National School in Park Management 2008
Now in its twelfth year the popular National
School in Park Management will once again be held in Melbourne, from July 6 – 11, 2008. The school engages with current and emerging issues in managing parks and public open space. Real-world management responses, research findings and policy direction are all introduced as tools to enable participants to expand their thinking in relation to their profession.
Click here to download the 2008 application form.
Start and Finish Times
Registration will open at 4pm on Sunday 6 July, the first session of the School begins at 5pm. On Friday 11 July, the School finishes at 2pm. Travel time from Melbourne Airport to Queen’s College, Parkville takes approximately half an hour in light traffic. We suggest that on the Sunday this would be an accurate time. However, on the Friday we strongly suggest that you allow an hour for travel to the airport as peak hour traffic can build quite early at the end of the week.
Balancing the evolving needs of parks, park users and park managers
This year’s theme has been chosen in response to the increasing demands being placed on parks, park users and park managers.
The demands on parks are altering dramatically as visitor demographic, conservation needs, aesthetic requirements, user expectations and resource cost and availability increasingly compete for precedence in management’s consideration. Balancing these needs is one of the greatest challenges to park management.
The theme will be explored through three key streams, to ensure that all facets are considered, at both the operational and corporate levels. Meeting the needs of park visitors is crucial, and planning for the future requires good policy to guide development and management of parks. The following issues will be explored.
1. Visitor expectations and experience
How does the park manager manage visitor expectations?
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What are the experiences that visitors want in their parks?
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How do you manage the needs of different interest groups or cultural groups for the same park or site?
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How do you plan for future community and visitor needs?
2. Vegetation, conservation and recreation
- In an era of climate change how do we continue to have sustainable vegetation and still meet the needs of park users and the environment?
- How do we manage the often contrasting demands of different users in parks and public open space?
- What is the most current thinking in water management and planning for parks into the future?
3. Policy objectives and management realities
- How do park managers balance these policy objectives with management realities?
- What are the new challenges in meeting the needs of public open space users?
- How should planners respond to outside and private use activities within a park?
Contact:
Kirsten Raynor
Parks School Coordinator
Ph: 9250 6809
Email: kraynor@unimelb.edu.au
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