New regulations for the management of Queensland’s protected areas, recreation areas and State forests

In November and December 2023, the department sought community feedback on proposed changes to the regulations used to manage Queensland’s protected areas, recreation areas and State forests. This consultation occurred as part of the process for reviewing regulations under the Statutory Instruments Act 1992. This review has now been completed.

The new regulations have been finalised and commenced on 22 September 2024. The Department would like to thank the community for their feedback and input during the review process. The key outcomes of the review process are outlined below.

Key outcomes of the review

Camping and campfires

  • New offences to improve community access to campsites and deter 'ghost camping' at targeted locations. In a protected area a person must not, without a reasonable excuse:
    • Fail to attend a campsite within 24 hours of the start of the permit (from 2pm onwards).
    • Leave possessions or equipment unattended at the campsite for more than 24 hours.
  • Improved ability for rangers to manage campsite overstays and enact park closures electronically in response to natural disasters or other emergencies (for example to effect closures ahead of signs being erected).
  • Allowing camping tag information to be handwritten and displayed on a piece of paper when unable to be printed or when hardcopy tags are unavailable.
  • Making camping tag information and display requirements more consistent.
  • Making it easier for rangers to ensure visitors comply with fire bans under Queensland Fire Department legislation.
  • Making it easier for rangers to manage campfires in protected areas and clarifying requirements for visitors in charge of fires, including when extinguishing their campfires.
  • Updating offences and making fines consistent for taking plant material for use in campfires in protected areas and recreation areas.

Using vehicles and aircraft in QPWS areas

  • Simplifying visitor requirements by removing the need to print and display vehicle access tags in recreation areas where number plate recognition systems are in place. Visitors will still need to have a digital or hardcopy of their vehicle tag to show if requested by a ranger.
  • New regulations for drone use to better support existing Civil Aviation Safety Authority rules (which state that drones cannot be used close to people and in areas where people are gathered) and to manage privacy, amenity and other matters. This includes prohibiting drones from camping areas and providing a framework to regulate their use at other site-specific areas by erecting a regulatory notice.
  • Ensuring consistent offences with transport laws regarding requirements for vehicle number plates to be attached to vehicles and clearly displayed in all QPWS areas.
  • Clarifying offences for bringing unregistered vehicles into QPWS areas.
  • Ensuring consistency with transport laws regarding offences for carrying passengers in vehicles and the wearing of helmets on bicycles and personal mobility devices (such as e-scooters).
  • Updated locations where minimum flying heights are applied for aircraft to protect natural values.
  • Updated ‘recreational craft’ to include craft such as land yachts, land windsurfers and kite buggies that require permits for use in recreation areas and protected areas to better manage interactions with vehicles such as on beaches.

Prohibited and regulated activities in QPWS areas

  • Improved protections for visitors and animals with broader prohibition on feeding and disturbing animals in QPWS areas (previously applied to dangerous animals only).
  • New on-the-spot fines to help protect natural and cultural resources in protected areas from damage and graffiti, collection of natural materials (such as removing flowers from national parks), and clarifying the offence of using metal detectors.
  • Updated littering offences for improved consistency with existing waste legislation.
  • Improved ability for rangers to utilise signs to regulate activities in protected areas.
  • Managing disturbance by amplified sound as part of unauthorised events in protected areas with the introduction of a new penalty.
  • Improved protection for private protected areas with the introduction of new offences such as allowing stock to stray onto the land, collection of material off the land or non-compliance with a conservation agreement.
  • Improved consistency of fines across QPWS areas, with increases for problematic behaviours such as leaving litter including broken camping equipment, bringing dogs into national parks, unlawful camping and not having vehicle permits in recreation areas.

Permits for activities in QPWS areas

  • Reducing administrative burden by enabling increased terms for certain commercial activity permits in protected areas, from 3 to 5 years.
  • Simplifying permit transactions and providing greater certainty by enabling particular commercial activity permits in protected areas to be transferable which also reduces administrative burden for the department.
  • Improving assessment of suitability for office holders of a legal entity for a commercial activity permit or commercial activity agreement.
  • Improved ability to enforce fee and record keeping requirements of commercial activity agreements.
  • Supporting conservation of particular species by enabling permits for conservation purposes in protected areas, for example collection of seeds and propagative materials to protect against plant extinctions.
  • Reduce administrative burden by increasing the maximum permit term for resources permits for quarrying in resources reserves, from 1 to 3 years. These permits are granted to State departments and local governments, to support local road maintenance.
  • Improving provisions to clarify when authorities may be amended, suspended or cancelled.
  • Updating requirements to publish public notices online.
  • Modernising provisions to reflect current adoption of electronic record keeping and online payments
  • Updating the regulations to remove provisions made redundant by more modern requirements under the Native Title Act 1993.

Proposals that are not proceeding

Proposals that were included in the public consultation that are not proceeding:

  • Updating the forestry legislation to assess permit applications, consistent with other QPWS areas, including to allow combined permits for research across multiple QPWS area types. Further consideration is required regarding how best to align with provisions of the Forestry Act 1959.
  • Creating an ability to refuse lodgement of permit applications for permits in certain situations such as natural disasters or capacity constraints. Such matters can be managed through administrative practices rather than the need for regulation.

More information

Details of the proposals that were subject to consultation are included in this background information (PDF, 342.3KB)