The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) is the prime supporter of nature conservation in the Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n state of Victoria. VNPA meets regularly with heads of government agencies and State Government ministers in order to promote and achieve various conservation goals.

History

The Victorian National Parks Association was formed in 1952 when Victoria had 13 national parks and lacked any legislation governing these parks. As of 2007, Victoria had 52 national parks (including 13 marine national parks), 30 state parks, three wilderness parks, and 11 marine sanctuaries protected under the National Parks Act. The expansion of the state's parks has led to VNPA encouraging the state government and other private entities to provide additional funding for the conservation of these important areas.

Campaigns

• The allocation of more lands for logging in the Murray River
  Murray River
  The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
  
   region, during which VNPA encouraged the government to reconsider its forestry policy (2008) amid concerns that the wetlands could be lost forever.
• The desire to end cattle grazing in Alpine National Park in 2004, which was protested by a number of cattlemen who took their cause to the federal government in Canberra
  Canberra
  Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
  
   in 2005. This case has garnered national attention due to the desire to have the Australian Alps
  Australian Alps
  The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in southeastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria...
  
   listed as a World Heritage site.
• The banning of oil and gas exploration in all marine national parks in Victoria in 2004.
• The campaign for the preservation of a united Point Nepean, although the traditional owners ultimately went for another group's plan. Despite this, it's expected that a portion of the area will be declared a national park within the next several years.