Nature Parks Board Update

By Kevin Love, Board chair

The Phillip Island Nature Parks’ Board met on 25 August. Below are some highlights from
the meeting.

Visitation

The Board noted that visitation to the Nature Parks sites increased from 2020/21 to 2021/22, although less than was anticipated due to ongoing disruptions to travel. Visitation was also strong this July and early August.

Fox update

The Board welcomed the updated news from July, when the Conservation team successfully removed a fox from the island. The DNA samples collected have been matched to the genotype of the fox captured. There is no further evidence of a live fox on Phillip Island.
Whilst this is reassuring, our Conservation team remains vigilant and will continue to closely monitor the situation.

Strategic Risk Reviews

This month the Board reviewed and endorsed the controls and treatments of two strategic risks associated with revenue earned from Nature Parks paid attractions and continued financial sustainability and stability.

Annual Report

The Board considered the Annual Report for year ending June 30, 2022 for submission to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Once finalised it will be tabled in State Parliament.

Policies

The Board was pleased to approve the Financial Management and Accounting as endorsed by the Audit, Risk and Finance Subcommittee on August 18, 2021. The Board also noted the status update on the governing document structure initiative, and correlation with the Board/Board Subcommittee Schedule of work.

Penguin Parade boardwalks and stands

The Board received an update on the Penguin Parade boardwalks and viewing stands detailed design following consultation with key stakeholders and the Project Governance Group which has been established to oversee the project. It was happy to endorse the detailed design to progress to the next steps of the tender and construction phase.

Food and beverage

The Board noted the focus in July and August was the transition of catering services to Create Catering, who will deliver all food and beverage services across Nature Parks’ sites.  We are excited to see the new ideas for food and event delivery come to life over the coming months.

Business Plan and strategy acquittal

The Board considered the acquittal against the 2021/22 business plan and noted a number of significant achievements, which are a testament to the dedication and resilience of the Nature Parks team. It also noted the progress report against initiatives in the Annual Business Plan and Budget 2022-23.