National parks: Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria has a lot of unique plants, animals and places. Many of them are threatened with extinction and simply won’t survive without our help.

Our natural areas have declined a lot in quality and extent since European settlement. Victoria is the most intensely settled and cleared state in Australia. Over 70 per cent of native vegetation has been removed in the two centuries since colonisation. In some parts of Victoria it's even more.

Our elected representatives have both a moral duty and legal responsibility to look after our natural world, for now and for the future.

National parks and conservation areas protect whole ecosystems and habitats. Formal protected areas, such as national parks, are one of the few evidence-backed tools to slow the rapid decline of threatened plants, animals and fungi.  National parks are one of the ways our governments give long-term protection to wildlife and their homes.

National parks and protected areas support livelihoods, give refuge and safety to wildlife, help ease the impacts of climate disruption, and protect waterways and drinking sources. They keep plants, animals, habitats and landscapes safe from a range of threats, like mining, logging, grazing and invasive pests.

National parks are an important way to spend time in and connect with nature. People come to them for recreation activities that don’t cause harm or damage the sensitive wildlife and delicate ecosystems inside them.

Case study:

The Great Otway National Park is a superb example of a protected area. The park was created in 1981, with more areas added in 2002. It protects over 370 animals, 77 of which are rare and threatened, like Spotted-tailed Quolls, Rufous Bristlebirds, and Otway Black Snails. It also protects over 1380 plants, 97 of which are rare and threatened like Anglesea Grevilleas, Slender Tree-ferns and Spiral Sun-orchids. You can do lots of things in the Great Otway National Park like camping, bushwalking, bike riding and four wheel driving.

Useful resources and references:

• Biodiversity 2037: Victoria’s biodiversity plan
• National Parks Act 1975

Yes Victoria needs more national parks and conservation areas.

From the deserts of the Mallee to rainforests and peaks of the Alps, Victoria has so many diverse habitats. All of these special places are home to a unique array of plants and animals.

Over 70 per cent of Victoria’s original nature has been removed since European settlement. This destruction has changed the landscape dramatically. The homes of wildlife have become extremely fragmented, disconnected and spoiled.

Over 2,000 plants, animals and fungi are threatened with extinction in Victoria. Many of them are found nowhere else on Earth. Despite this, no major new parks have been created in Victoria for over a decade.

Most of the land in our state (almost 15 million hectares, or 65 per cent) is privately owned. The rest (7.9 million hectares or 35 per cent) is public land. In total only 18 per cent of Victoria's landscapes are protected. There are many gaps left to fill, places and wildlife to keep safe.

To keep habitat and wildlife off the extinction list, and reverse the decline of our native wildlife and ecosystems, more evidence-based and well managed protected areas are needed.

Grasslands are an important example.

Less than 2 per cent of the grasslands that once covered a third of Victoria have survived in good quality. These rare patches are home to threatened wildlife like Grassland Earless Dragons, Spiny Rice-flowers and Plains Wanderers. With such a limited area left, grasslands desperately need more protection through our national parks estate and nature laws.

Australia has committed to protect 30 per cent of our land and waters by 2030. This goal can be achieved with new national parks and conservation areas, backed by the right amount of funding.

Useful resources and references:

• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List
• National Parks Act 1975
• Protecting 30 per cent by 2030
• Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline report
• National standards for protected areas

More information on the destruction and loss of nature

• The region of the Glenelg Hopkins CMA encompasses several bioregions.
• 81 per cent of native vegetation cover since European colonisation has been destroyed. That varies from bioregion to bioregion.
• The Greater Grampians bioregion has 89 per cent of its native vegetation largely intact.
• The Victorian Volcanic Plain has 7 per cent.
• Between 1985 and 2019, native vegetation cover in seasonal and perennial wetlands declined by 27 per cent and 41 per cent.
• Native paddock trees have reduced by 11 per cent since 1990. 47 per cent of grassland has been destroyed since 2010.
• In parts of the region, red gum paddock trees declined by 35 per cent between 2003 and 2013.
• The only category to increase between 1985 and 2019 was native tree cover. Thi is mostly along watercourses due to riparian protection and restoration works.

State forests have different purposes and uses to national parks. Because of their different functions, national parks and state forests are managed differently. In state forests ‘resource extraction’ (like logging and mining) is treated as more important than nature protection and recreation.

Instead of appreciating the broad range of qualities natural landscapes have, state forests log native trees for their timber and take minerals from their soils.

Using state forests as areas to take resources from changes the way the public can access them. Some areas may be unavailable at different times because of these works, such as the removal of fallen trees for firewood and fire management operations.

Like national parks, state parks are protected areas. They are usually smaller, but still preserve landscapes and wildlife. The Victorian Government is proposing to remove state parks as a category, and use the term national parks for both areas.

Due to a lack of regulation of activities in state forests, they are often considered lawless and unsafe.

Differences in rules and regulations

• The rules that relate to vehicle use are the same as those in national parks. Drivers are required to stay on official roads and tracks, and follow standard road rules.
• Dogs are allowed in all state forests, except Murrindindi Scenic Reserve and Steavensons Falls Reserves.
• Hunting for pest animals and game species is permitted in most state forests, with some restrictions. Dogs must be on a leash and under the owner's control to keep them, native wildlife and other park visitors safe.

Useful resources and references:

• Pet dogs on public land
• Vehicle use in Victoria

National parks put nature protection first.

Nature is under extreme pressure. Land-clearing, over-extraction, inappropriate development, feral species and deforestation is tearing the natural world apart. Unchecked pollution and fossil fuel use is rapidly cooking our climate. Entire ecosystems are collapsing before our eyes.

The Victorian Government's 2021 Inquiry into ecosystem decline, national State of the Environment Reports and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) all clearly spell out the gravity of the situation. They also give clear solutions to the problems created by industrial destruction and over-exploitation of our natural web of life.

National parks are a key part of that solution. They are first and foremost about protecting nature, managed under Victoria’s National Parks Act 1975 specifically for that purpose.

For example, when a state forest becomes a national park, it is protected from extractive industries like mining and logging. It also receives more funding to deal with big issues like invasive species.

The importance of national parks and conservation reserves is recognised by the International Convention on Biological Diversity. As a signatory to the convention, Australia is obliged to "Promote the protection of ecosystems, natural habitats and the maintenance of viable populations of species in natural surroundings".

National parks are also places people can go for enjoyment and recreation. So long as that recreation isn’t doing damage to nature.

Useful resources and references:

• National Parks Act 1975
• State of the Environment Reports
• International Union for Conservation of Nature
• Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline report
• Convention of Biological Diversity

National parks, state parks, regional parks, metro parks and most conservation reserves are managed by Parks Victoria, a state government agency.

Parks Victoria manage over 130 land and marine parks, covering over three million hectares.

All national parks are guided by something called a management plan. These help decide the best ways to protect nature in each parks and can cover:

• Managing invasive pests
• Restoring ecosystems, for example native planting and reintroducing threatened wildlife
• Working with with Traditional Owners and First Nations communities
• Creating specific conservation action plans
• Research and citizen science projects.

State forests, some conservation areas, and other public lands are managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Useful resources and references:
• Parks Victoria
• Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action

To put it bluntly: without nature there is no economy.

The right question to ask is: do we give nature the resources it needs to stay healthy, for all of our benefit?

Budget discussions and economic metrics focus on health, education, transport and law and order. Nature, and our care for it, barely get a mention.

Currently, park management and nature conservation receives 0.4 per cent of Victoria’s State Budget.

Compared to health (30 per cent), education (24 per cent) and police and justice (11.5 per cent), this is a meagre and wholly inappropriate contribution.

The lack of funding for management, restoration and amenities does not reflect what is needed to keep our natural places healthy and well looked after.

National parks and other conservation reserves contribute so much, both intrinsically and materially. Mental and physical health benefits, water purification, carbon sequestration, flood and coastal protection (erosion and storms), pollination and more. They protect whole habitats for many native plants and animals.

A recent report on the benefits of national parks and conservation areas revealed:

• The enjoyment people get from visiting parks is estimated at $600–$1000 million annually.
• The value of protecting mangrove, saltmarsh and dunes in parks along Victoria’s coast avoids annual costs of $24–56 million.
• The benefit of stormwater retention services from Melbourne’s metropolitan parks is estimated at $46 million per annum.
• Reduced sediment load from nine of the highest water yielding national and state parks is valued at $50 million annually.
• Market value of water runoff supplied in nine of the highest yielding Victorian national parks is estimated at $244 million per year.
• The value of pollination to agriculture across Australia is $123–167 million to consumers and producers.

The 2021 Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline recommended Parks Victoria funding be increased to 1 per cent of State Domestic Product. State Domestic Product is the value of all of a goods and services produced within the state.

VNPA consistently calls for Parks Victoria's budget to be increased to 1 per cent of the state's budget.

If the web of life we all depend on isn't healthy or thriving, neither are we. That’s worth investing in.

Useful resources and references:

• Parks Victoria
• Parliamentary Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline recommendations

Yes! The majority of Victorians and Australians support national parks.

People overwhelmingly back national parks, and appreciate their role in protecting threatened wildlife and personal recreation.

Across Australia:

• 89 per cent agree that national parks are one of the best ways to protect nature in Australia.
• 91 per cent agree that national parks and conservation areas are desirable to protect nature from resource extraction including logging and mining.
• Protecting nature and wildlife for current and future generations, and for wildlife’s intrinsic value topped the list of the most important benefits of national parks and conservation areas for Australians.
• 85 per cent support an increase in funding for national park management.
• 87 per cent support federal, state and territory governments protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet’s land and sea by 2030.

Across Victoria:

• 86 per cent support a comprehensive network of national parks and conservation reserves across land and sea.
• 83 per cent support all Victorian political parties having comprehensive policies, programs and laws to stop extinction of local plants and animals.
• 81.5 per cent specifically support marine national parks to protect habitats.
• Three quarters support national park expansion and protection. This includes the Great Forest National Park in the Yarra Ranges (76 per cent) and new parks in the central west such as Wombat Forest (75 per cent).

Useful resources and references:

• National parks are for protection not development – national poll
• New Victorian election poll: environment more influential than infrastructure and Covid

You can fish in waterways within land-based national parks. You can’t fish in marine national parks and sanctuaries.

For fishing in rivers, streams and lakes in land-based parks, you must follow relevant bag limits and seasonal restrictions. Unless you’re under 18 or a pensioner you’ll also need a Recreational Fishing License.

Marine national parks and sanctuaries are very important for fishers and fisheries management. They let fish populations regenerate, increase genetic diversity and protect fish at vulnerable times in their life cycle.

Marine national parks and sanctuaries cover about 5 per cent of Victoria’s coastal waters. There’s a strong need to increase this area to look after sensitive habitats that aren't yet covered, and improve protection for marine wildlife.

Useful resources and references:

• Information about Recreational Fishing Licenses
• Benefits of marine national parks and sanctuaries

Dogs can’t be used for hunting in national parks.

This is because dogs can negatively impact wildlife and their behaviour. They can frighten, chase and kill protected wildlife. Even the scent of a dog can cause wildlife to avoid areas, which reduces the amount of habitat they can safely use to feed and breed in.

It’s illegal for dogs to maul or physically hold wildlife, including feral deer and pigs. It’s a serious offence to use any dog that attacks, holds or maims an animal you are hunting. Even if species are feral, invasive animal welfare legislation still covers them and their welfare.

Useful resources and references:

• Read the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals in Hunting
• Information on hunting in national parks and conservation areas

In most national parks, hunting is not allowed. But there are some exceptions.

Regulations for hunting on Victoria’s public land are complex. The reason they are complicated is because they have to balance the protection of nature and wildlife, as well as public safety.

Some types of hunting are permitted in these national parks:

• Alpine National Park
• Baw Baw National Park
• Lake Eildon National Park
• Mitchell River National Park

Invasive species do a lot of damage to nature in Victoria. In some national parks, specially qualified volunteer hunters take part in pest eradication programs. These are planned and supervised by Parks Victoria.

Feral deer have a big impact on Victorian wildlife. They ringbark trees, eat plants, cause erosion and compact soil. Recreational shooting doesn’t decrease feral deer numbers, reduce their impact on wildlife and habitats, or reduce their spread across the state. Controlling the number of feral deer needs long-term and targeted management.

Useful resources and references:
• Read more about hunting regulations and obligations
• Find out more about hunting in national parks and other conservation areas

As Traditional Owners and rights holders, First Nations communities are involved in national parks, conservation areas and public lands across Victoria.

First Nations communities have a long connection to and deep knowledge of Country. Because of this, consultation with Traditional Owners is an important part of creating park management plans. This is so that cultural practices and sites of significance for Aboriginal cultural heritage are given the respect they deserve.

National parks regulations give Traditional Owners cultural and ceremonial use of parks.

In national parks where Native Title is formally established, co- and joint- management agreements are arranged. This means that Traditional Owners are directly involved in the prime goals of the protected areas – looking after nature.

There are many places in Victoria that Native Title has not been formally established. The Traditional Owner Settlement Act (2010), provides First Nations ways to manage natural resources, continue cultural practices and achieve Land Management Agreements.

Parks Victoria has an active program for the employment of First Nation’s people.

Across a range of tenures, jointly-managed parks and reserves in Victoria number 43 at the moment. Of the 43, eight are under cooperative management. This will increase as more settlement agreements are finalised.

Useful resources and references:

• National Parks Regulations
• Joint Management in Victoria
• Traditional Owner Settlement Act (2010)

Regional and metropolitan parks are typically large natural areas, often 100 hectares or more. They are usually located near urban centres or townships so visitors from local areas can access them easily. They are created for passive recreation and protecting nature, wildlife and cultural heritage.

National parks have detailed management plans to guide how natural areas and wildlife are cared for. Regional parks do not have management plans, so nature conservation is not given as much attention.

Regional parks are not recognised as Protected Areas under international agreements and obligations.

Useful resources and references:

• Regional parks in Victoria

You can take your pet dog to parts of some national park or conservation areas. You can take on-lead pet dogs to regional parks and some other areas.

It might seem harmless, but pet and hunting dogs can harm native wildlife, spread disease and disrupt habitats. That's why dogs are not allowed in most national parks and conservation areas.

More information on the negative impact of pet dogs in national parks:

• Dog scent, urine and faeces can scare wildlife and alter their behaviour and habitats.
• Loud noises, barking and movement can frighten native animals – lyrebirds and shorebirds will abandon their nests, leaving eggs and young vulnerable to predators
• Dogs and wildlife can spread bacteria and inflections, like Lepospira, to one another.
• Native wildlife, like Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and Black Swans are injured or killed every year by pet dogs.
• It's rare, but domestic dogs can crossbreed with Dingo, diluting wild dingo gene pools.

You can bring a dog to parts of these national parks:

• Lake Eildon National Park – in the Jerusalem Creek Campground
• Heathcote-Graytown National Park – on-lead in the McIvor Range area
• Kinglake National Park – on-lead in the Frank Thomson Reserve

It's important to remember that 70 per cent of Victoria’s native vegetation and habitat has been destroyed. The surviving areas are vital refuges for our unique and special wildlife.

There are plenty of places in Victoria that dogs can play and have adventures. Always check that it's ok to bring your pooch, keep it on lead and pick up after it.

Useful resources and references:
• Information about dogs in parks
• Victoria’s dog-friendly walking trails
• Wildlife Health Australia Fact sheet: Leptospira infection

You can fossick and prospect in some national and state parks, in certain places. These are away from high conservation, ecologically  or culturally significant areas and waterways.

There are strict rules about where you can go and the type of equipment you can use. This is so that sensitive areas and waterways aren’t disturbed or damaged.

The ability to prospect in parks is an exception, rather than a right. This is to maintain the park's core purpose: to ‘preserve and protect" nature.

Common sense rules apply in parks and state forests:

• Prospect in the permitted area only.
• Drive your vehicles on tracks and roads open to the public.
• Park your vehicle on the roadside.
• Take all rubbish home or place it in a bin where provided. Do not bury it.
• Minimise any damage to vegetation including the ground layer.
• Restore the ground as you found it. Backfill any holes you dig and replace leaf litter as soon as you can.

You can fossick and prospect in parts of:

• Beechworth Historic Park
• Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park
• Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park
• Greater Bendigo National Park and Bendigo Regional Park
• Heathcote-Graytown National Park
• Kara Kara National Park
• Kooyoora State Park
• Paddys Ranges State Park
• Warrandyte State Park

Useful resources and references:

• Fossicking and prospecting in parks
• Fossicking rules and responsibilities - Resources Victoria
• Recreational prospecting in the central west

You can camp in most national parks, at all times of the year. During emergencies like bushfires, campgrounds may be closed.

In most parks, camping is allowed in designated sites. Facilities range from very basic to campgrounds with toilets, kitchens, showers and kiosks.

In a few larger parks, such as the Alpine National Park, dispersed camping for off-track hikers is allowed.

Currently camping is free in sites with few or no facilities. Campgrounds with more developed facilities can have fees to cover upkeep. These vary (and are subject to changes).

There are more the 54 million visits to Victorian national and state Parks. This number is continually growing. No visitor figures exist for state forests.

Useful resources and references:
• Camping in the Alpine National Park
• Booking campsites and more information
• National Park Act annual report

You can Four-Wheel-Drive (4WD) in national parks.

The rules around 4WD vehicles in national parks are essentially the same as in state forest, or anywhere else in Victoria.

It is legal to drive a registered vehicle on declared roads and tracks. Driving off existing roads and tracks is illegal.

Often called "Bush-bashing", off road driving in national parks damages nature, harms wildlife and is unsafe. Driving off existing roads and tracks is inconsistent with the policies of Victoria’s 4WD clubs and good land stewardship.

Useful resources and references:

• Four-Wheel Drive Victoria’s Code of Ethics
• Four Wheel Driving in parks
• Safety Tips for national parks and Parks Victoria managed land

Yes you can ride your trail bike in national parks. The rules motorcycles and trail bikes in national parks are the same for 4WD vehicles .

Victoria has approximately 36,000 km of public roads through state forests. Some of this network is unsealed 2WD roads, but most is existing 4WD track or roads. Many of these tracks and trails offer the public an adventurous bushland riding experience. You can ride on any of the forest, park and reserve roads open to the public.

Licensed riders can drive in national parks and reserves on registered motorcycles. Because of damage to nature and safety risks, it's illegal to drive off formed or existing roads and tracks. Illegal track riding or building attracts large fines.

Some 'management vehicles only' roads allow walkers, horse and pushbike riders, but not motor vehicles. This is because overuse by motorbikes and Four Wheel Drives can hamper firefighter access in times of emergency.

Useful resources and references:

• Illegal mountain bike tracks threaten biodiversity
• Trail bike riding in state forests
• Road closures in Baranduda Regional Park due to illegal track riding
• Safety Tips for national parks and Parks Victoria managed land

Fossicking and prospecting can cause serious damage to national parks and conservation areas.

Prospecting involves digging up soil, stream beds and creek lines to recover minerals and stones.

Digging and turning over soil thousands of times is very disruptive, especially at great depths. Some plants and animals are very sensitive to disturbance, like frogs and native orchids.

Washing soil to reveal minerals and stones (and to a lesser extent, panning) increases sedimentation and decreases water quality and oxygen levels. Sometimes contaminated materials buried during historic land use, like arsenic and mercury, are released.

A 2014 Victorian Environmental Assessment Council study found that recreational prospecting can "result in damage to natural and cultural heritage values, especially in waterways, but also in other vulnerable environments".

Prospecting impacts on wildlife and habitat:

• Destruction of native plants, e.g. orchid tubers can be crushed and killed while dormant.
• Disturbance to habitat features, such as soil cracks, spider holes and embed rock.
• Digging and widening of creeks and water bodies damages the edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and waterways.
• Degradation of water quality through increased sedimentation and changes to habitat structures.
• Washing and sorting of materials can impact aquatic habitats and wildlife (through siltation and smothering of in-stream gravel beds and Aquatic vegetation).
• Disturbance of historic mullock piles and settled gravels and soils releases contaminated materials into waterways.
• Damage to soil structures and composition.
• Increased disturbance leading to increase and spread of weeds.
• Spread of pests and diseases including Cinnamon Fugus (Phytophthora cinnamom), frog-killing Chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii).
• Off-track machinery and vehicle use damages native vegetation, habitat and spreads pathogens and weeds.

Prospecting can have a bigger direct impact then most recreational pursuits on wildlife like freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates such as Platypus. This makes planning of where prospecting should and should not occur important on many levels including human health, water quality, ecology protection and animal welfare.

Useful resources and references:

• VEAC: Investigation into Additional Prospecting Areas in Parks

Mountain bikes can be used on most management tracks and on some walking tracks. Hundreds of kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike tracks exist across the parks estate and other public lands.

It's illegal to clear native vegetation and habitat on all public lands to create tracks. Clearing vegetation and rocks damages nature, fragments habitat and causes erosion.

Any new tracks should be planned with the relevant land manager, community and in an ecologically-sensitive approach.

VNPA encourages anyone who loves our wildlife and natural areas to stick to official trails and avoid illegally created tracks.

Useful resources and references:

• Mountain biking in parks

Some public roads are closed during winter for safety reasons or to protect the road surface. Road managers do this so that tracks remain accessible to more people in the long-term, rather than damaged by a few with modified vehicles in the short-term.

These are known as seasonal closures and happen across all public land, including state forest, national and state parks.

Seasonal closures usually start from a set date, such as the Kings Birthday weekend until after Winter.

Closed roads are sign posted and fitted with barrier with closure dates and details.

Useful resources and references:
• Learn more about seasonal closures