Department of Parks and Wildlife

{{Short description|Former government department of Western Australia}}

{{Infobox government agency

|agency_name = Department of Parks and Wildlife

|logo =

|logo_caption = Generic (Western Australia) shoulder patch for Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife officers, 2014

|formed = 1 July 2013

|preceding1 = Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)

|jurisdiction = Government of Western Australia

|dissolved = 30 June 2017

|superseding = Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

|employees =

|chief1_name = Jim Sharp

|chief1_position = Director General

|parent_agency =

|child1_agency = Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

|website = [http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/ dpaw.wa.gov.au]

|footnotes =

}}

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 and implementing the state's conservation and environment legislation and regulations. The minister responsible for the department was the Minister for the Environment.

History

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), both of which commenced operations on 1 July 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us|title=About us - Parks and Wildlife Service|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}}

DPaW focused on managing multiple use state forests, national parks, marine parks and reserves. DER focused on environmental regulation, approvals and appeals processes, and pollution prevention.

It was announced on 28 April 2017 that the Department of Parks and Wildlife would merge with the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, the Zoological Parks Authority and the Rottnest Island Authority on 1 July 2017 to form the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.The Public Sector Commissioner has released the [https://publicsector.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2017_agency_heads.pdf list of agency heads] to lead the new departments in the medium term on 28 April 2017. This follows the Premier's announcement on significant public sector reform and structural changes across the public sector.

Status (at dissolution, 30 June 2017)

The Department of Parks and Wildlife had management responsibilities in:Department of Parks and Wildlife 2016–17 Annual Report, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2017. {{ISSN|2203-9198}} (Print), {{ISSN|2203-9201}} (Online), September 2017.

nature reserves (10,267,826 ha)
100 national parks (6,267,602 ha) File:Metrocounter NP Ranger Warren NP XII-2014.jpg
19 conservation parks (1,084,346 ha)
17 marine parks (4,307,613 ha)
1 marine nature reserve (132,000 ha)
2 marine management areas (143,000 ha)
State forests (1,309,755 ha) File:Culvert construction Dombakup V-2015.JPG and
other lands and waters throughout the state

At 30 June 2017, the total area under Parks and Wildlife's care was 31,480,868 ha. The land area managed by the department was about 10.6 per cent of the land area of Western Australia.

The lands and waters managed by the department received in 2014–15Department of Parks and Wildlife 2014–15 Annual Report, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2015, {{ISSN|2203-9198}} (Print), {{ISSN|2203-9201}} (Online). 18.6 million visits a year, with visitor satisfaction at a high level of 89%. The average level of visitor satisfaction with their visit on Parks & Wildlife lands and waters was of 91.4% in 2015–16.Department of Parks and Wildlife 2015-16 Annual Report, Department of Parks and Wildlife, September 2016, {{ISSN|2203-9198}} (Print), {{ISSN|2203-9201}} (Online). Western Australian national parks and reserves received 20 million visits in a single year for the first time in 2016–17 and a visitor satisfaction level of 92.5 per cent. Each year Parks and Wildlife aimed for a satisfaction rating above 85 per cent, a figure it had achieved for more than 10 consecutive years.

10,910 people were registered volunteers with the department in 2014–15 that helped in a range of projects across the State with 610,000 hours contributed. During 2015–16, 5,189 active volunteers of the total 13,737 registered individuals contributed 638,747 voluntary hours to more than 200 Parks and Wildlife environmental and recreational programs.{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/get-involved/volunteering-opportunities|title=Volunteering opportunities - Parks and Wildlife Service|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}} In 2016–17, Parks and Wildlife's volunteers have contributed to a record number of hours to help conserve and manage WA's natural places, with 5,410 volunteers contributing 723,508 hours.{{cite web|url=https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/news/newsletters/volunteers/20170409_volunteer_newsletter_november.v61.pdf|format=PDF|title=Welcome to the November 2017 Volunteer Newsletter.|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}}

Parks and Wildlife was responsible for the wildlife conservation project Western Shield,{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-diseases/westernshield|title=Western Shield - Parks and Wildlife Service|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}} a pest animal and weed control program that included 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/pests-diseases|title=Pests & diseases - Parks and Wildlife Service|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}}

There are a number of internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots within Western Australia and in particular in the south west of the state.Australian Geographic, "Biodiversity hotspot in WA explained", Lydia Hales, 19 February 2014.

Parks and Wildlife also managed two long-distance trails: the 1,000 km Bibbulmun Track for walkers,{{cite web|url=https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/|title=Home - Bibbulmun Track|website=Bibbulmuntrack.org.au|access-date=16 August 2018}} and the 1,000 km Munda Biddi Trail for cyclists.{{cite web|url=http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/|title=Munda Biddi Trail Foundation|website=Mundabiddi.org.au|access-date=16 August 2018}}

An important duty of the Department (with the help of the Forest Products Commission crews) was to be responsible for bushfire prevention and suppression on its lands as well as fire prevention in unallocated Crown land and unmanaged reserves. This included conducting controlled burns to reduced fuel load, and research into the behaviour and effects of bushfires.{{cite web|url=http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/management/fire|title=Fire - Parks and Wildlife Service|website=Dpaw.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 August 2018}}File:KAL 010 Octopus Bore track buffer 7 Lorna Glen V-2015.jpg, May 2015.]]

File:DON028 Topanup bushfire 1 III-2015.jpg

More than 247,360 hectares were prescribed burnt in the three forest regions during the 2016–17 financial year,Message from the Director General on 18 May 2017: staff achievements in addition to the significant burns that have been undertaken by staff in the South Coast, Goldfields, Wheatbelt, Mid West, Pilbara and Kimberley regions up to 2,988,394 hectares.

Some of the most severe West Australian bushfires that the department had to suppress, in chronological order, include:

Fire	Location	Area burned (1 ha ≈ 2.5 acres)	Date	Human fatalities	Livestock death/Properties damaged
class="wikitable"
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 State Forests (karri and jarrah) or National Parks.
2015 Lower Hotham bushfire (Boddington)	Western Australia	52,373 ha	January 2015	0	1 house, 1 farm shed, 1 bridge and thousands of production State Forests (jarrah) or National Parks.
2015 Esperance bushfires	Western Australia	more than 200,000 ha{{cite web\|url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/esperance-bushfire-flares-up-again--and-more-lightning-could-be-on-the-way-20151121-gl4ho8.html\|title=Bushfire warning downgraded for Esperance - possible threat to lives and homes\|first=Adrian Beattie and David\|last=Baker\|date=21 November 2015\|website=Watoday.com.au\|access-date=16 August 2018}}	October – November 2015	4{{cite news \|last1=Taylor\|first1=Roxanne \|last2=Powell\|first2=Graeme \|title=German backpackers, farmer believed dead in Esperance fires \|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-18/farmer-german-backpackers-among-four-dead-in-esperance-fires-wa/6950142 \|access-date=18 December 2015 \|work=ABC News \|agency=ABC \|date=18 November 2015}}	About 10 houses and public buildings (Scaddan), 15,000 stock losses, 5 Nature Reserves et most area of Cape Arid National Park.
2015 Perth Hills bushfire complex – Solus Group	Western Australia	10,016 ha	15 to 24 November 2015	0	Jarrah production State Forests and Conservation Park.
2016 Waroona bushfire (Waroona and Harvey)Fergusson, Euan: Report of the Special Inquiry into the January 2016 Waroona Fire ("Reframing Rural Fire Management"), Government of Western Australia, Volume 1: Report, 29 April 2016.	Western Australia	69,165 ha	January 2016	2	181 dwellings (166 only in Yarloop) and thousands of hectares of production State Forests (jarrah).

Preceding agencies

Earlier forms of Nature conservation in Western Australia were under:Information from the Aeon database at State Records Office of Western Australia

Department of Lands and Surveys: 1 January 1890 – (partly split) 31 December 1895
Wood and Forests Department: 1 January 1896 – 31 December 1918
Forests Department: 1 January 1919 – 21 March 1985
State Gardens Board: 15 December 1920 – 30 April 1957 (Parks and Reserves Act 1895)
National Parks Board: 1 May 1957 – 30 July 1977
Department of Fisheries and Fauna: 1 October 1964 – 31 December 1973
National Parks Authority: 1 August 1977 – 15 April 1985 (National Parks Authority Act 1976)
Wildlife section of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife: 1 January 1974 – 21 March 1985
Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM): 22 March 1985 – 30 June 2006 (Conservation and Land Management Act 1984)
Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC): 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2013
Swan River Trust: 1989 (Swan and Canning Rivers Management Act 2006) – 1 July 2015Amalgamation of the Swan River Trust with the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Minister for Environment media release, Tuesday, 30 June 2015 11:24.

Vehicles

The department maintained and coordinated a range of specialist equipment and emergency response vehicles. This included pumpers and tankers and other equipment relating to operations involving search and rescue and firefighting.

File:Izusu 550 4WD Gang Truck GT2 Donnelly 37 DPaW Dwellingup X-2014.jpg|Gang truck fire appliance Izusu 550 (GT2 – Donnelly 37) at Dwellingup in October 2014.

File:DPaW Heavy Duty fire appliance 2015.jpg|Heavy duty fire appliance Izusu 550 (HD122 – Blackwood 44) at Pemberton depot in March 2015.

File:Isuzu_750_High_Lift_2_HL3_DON_007_Big Brook_100_Year_Old_Forest_Donnelly_SF_I-2017.jpg|High lift fire appliance Izusu 750 (HL3 – Perth Hills 49) at 100 Years Old Forest prescribed burning, Donnelly State Forest, January 2017.

File:Toyota Hilux 4WD LU 1 DPaW Dwellingup X-2014.JPG|Light patrol (fast attack) Toyota Hilux 3.0 D4D SR at Dwellingup depot in October 2014.

File:Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 4WD DPaW Perth Hills X-2014.JPG|4WD vehicle (used by a sector commander) Toyota Land Cruiser, Perth Hills, October 2014.

File:Pantech 2 Communication Vehicle DPaW Pemberton II-2015.JPG|Pantech communication vehicle at Pemberton depot during DON019 O'Sullivan bushfire in February 2015.

File:Toyota Landcruiser V8D4D Turbo Work Mate 4WD LU DPaW Nambung NP X-2013.JPG|National park ranger light patrol in Toyota Landcruiser V8D4D Turbo Work Mate at Nambung National Park in October 2013.

File:Komatsu WA320 Front End Loader P7 DPaW Dwellingup X-2014.JPG|Komatsu WA320 front end loader (plant P7) in Perth Hills for a prescribed fire in October 2014.

File:Caterpillar D6 Dozer (Plant P2) Mount Solus bushfire PHS039_XI-2015.JPG|Caterpillar D6 dozer (plant P2) at Mount Solus group bushfire in November 2015.

File:Deere 670D Grader P28 DPaW Dwellingup X-2014.JPG|Deere 670D grader (plant P28) at Dwellingup depot in October 2014.

File:12 Orleans Farm (Tagon) Airstrip XI-2014.JPG|Fire bomber Airtractor 802 being reloaded at Orleans Farm (Tagon) airstrip, close to Cape Arid National Park, Esperance, November 2014.

File:American Scout Champion Aircraft 8GCBC Spotter 642 DPaW Bunbury VIII-2015.jpg|American Scout Champion Aircraft 8GCBC (spotter 642) at Bunbury airport, August 2015.

File:Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Helicopter Manjimup II-2015.JPG|Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Helicopter during O'Sullivan bushfire, Manjimup airport, February 2015.

File:Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Water bomber Mount Solus PHS039 XI-2015.JPG|Sikorsky S-64 Aircrane Erickson Inc. Helicopter during Mount Solus group bushfire, Perth Hills, November 2015.

File:Bell 214B Helitaks water bomber Mount Solus PHS039 XI-2015.jpg|Bell 412EP Helitaks water bomber during Mount Solus group bushfire, Perth Hills, November 2015.

File:Izusu 300 4WD Tender DPaW Dwellingup X-2014.JPG|Izusu 300 4WD tender at Dwellingup depot, October 2014.

Uniforms and equipment

The Department of Parks and Wildlife had three types of uniforms:Policy on corporate attire, P&W, People Services Branch, November 2013.

a standard khaki and bottle green uniform with appropriate badging was supplied to and worn by staff whose duties included the monitoring of legislative compliance (National Park and Marine Rangers, Conservation and Land Management Officers, Forest Officers, Wildlife Officers and Authorised CALM Officers under Bush Fire Act),
a work wear (khaki and bottle green only with generic badge) for those that worked in the field and personal protective equipment or clothing (TecaSafe gold overshirt, TecaSafe dark green trousers and vest, Kevlar helmet with goggles, gloves, belt and fire boots) for staff who were involved in fire management activities,
a corporate apparel worn by employees who were in regular contact with the public or members of other departments (sand, grey or white shirt, black trousers).

File:DPaW Badges 2013.jpg|Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife shoulder's badges, 2013.Department of Parks and Wildlife Branding guidelines, April 2014.

File:Badges DPaW.jpg|Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife shoulder's badges, 2015.

File:Chest logo DPaW Shirt V-2014.JPG|Department of Parks and Wildlife's logo positioned above the left pocket on all corporate apparels, 2013.

File:Shoulder badge DPaW CALM Officer Shirt X-2014.JPG|Conservation and Land Management Officer under CALM Act 1984 shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

File:Shoulder badge DPaW Ranger Shirt V-2014.JPG|National Park Ranger under CALM Act 1984 shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

File:Shoulder badge DPaW Marine Parks Shirt V-2014 - Copy.JPG|Marine Ranger and Officer shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2013.

File:Shoulder badge Authorised Officer under BF Act DPaW X-2016.jpg|Conservation and Land Management Officer under CALM Act 1984 (with Bushfire Act 1954 powers) shoulder badge for uniform shirt, 2015.

File:Approved DPAW logo fire suits-CB23059 I-2014.jpg|Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife Fire Personal Protective Clothing chest badge, 2014.

File:Bush Fire Kevlar helmet Bush Ranger 9 V-2014.JPG|Bush Fire Kevlar helmet Bush Ranger 9 (Pacific) used for bushfires and prescribed burns, Department of Parks and Wildlife, 2014.