ACT Parks and Conservation Service asked to hear from you so we could better understand who uses our many reserves, forests and national parks, how they are used, and how we can better enhance user experiences.

You had your say by taking the survey and providing your feedback.

Volunteers also conducted face-to-face visitor surveys throughout our nature spaces (e.g. Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre). All face-to-face surveys were conducted in a COVID safe way following the current health directives from the Chief Health Officer of the ACT.

Canberra is commonly referred to as the 'Bush Capital' – and for good reason. Our natural surroundings and nature parks cover about 80% of the ACT, making Canberra a very special city to live in.

Our parks and reserves support conservation of plants and our wildlife, offer great vistas and provide endless recreational opportunities. We know they are highly appreciated but we want to know what we can do better to make sure people – both locals and visitors – experience these locations to their full potential.

Feedback provided through the survey will give us a better understanding of reserve users, their motivations, and their satisfaction in utilising the Canberra region’s natural assets.

The Parks and Conservation Service is entrusted with the management of almost 70% of the Territory’s 236,000 hectares, meaning the ACT protects more of its land as public open space than any other Australian jurisdictions. It is estimated that no Canberran lives further than 3.5 kilometres from a nature reserve, national park or pine forest with the average distance being only 977 metres.

The ACT is also entrusted with the preservation of the largest patch of nationally endangered Yellow Box woodland in public hands and the largest patches of temperate native grassland left in Australia.

Namadgi National Park and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve are part of the Australian Alps National Parks, a network of protected area that stretches from Mt Baw Baw in Victoria’s Gippsland, along the roof of eastern Australia to Namadgi and Tidbinbilla in the ACT.

The data collected throughout the survey will be used to enhance visitor experiences and inform community and visitor programs in the ACT’s parks, reserves and forested areas.

Some of the key themes and insights we received through the survey are shown below and in the what we heard infographic under the Document Library. More information on what was heard can be found in the listening report.