BackgroundBackground

Background

Under s.367(1) of the EPBC Act, a management plan for a Commonwealth reserve
must assign the reserve to an IUCN protected area category. A management plan can
also divide a Commonwealth reserve into zones and must assign each zone to an IUCN category (which may differ from the overall category assigned to the reserve). The EPBC Regulations (Schedule 8) prescribe the management principles for each IUCN category. The principles relevant to this plan are set out in Appendix D.

The provisions of a management plan must not be inconsistent with the management principles for the IUCN category to which the reserve or zone of the reserve is assigned (s.367(3)).

The categories to which the park and botanic garden are assigned are guided by the purposes for which they were declared.

The purposes for which Norfolk Island National Park was declared as a Commonwealth reserve are:

(a) the preservation of the area in its natural condition; and

(b) the encouragement and regulation of the appropriate use, appreciation and enjoyment of the area by the public.

The purposes for which the park was declared are consistent with the characteristics for IUCN protected area category II, national park. The purpose for which the botanic garden was declared is consistent with the characteristics for IUCN protected area category IV, habitat/species management area.

The park is divided by this plan into two zones—the Forestry Area to be managed as IUCN category VI, managed resource protected area, reflecting the purposes for which the area is used; and the balance of the Mount Pitt Section of the park and Phillip Island to be managed as IUCN category II, national park. See Map 2.