The Phillip Island Nature Parks Board met on August 29 for its regular board meeting. The meeting was held in person on Phillip Island and below are the highlights of the meeting.

Visitation to the Nature Parks Attractions

The Board was pleased to see the positive visitation trends experienced across the end of the 2023-24 financial year had remained strong across July and August, with visitation and admissions revenue exceeding budget expectations. Driven by international visitors enjoying Victoria's warm winter, the results were promising for the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial period.

Bush stone-curlew

The Board was pleased to receive an update on the release of the first bush stone-curlews onto Phillip Island, which commenced the previous week and remained ongoing at the date of the Board meeting. The Board celebrated the exciting milestone and discussed the potential challenges of the release, including the risks to the birds as they transition from a captive to a wild environment.

The Board reflected on the focus for the project in re-establishing a healthy population, and the huge achievement of all involved in the reintroduction. The Threatened Species Day on September 7 was highlighted as an opportunity to celebrate achievements such as this across the Bass Coast region and Victoria.

Strategic Planning

The Board received a progress update on recent strategic planning activities and noted the leaderships team's progress on the emerging themes for the Nature Parks 10-year strategic plan. The Board provided feedback to shape the plan for development in the future, noting the further engagement that needs to be undertaken to complete the plan.

Governance and Compliance

This month the Board reviewed the annual assessment of the organisation's compliance with Financial Management controls, along with other State Government governance requirements. In addition, the Board was pleased to approve the Financial Management and Accounting Policy. This was complemented by the review of two critical financial risks, which overall helped to ensure that the organisation remains well governed and has financial sustainability.

The Board regularly reviews and endorses changes to key organisational policies and/or procedures. This month it endorsed changes to the Conflict of Interest Procedure and Public Interest Disclosure Policy. 

Stakeholder Plan

The Nature Parks stakeholder plan was presented, and the Board outlined its support around the key relationships and strategic engagement activities across the various levels of Nature Parks stakeholders.

Community Open Day 2024

The Board shared its anticipation for the upcoming Nature Parks Community Open Day 2024 on Saturday September 14 at which entry to all the Nature Parks attractions and open day activities are free for residents, landholders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community members and students of Bass Coast Shire.