Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is a division within the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation of the Queensland Government. The QPWS is responsible for the management of the state’s protected areas and wildlife, including national parks, state forests and marine sanctuaries, with the aim of preserving them for current and future generations.

Areas managed by the QPWS include more than 1000 national parks, state forests, marine parks and other protected areas, as well as five world heritage sites. Of these protected areas, 220 are national parks.

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 beginnings within the Forestry Department, a dedicated national parks service was established in 1975; the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service. From that time, park rangers have worn badges featuring the QPWS mascot, Herbie (Herbert River ringtail possum), which has become one of the most well-recognised symbols in Queensland. In 1998, the name was abbreviated to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service by a departmental arrangements notice, and the wording on the badge was updated to reflect this change.

The Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Marine Parks Act 2004 provide guiding legislation for the QPWS. As of early 2026, Andrew Powell is the minister responsible for the department. The agency's head office is located at 400 George Street in the Brisbane central business district.