Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The functions of a Board established for a Commonwealth reserve are:

to make decisions relating to the management of the reserve that are consistent with the management plan in operation for the reserve; and

if a management plan for the reserve has ceased to be in operation, and no further management plan for the reserve has yet come into operation—to make decisions relating to the management of the reserve that are consistent with the most recent management plan that was in operation for the reserve; and

in conjunction with the Director, to:

prepare management plans for the reserve; and

monitor the management of the reserve; and

advise the Minister on all aspects of the future development of the reserve.

A Board must prepare management plans for a reserve in conjunction with the Director, to try to ensure that a plan for the reserve is in operation as soon as practicable after the Board is established, and at all times after a plan first takes effect after the Board’s establishment. See subsection 366(3).

When performing its functions, a Board must comply with a direction given by the Minister to the Board under:

section 364 (Resolving disagreement between Director and Board over implementation of plan); or

section 369 (Resolving disagreements between Director and Board in planning process).