PARK WATCH Article June 2025 |

Associate Professor Don Garden takes a look back at the genesis and passage of the legislation that covers Victoria’s protected areas

The Victorian National Parks Act 1975 marked a significant point in the evolution and development of the state’s national park and wider land conservation system. It has served Victoria’s natural areas well over the last 50 years.

From grassroots advocacy to legislative reform

The 1975 Act didn’t emerge in a vacuum. Its roots trace back to VNPA’s early advocacy in the 1950s.

Following our concerted campaign, in 1956, the Bolte Government established a limited national parks administration. Its first director was the inaugural VNPA President, Crosbie Morrison. This was the first example of centralised park management, replacing ad-hoc local committees with a single body to ensure consistent policy and adequate resourcing for all national parks.

Progress towards increasing the number of parks and improving protection was slow as environmental issues and land use were not major issues. Funding for management was poor. The agricultural, mining and forestry industries were fairly free to access Crown Land as they wanted. However, by the late 1960s, there was a worldwide stirring of environmental consciousness that was beginning to find a voice in Australia.

The Little Desert spark

The first time conservation became a significant public and political issue in Victoria was in late 1960s. The government had proposed to subdivide most of the Little Desert in the west of the state for farming, leaving a small area for a national park. A surprisingly strong public protest campaign threatened Bolte’s future and he backed down.

Bolte was nothing if not pragmatic and, taking advice from Bill Borthwick (whom he made Minister for Conservation in June 1970), Bolte agreed to establish the Land Conservation Council (LCC). It would examine the remaining unalienated Crown Land in Victoria and make recommendations about its future use, including national parks, and theoretically take the process away from politicians and replace it with one led by experts. The legislation was passed in 1971, the LCC was established and it set to work over months and years on a series of regional studies to analyse and recommend future land use.

VNPA was deeply involved in the process, providing submissions, expertise and advice, although frustrated at the slowness of the system and the limited creation of new parks.

A modern approach to parks

The early 1970s brought new challenges. Commercial interests were increasingly eyeing off Crown Land and trying to obtain access to existing national parks. Pressure was also building for greater recreational use of parks as motor vehicles enabled easier travel and off-road vehicles penetrated into remote and rugged regions.

In 1972, Bolte was replaced as Premier by Dick (later Sir Rupert) Hamer whose more progressive government included Borthwick as Minister for Conservation. Borthwick decided a rethink was required about how national parks should be defined and administered and what types of use should be permitted.

In December 1974, he introduced the National Parks Bill into Parliament to revise the 1956 Act and later amendments. It was further debated, passed and assented to on 16 May 1975.

What the 1975 Act achieved

The National Parks Act 1975 brought major reforms. It clarified aspects of the administration of the national parks regime, including a revised National Parks Service (NPS) and a strengthening of the role of its Director. A National Parks Advisory Council (NPAC) was established, consisting of a ‘balanced’ mixture of nominees of conservation groups, industry and government departments and authorities. VNPA was designated to occupy one of the nominee positions, though this no longer applies.

The legislation widened the scope of the NPS to administer not only traditional national parks but also allowed for the designation of zones in national parks and for the creation of more varied types of parks on Crown Land. There was a clear recognition of the need for the increasingly urbanised population to have a ‘countryside experience’ while protecting prime natural areas. This was the foundation of Victoria’s current tiered tenured or multi-use system of parks.

Borthwick used this definition of a traditional park:

A national park is a relatively large area set aside for its features of predominantly unspoiled natural landscape, flora and fauna, permanently dedicated for public enjoyment, education and inspiration, and protected from all interference other than essential management practices, so that its natural attributes are preserved.

He explained the provision for the creation of zones within national parks and ‘other’ types of parks as follows:

These parks will include areas which may have significant eco-systems but are not large enough to be classified as National Parks; areas of natural bushland which are set aside for recreation and enjoyment by the people; areas which may include a number of uses such as boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, and which are zoned according to the use; and areas for environmental education or areas for scientific reference or study.

It was this latter element, the much wider range of types of protected public lands and spaces that it facilitated, which was arguably one of the most important achievements of the 1975 Act. It also required the adding or removing of national parks to be undertaken by legislation, the development of management plans and tightened leasing requirements.

The legislation embedded a direct link between the Director of National Parks and the Minister. However, it failed to clearly define the relationship on the key issue of funding, a problem which remains today.

Legacy and future challenges

When the Act came into force in 1975 there were 26 national parks totalling over 226,000 ha. This significantly increased over time as the LCC took the opportunity to recommend a wide range of levels of protection and the number of new categories grew steadily to include Reference Areas, Wilderness Areas, National Parks, State Parks, Regional Parks, Flora and Fauna Reserves, Natural Features and Scenic Reserves, Bushland Reserves and State Forests.

In due course, there would be nine categories in the National Parks Act and a raft of other classifications from other legislation, which are now managed by Parks Victoria, and which periodically cause more confusion and debate than clarification.

A number of VNPA’s concerns about the original Bill were addressed as it passed through Parliament. Overall, VNPA welcomed the 1975 Act and commended the government for this critical step towards better conservation of Victoria’s national parks and natural environment. What remains constant is the core mission set out in 1956 and reaffirmed in 1975: to safeguard natural and cultural values for future generations while allowing the public to experience and learn from Victoria’s magnificent parks. 

Don Garden is the author of Conservation Journeys – A History of VNPA