate attire, DPaW, People Services Branch, November 2013.

External links


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