Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Division overview
Formed	December 1975
Type	Protected area management
Jurisdiction	Queensland
Headquarters	400 George Street, Brisbane
Minister responsible	Leanne Linard, Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Innovation;
Division executive	Ben Klaassen, Deputy Director-General;
Parent department	Department of Environment and Science
Website	www.des.qld.gov.au

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a business division of the Department of Environment and Science within the Government of Queensland. The division’s primary concern is with the management and maintenance of protected areas within Queensland, to protect and manage Queensland’s parks, forests and the Great Barrier Reef for current and future generations.

The QPWS managed areas include more than 1000 national parks, state forests, marine parks and other protected areas, and five world heritage areas. Of these, 220 are national parks.^[when?]

Queensland’s first national park, Witches Falls (in today’s Tamborine National Park), was established on 28 March 1908, followed by Bunya Mountains National Park in July 1908, and then Lamington National Park in 1915. From modest early beginnings within the Forestry department, a dedicated national parks service was established in 1975—the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. From that time, park rangers have proudly worn QPWS uniform badge featuring the symbol, Herbie (Herbert River ringtail possum), which has become one of the most well-recognised symbols in Queensland.

The Nature Conservation Act 1992, Marine Parks Act 2004 and Forestry Act 1959 provide guiding legislation for the service. Meaghan Scanlon, Minister for Environment and Science is responsible for the department. The agency's head office is located at 400 George Street in the Brisbane central business district.