As part of the Department of Environment and Science, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is the agency responsible for managing and protecting National Parks.
The primary purpose of National Parks is to conserve nature.
However, speak to any Ranger with QPWS and they will say that the majority of their time is spent dealing with visitor management issues or maintaining visitor facilities. This includes maintaining and cleaning day use areas, infrastructure, roads and walking tracks.
With a strong visitor focus, budgets and resources are largely directed away from important biodiversity management activities such as feral pest and weed control, management of threatened species and fire.
There is minimal compliance and enforcement of environmental laws, despite increasing visitor numbers and recreational uses. Most responses to visitor behaviour is reactive. There is the degradation of protected areas by the illegal access of 4wds and motorbikes, rubbish dumping, illegal plant harvesting, and camping with little to no consequences for offenders.
Rangers not only have insufficient operational budgets, but also have to deal with staffing issues, a lack of training and career advancement, administrative bureaucracy, degraded infrastructure, poor senior leadership and very little support from central office.
Being employed as a a Ranger with QPWS for those with advanced education and skills and wanting to achieve positive environmental outcomes for National Parks is disheartening.
The Green Outlaw 