Management Planning
In Australia World Heritage obligations are met through co-operative and legislative arrangements between the Australian Government, State and Territory governments, local government agencies, property owners/site managers and traditional owners.
The World Heritage Convention and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) require the preparation of property specific World Heritage Management Plans for each of Australia’s World Heritage properties. The World Heritage Intergovernmental Agreement between the Queensland and Australian Governments establishes that the Queensland Government is responsible for development of World Heritage Management Plans which are consistent with the provisions of the EPBC Act.
World Heritage Management Plans provide direction for effective coordination of management efforts by providing a clear ‘line of sight’ between strategic goals, objectives, strategies and those responsible for implementation.
The Nature Conservation Act 1992 (the Act) requires that a management statement or management plan be prepared for each protected area to guide how the area is managed. These documents provide strategic management direction about the management of key park values. There is a strategic line of sight from management statements and plans to on-the-ground operations.
The Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998 (the Management Plan) provides the legal framework for management of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. The Management Plan is required under Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993 and only applies to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The plan is currently being reviewed and updated.
The Department of Environment and Science have commenced a process to work with First Nations people and other external partners to update the World Heritage Management Plans for Riversleigh, Fraser Island (K’gari) and Gondwana Rainforests. Gondwana Rainforests extends across the New South Wales border and includes the country of multiple First Nations groups.
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