About NPA

Who is NPA?
NPA structure
Contact Details
Executive
State Council
Staff Members
Employment
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What's for sale?
NPA branches
- Armidale
- Central Coast
- Central West
- Clarence Valley
- Far North Coast
- Far South Coast
- Hawkesbury
     Cumberland
- Hunter
- Illawarra
- Lachlan Valley
- Macarthur
- Macquarie Valley
- Mid North Coast
- Milton
- Southern Highlands
- Southern Sydney
- Sydney
- Tamworth Namoi
- Three Valleys

Looking back, Looking forward

NPA STRATEGIC PLAN

MISSION STATEMENT

NPA seeks to protect, connect and restore the integrity and diversity of natural systems in NSW and beyond through national parks, marine sanctuaries and other means.

A 50-YEAR VISION:

NPA is driven by a fifty-year vision that imagines a landscape of intact natural areas covering at least half of the lands and waters of NSW, integrated with viable rural and urban communities that respect and nurture the land.

Natural areas would constitute major swathes of habitat, reconstructed, connected and forming a complex network that provides a viable home for endemic species, human spiritual nourishment and direct benefits such as clean air and water. Sustainability should form the basis for all human activities.

This is a future that is achievable. The legacy of our national parks that we enjoy today proves that NPA can deliver a visionary goal to our future generations.

ABOUT NPA

NPA is an independent environmental organisation.

NPA was formed in 1957 to create a national park system under legislation managed by a professional agency. Our success in 1967 with the passing of the National Parks and Wildlife Act and the formation of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was a springboard to ensure that the national parks system continued to grow and its management moved towards best practice.

NPA has had a hand in the establishment of most national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas that followed. Today we can proudly boast 700 protected areas covering 6.5 million hectares on the land (8%) and 66,000 ha of marine waters (6.5%), far exceeding the goals of our founders. Yet our job is not complete.

Many significant areas remain unprotected, and our natural heritage and its biodiversity face growing threats from humanity, including habitat destruction, human-induced climate change, invasive species, resource consumption, pollution, residential, industrial and agricultural development and population growth.

National parks and other protected areas will be increasingly important as the primary means in ensuring our core natural places are safeguarded for generations to come.

NPA is well positioned for another 50 years of achievement. At 2007 our 5,300 members and an additional 5,000 supporters form a vibrant network of over 800 active volunteers, 19 Branches, 13 staff and many committees, working groups and affiliates. We hold over 1,000 bushwalks and activities each year and significantly influence conservation outcomes across NSW.

Our work will increasingly extend to ensure the management of the entire landscape and human activities complement the management of the protected area system. Our work will continue to rely on community action at all levels and increasingly upon cooperative relationships with Indigenous people.

The NPA network is well positioned to tackle the challenges and embrace the opportunities over the next five years and beyond.

FIVE YEAR PRIMARY OBJECTIVES

1. Protect and expand the core

Achieve protection and restoration of natural systems to limit habitat loss, climate change impacts and other threats through:

• expanding the protection and connection offered by national parks, marine sanctuaries and other core protected areas to result in at least 25% of each native ecosystem protected in a CAR protected area system
• effective management of all protected areas
  

2. Protect and restore the landscape

Achieve protection and restoration of natural systems through ecological sustainability across the landscape.

3. Connect with nature

Conduct activities that increase the appreciation and understanding of the natural environment and its value to society through education, on-ground action and low-impact outdoor recreation.

4. Reduce human impacts

Limit the external impacts on protected areas by promoting a reduced ecological footprint caused by humans.

FIVE YEAR OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES

5. Support the NPA Network

Operate a resource centre(s) that supports community advocacy, activities and growth of the NPA network.

6. Act effectively

Carry out our work across the network in ways that maximise our success.

FIVE YEAR ACTIVITIES

Primary Objective 1. Protect and expand the core

Achieve protection and restoration of natural systems to limit habitat loss, climate change impacts and other threats through:

• expanding the protection and connection offered by national parks, marine sanctuaries arand other core protected areas to result in at least 25% of each native ecosystem protected in a CAR protected area system
• effective management of all protected areas

Activities:

a) Seek a core protected area system in Western NSW covering 10% of each bioregion by strategic private land acquisitions, reservation of public redgum forests and protection of remnant ecosystems targeting fertile soils and western woodland bioregions.

b) Seek expanded marine protected areas in NSW and adjacent Commonwealth waters by a targeted expansion of the no-take sanctuaries area network to cover at least 20% of each habitat type within each marine bioregion, removing trawling from marine parks, strengthening the Marine Parks Act and advocating for funded research into the benefits of sanctuaries.

c) Promote the benefits of protected areas to further build community support for protected areas and their management.

d) Seek reform of Crown lands (including travelling stock reserves) to secure protection and management of lands with conservation value and prevent their privatisation.

e) Ensure improved protected area management that ensures their ecological integrity including through seeking increased resources for management, clear management plans, doubling efforts at controlling invasive species, ensuring ecologically-based fires regimes, drawing on public observations and emphasising visitation through low-impact recreation.

f) Limit high impact recreation within protected areas and promote more suitable locations.

g) Intervene strategically in the planning process to establish natural system protection through strong planning instruments and laws, ideally leading to protection in perpetuity.

h) Oppose major developments threatening large intact natural areas.

i) Promote connectivity using the 'Connect to Protect' theme, focusing on Eastern Links and to a lesser extent Murray Links. NPA will provide technical support and act as a leader and facilitator of community support to create an ecologically-based connected protected area system across all tenures at local through to continental scales.

j) Support privately-managed protected areas that complement the public protected area system

k) Ensure the health of water-dependent ecosystems such as wetlands by working to secure sufficient environmental flows and the creation of freshwater protected areas.

Primary Objective 2. Protect and restore the landscape

Achieve protection and restoration of natural systems through ecological sustainability across the landscape.

Activities:

a) Seek support for on-going land custodianship through education, provision of incentives and supportive regulations and the removal of disincentives and other barriers.

b) Promote connectivity using the 'Connect to Protect' theme, in conjunction with Objective 1, to seek a broader connected network of habitat across all tenures that is ecologically effective and uses a range of levels of protection.

c) Support a landscape, cross-tenure approach to invasive species control and bushfire management.

d) Ensure that the 2005 NSW nature resource targets are accurately measured and exceeded.

e) Promote ecologically based management of landscapes, including strong rules for native forestry and firewood collection and other natural resource use on private land.

Primary Objective 3. Connect with nature

Conduct activities that increase the appreciation and understanding of the natural environment and its value to society through education, on-ground action and low-impact outdoor recreation.

Activities:

a) Coordinate, brand and promote an expanded bushwalking and activities program for members that encourages appreciation of the natural environment, promoted directly and through the flagship yearly Great Australian Bushwalk

b) Use NatureKeepers, CoastKeepers and HarbourKeepers and their activities that protect, restore and explore the natural environment as the promotional banner for all activities not promoted in a) above, each supported by a yearly flagship event

c) Take time ourselves to experience and connect with nature, individually and with others, for rest and relaxation and to recharge our batteries.

d) Undertake all activities with minimal impact principles and encourage its practice

Primary Objective 4. Reduce human impacts

Limit the external impacts on protected areas by promoting a reduced ecological footprint caused by humans.

Activities:

a) Highlight the interconnections between humans and the natural environment

b) Raise awareness of the impacts on natural areas of climate change, the combined impact of growing consumption rates and population growth, and other major threats

c) Support and work with other organisations that specialise in tackling the external threats posed to protected areas

d) Evaluate our own operations in order to reduce our own ecological footprint.

NPA Recent Annual Reports
NPA is an organisation which seeks to follow standards of transparency and accountability. You can download our most recent Annual Reports below.

2006 Annual Report (2mb)

2007 Annual Report (3mb)

JOIN National Parks Association of NSW

National Parks Association of NSW Inc is a non-profit community organisation that seeks to protect and conserve the complete range and diversity of species, natural habitats, features and landscapes of New South Wales.

Join the NPA and be part of protecting and enjoying natural areas in NSW. Members can support our work to create an expanded system of well-managed conservation reserves and particpate in the State s largest walks and activities program. Contact NPA (see below) for a membership inquiry kit, or visit the website.

BRANCHES

NPA has 19 branches throughout the state that campaign in their local area. Many offer a range of walks and other activities.

NATIONAL PARKS JOURNAL

The bi-monthly National Parks Journal provides up-to-date information on NPA activities, environment news and topical and thought-provoking articles about conserving natural areas such as national parks, biodiversity conservation and related issues. It also contains an extensive walks and activities program that NPA members can participate in at no cost.

NPA OFFICE

NPA State Council Office coordinates NSW-wide activities and campaigning.
Visit Level 2, 5 Wilson Street, Newtown, 2042 (9-5pm, Mon-Fri).

Photo by Henry Gold
NPA Home Page