From Phillip Island Nature Parks
The Phillip Island Nature Parks’ Board met on December 16, 2021 for its regular board meeting.
Some highlights include:
Strategy day debrief
The board held its annual strategy day workshop on November 19 and was briefed by industry experts from Tourism Australia and Visit Victoria on visitor travel sentiment, trends, and border restrictions, and were provided insights into Australia’s tourism recovery.
In addition, the board used this day to test our recently adopted Strategic Recovery Plan 2021-23 in light of the changing environment in which we’re operating.
The board held robust discussions with management and was able to reaffirm its comfort with the Nature Parks’ strategy to steer the organisation through the next two years.
Animal Ethics Committee Annual Report
This important committee serves to ensure that animal research conducted by the Nature Parks has the highest regard for animal welfare, is ethical and compliant with legislative standards.
The board passed on its thanks to the voluntary committee for the exceptional contribution and noted the positive work undertaken by the committee over the past 12 months.
Strategic risk and policy
The board undertook its regular review of risks and policies for the organisation, including an update on risks related to penguin health and risks of wildfire to the safety of people and wildlife.
Conservation plan progress
The conservation manager reported on the Nature Parks’ 30-Year Conservation Vision, Five-Year Conservation Plan and priorities for the next two years.
Despite some challenges with resources throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the board confirmed that some of the actions could only be achieved with additional partnerships and funding.
Highlights over the last year of conservation work included:
* Deployment of Tourism Operations team members to fast forward the conservation on-ground effort.
* Collaborations in monitoring and measuring marine ecosystem health.
* State-wide fox detection work, which has supported pest control and threatened species programs on Phillip Island and across the state.
* Turn the Tide marine debris volunteer program.
* 536 hectares treated for weeds.
Key area plans
The Board was briefed on the progress against all of the Nature Parks Key Area Plans and supporting Master Plans including:
* Churchill Island Key Area Plan;
* Summerland Peninsula Infrastructure and Procurement Master Plan;
* South and North Coast Key Area Plan (incl. Cape Woolamai Coastal Reserves Master Plan); and
* Wetland and Woodland Key Area Plan.
