History of Parks Victoria

Parks Victoria was created in December 1996 by bringing together the management of the former National Parks Service and the former Melbourne Parks and Waterways, together with other park assets previously managed by a range of different authorities, committees of management and trusts.

Parks Victoria's Charter is to manage parks and other assets on behalf of the State and is empowered to do this under the Parks Victoria Act 1998.

National, State and Wilderness parks in Victoria, Australia are proclaimed under schedules to the National Parks Act 1975 by the State Parliament.

Parks Victoria also operates the recreational boating facilities, jetties and piers in Western Port and Port Phillip Bays on which the state capital Melbourne is located. Parks Victoria also has responsibility for the recreational management of Corio Bay, the water frontage for the State's second largest city, Geelong.

Victoria's national parks have progressively been expanded from some 4% of the State in the early 1970s to approximately 16% today. This is the result of a strategy to identify and proclaim areas which are representative of all land ecosystems, from desert to alpine and from coast to inland.

Parks Victoria is committed to the protection of the values which contribute to this truly world class representative system.

The Parks Victoria Act 1998 was proclaimed on 3 July 1998. This legislation formalised Parks Victoria 's provision of services under a 'purchaser/provider' model, with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment) purchasing Parks Victoria 's services on behalf of the Government.