Lamington National Park has been Green Listed
Issued: 14 Nov

Lamington National Park—part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area—has become Queensland’s first site, and Australia’s first World Heritage site, to be listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.

The highly-coveted IUCN Green List is the global standard for nature conservation, recognising the best-managed areas on the planet. It provides an internationally recognised benchmark for how protected or conserved areas achieve conservation outcomes. Sites on the IUCN Green List are certified as being fairly and effectively managed, with long-term positive benefits for people and nature.

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Lamington’s journey to the IUCN Green List included site visits by the Expert Assessment Group

Photo credit: S.Tanner-McAllister © Queensland Government

‘Applying the Green List indicators to Lamington drove many communication improvements within the agency, it was so thorough and robust that we had to bring everybody into that discussion. Our partnerships and stakeholder management and cross-landscape collaboration were key to the success of the listing,’ Lamington’s QPWS Rangers said.

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The Green List process involved significant stakeholder engagement and collaborative efforts from all corners of QPWS

Photo credit: S.Tanner-McAllister © Queensland Government

‘The journey has been exciting, not only showing successful conservation outcomes for Lamington’s Outstanding Universal Values, but also building close relationships between park, regional and central office staff, and supporting the implementation and successful roll out of the DETSI’s Values Based Management Framework (VBMF),’ Principal Conservation Officer Sherri said.

The listing process provided important validation of DETSI’s VBMF that is currently being applied to all QPWS’s protected areas. Along the journey, improvements were made to how we monitor the condition of important values and our decision-making processes. Linking it all together with on ground management, communication, and funding prioritisation led to the successful listing outcome.

‘Working through the Green Listing process to identify and implement steps to rectify key management process gaps has significantly improved our management at Lamington’, Lamington Ranger in Charge Wil said.

The health check program is making the data that we're basing management decisions on more robust.

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The improved health check program, thanks to the Green Listing process, is making the data we're basing management decisions on more robust

Photo credit: S.Tanner-McAllister © Queensland Government

Over the period of the assessment journey, Lamington endured many challenges including the devastating 2019 Sarabah bushfire.

Even so, the national park rose from the ashes and showed great resilience, supported by management practices of a deeply passionate and determined group of QPWS staff and collaborative partners. This Green Listing recognises their fortitude and hard work in protecting such a special place.

This listing highlights the effective management of Lamington National Park and not only presents one of Queensland’s iconic parks as being managed to international standards but showcases Queensland on the international stage for best practice nature conservation.

Passionate and determined QPWS staff, collaborative partners and stakeholders all made this awesome accomplishment possible.