SA Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Paul Caica recently launched the public consultation period on proposed changes to the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
“South Australia’s national parks legislation is 40 years old and will benefit from some improvements to reflect current approaches to managing parks,” he said.
“The amendments will modernise the legislation by introducing a new reserve category system in line with modern approaches to park management around the world.
“Some parks will be reclassified to reflect the new system, but 75 per cent of the state’s parks will remain in their existing category.
“The amendments are not intended to change how we manage and use our parks. Rather, they are to make it clearer why we manage and use them as we do.
“Recreational activities currently permitted in parks will continue to be permitted and future activities will continue to be assessed through the statutory management planning process,” he said.
In addition to the current categories of national park, conservation park, recreation park, regional reserve and game reserve, the amendments create the two new categories of heritage park and nature reserve and will modernise the legislation by introducing a new reserve category system.
Submissions can be made until December 21 2012.
