Who We Are and What We Do
- Arts and Museums
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Biological Parks
- Environment Protection Agency Program
- Heritage Conservation Services
- Land and Water
- Natural Resource Management
- Park Management
Arts and Museums
To promote excellence in Northern Territory Arts and Culture through:
- Araluen Cultural Precinct
- Arts NT
- Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory
- Northern Territory Film Office
- Strehlow Research Centre
What we do
- Deliver, facilitate and promote performing arts, cinema, visual arts and tourism programs and attractions, for local residents and visitors.
- Acquire, manage, conserve interpret and research art collections, heritage, natural science and cultural material and facilities to ensure preservation and access.
- Support and develop the artistic and cultural potential of the Northern Territory and showcase our diverse talent.
- Provide funding support through a range of grants programs to the Northern Territory's arts and screen industries and regional museums.
Biodiversity Conservation
To document the Territory’s flora and fauna; and provide the best possible scientific basis for decision making on biodiversity conservation planning, the sustainable use of wildlife, the recovery of threatened species, sustainable development and the abatement of threatening processes.
What we do
- Prepare regional conservation planning options.
- Describe the distribution, characteristics and relationships of Territory plants; and manage the Herbarium plant collections
- Assist Aboriginal communities in recording their knowledge about plants, animals and their habitats.
- Evaluate the conservation status of Territory wildlife.
- Conduct research into the ecology of Territory plants and animals, and the factors that threaten them.
- Develop management and monitoring programs for biodiversity and its use.
- Review development applications to ensure biodiversity conservation issues are adequately addressed.
Biological Parks
The Biological Parks division enables Territorians and tourists to better understand, respect, enjoy and care for the Northern Territory environment by designing and creating visitor experiences that attract and educate visitors. The delivery of these experiences is designed to inform the community about threats to the environment, enhance environmental behaviour, inform land management, build tourism, and increase indigenous employment.
The Biological Parks Division manages Alice Springs Desert Park, Territory Wildlife Park, George Brown Botanic Gardens and Window on the Wetlands.
What we do
- We produce environmental outcomes through expert environmental education and interpretation within the Parks
- We produce social outcomes through employment and training, particularly indigenous employment, and support indigenous tourism initiatives.
- We deliver economic outcomes by attracting more visitors to the Territory for longer and by supporting other tourism operators.
Environment Protection Agency Program
Assessments and advice on the environmental impacts of development proposals and policy advice and regulatory services to provide for effective waste management and pollution control.
What we do
- Implement the Environmental Assessment Act to ensure that development decisions in the Northern Territory take environmental impact into consideration.
- Undertake environmental assessment of development proposals
- Undertake compliance assessment of the environmental performance of development.
- Provide technical advice to government and the community on waste and pollution management issues.
- Issue licences to regulate activities subject to the Waste Management and Pollution control and Water Acts.
- Develop guidance material to promote good environmental practices.
- Advise Government and the community on environmental matters.
- Develop and implement environmental policies including greenhouse, air quality, stormwater etc.
Heritage Conservation
To manage the unique cultural and natural heritage of the Northern Territory.
What we do
- Undertake assessments in accordance with Section 22 of the Heritage Conservation Act and fulfil other statutory requirements as required.
- Provide advice and support to the owners of declared heritage places.
- Coordinating the Northern Territory Heritage Grants Program.
- Provide advice and secretariat services to the Heritage Advisory Council and implement Heritage Advisory Council directions.
- Prepare and implement conservation plans for heritage places.
- Provide advice on heritage matters to Government, development proponents and the community.
- Promote heritage and conservation.
Land and Water
Provision of value added information on land, water and vegetation in support of natural resource management decision-makers.
What we do
- Conduct and advise on soil and land resource assessments
- Measure the surface and groundwater resources of the NT
- Provide flood forecasts, hydrographic, drilling and test pumping services
- Maintain and present major natural resource data sets and mapping
Major emerging issues
- Input to Water Allocation Process
- Development and Understanding of Coastal Processes;
- Ongoing Drilling Operations;
- Improved Data access and availability;
- Accelerated research and monitoring of Daly Region;
- Improved Co-ordination of Water Resource Management;
- Integrated Natural Resource Management;
- Tropical Rivers and National Water Initiatives
- National Accounting for Natural Resource Issues
- Inputs to Indigenous Economic Development
- Email: naturalsystems@nt.gov.au
Natural Resource Management
Provide integrated support, advisory, monitoring and regulatory services in respect of the Territory’s natural resources and mitigation of potential threats such as erosion, weeds, bushfires and feral animals.
What we do
- Monitor and report on the impact of development on natural resources
- Provide landholders with information and advice on sound land and water management
- Monitor land and water condition
- Provide advice and support to landholders on management of weeds
- Conduct research into biocontrol of selected weeds
- Assess and control land clearing and water abstraction
- Conduct bushfire mitigation and control
- Administer and regulate pastoral lands
- Coordinate feral animal control on pastoral lands
- Provide support for community and landcare groups and statutory and non statutory bodies
- Regulate use of natural resources under legislation
- Email: naturalresources@nt.gov.au
Parks
To manage, protect and preserve the Territory’s Parks estate.
What we do:
- Manage and protect the Park Estate, including visitor management and conservation management
- Promotion of education, recreation and tourism through the delivery of visitor and community programs
- Involve indigenous people in the protection of biodiversity and land management
- Provide planning, visitor monitoring and interpretive “signage” programs
- Provide and encourage commercial opportunities on parks and reserves
- Control of fire, weeds and feral animals in Parks