EMPLOYMENT
Census of Population and Housing
Data from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing, which provides details on people's main job, does not separately identify those working in organisations responsible for nature parks and reserves from those working in other recreational parks and gardens. However, some specific occupations are more likely to be related to nature parks and reserves than to recreational parks and gardens. The broad Recreational parks and gardens industry employed 7,958 people, of which 1,074 were Park rangers, 220 were Environment, parks and land care managers and 205 were Tour guides.
9.9 PERSONS EMPLOYED IN RECREATIONAL PARKS AND GARDENS INDUSTRY(a), By occupation - August 2001 |
|
Occupation | Number | % |
|
Park rangers | 1 074 | 13.5 |
General gardeners | 466 | 5.9 |
Garden labourers | 376 | 4.7 |
Environment, parks and land care managers | 220 | 2.8 |
Tour guides | 205 | 2.6 |
Urban and regional planners | 96 | 1.2 |
Zoologists | 55 | 0.7 |
Other (includes not stated) | 5 466 | 68.7 |
Total all occupations | 7 958 | 100.0 |
|
(a) In their main job in the week before Census Night. |
ABS, 2001 Census of Population and Housing, data available on request. |
It is not possible to separate those working in zoological gardens from those working in botanic gardens using Census data. However, in the combined industries Animal attendants (410 people) and General gardeners (183 people) were the most common occupations.
9.10 PERSONS EMPLOYED IN ZOOS AND BOTANIC GARDENS INDUSTRY(a), By occupation - August 2001 |
|
Occupation | Number | % |
|
Animal attendants | 410 | 19.4 |
General gardeners | 183 | 8.6 |
Tour guides | 44 | 2.1 |
Botanists | 38 | 1.8 |
Zoologists | 34 | 1.6 |
Park rangers | 17 | 0.8 |
Environment, parks and land care managers | 15 | 0.7 |
Other (includes not stated) | 1 377 | 65.0 |
Total all occupations | 2 118 | 100.0 |
|
(a) In their main job in the week before Census Night. |
ABS, 2001 Census of Population and Housing, data available on request. |
Work Survey
More information on employment can be obtained from the 2004 Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities which collected data on all involvement rather than just the paid employment in main job which is obtained from the Census. The survey found that 113,000 people had some involvement in the operations of national parks and reserves although only 25% received some form of payment. A large number of people also reported volunteering their time to work in botanic gardens. Of the estimated 23,000 people working in botanic gardens, 51% were paid for their involvement.
9.11 PERSONS WITH A WORK INVOLVEMENT IN NATIONAL PARKS, ZOOS AND BOTANIC GARDENS(a), By whether paid or unpaid - 2004 |
|
| Some paid involvement | Unpaid involvement only | Total | Percentage with
some paid involvement |
| '000 | '000 | '000 | % |
|
National parks and reserves | 27.7 | 82.0 | 113.0 | 25.3 |
Zoological parks and aquariums | *5.6 | *10.3 | 15.9 | *35.3 |
Botanic gardens | *11.7 | *11.4 | 23.0 | *50.6 |
|
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution |
(a) In the 12 months before interview in April 2004. |
ABS, Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, April 2004 (cat. no. 6281.0). |