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Originally this was the Forrests Department and then in March 1985 it became the Conservation and Land Management
authority (CALM). In 2007 it changed its name to Department of Environment and Conservation
(DEC). On July 1 2013 it became the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) and in June 2020 it changed YET AGAIN to
the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
The question has to be asked, why is the name changing so frequently and how much is this costing West Australian taxpayers in changes to signage etc?
The department does a good (and necessary) job but there seems to be a bit of disregard for money ponied up by the community. Will this extra expense
result in unnecessary fee hikes for entry to parks? Yes, it will and it has.
The department administers all Western Australia's National Parks and operates an on-line guide to these parks.
There are fees charged for entry to many National Parks and fees for camping in those that have campsites available.
It is impossible to talk about CALM (DEC) and National Parks without mentioning the atrocious state of many of the roads in these parks. In some cases
you are in danger of damaging your vehicle if it is not a solidly constructed 4 wheel drive. Speaking to rangers we have been told that this is a deliberate
policy to try and restrict numbers of vehicles entering especially sensitive areas. Perhaps this is understandable but be aware that some park roads are
in very poor condition and drive accordingly.
Pets are not permitted in National Parks and other restrictions may apply. Parks are sometimes closed (especially in bushfire season) so it is wise to
check the internet site listed above for up to date information.
We are developing our own list of national parks and reserves to make finding them on this site much easier.
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