The Blue Mountains National Park is one of NSW's most visited national parks.
In a rapidly changing climate, the cost of managing the natural environment is spiralling — and public land management agencies are facing rising costs.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), which is responsible for managing and conserving the biodiversity and cultural heritage of more than 7.5 million hectares of protected land, is facing similar pressures.
“The issue of financial sustainability does affect our ability to manage our national parks effectively,” says Dr Louise O’Flynn, who has been overseeing major projects for NPWS for more than 15 years.
“This is a grand challenge that our industry is facing.”
Louise could see that what was needed was someone who could dedicate themselves to the problem full time and over an extended period, with the support of an experienced research team.
In 2020, Louise decided that someone would be her. So, with the blessing of NPWS, she enrolled in the UTS Industry Doctorate Program (UTS IDP) to tackle the problem head on.
Three years later, her research is paving the way towards enhanced financial sustainability for public land management agencies in Australia and beyond.
Financial roadmap for land management
The UTS IDP is a formal PhD program that focuses on delivering innovative, evidence-based solutions to real-world challenges.
Like Louise, many UTS IDP students are current professionals who are addressing critical problems for their fields, supported by rigorous research training and mentored by UTS’s world-class experts.
Other students partner with an external organisation in their area of interest to deliver a 3–4-year research program co-designed by the industry partner and the student’s academic supervisors.
NPWS became the industry partner for Louise’s project, which was situated in the UTS Business School.
Louise O'Flynn
Louise was supervised by Associate Professor Stephen Wearing, known for his management work in the parks and leisure sector, and Senior Lecturer Stephen Schweinsberg, an expert in sustainable management.
Her research was focused on identifying barriers and enablers of financial sustainability for the public lands that NPWS oversees.
“Based on a theory of change that I developed as part of the work, I was able to put together recommendations for future research and practical action,” she says.
“We identified six interlinked pathways to change.”
Louise also investigated the potential of social impact bonds as an alternative funding stream for land management agencies and put together an impact bond feasibility checklist for use across the sector.
Reshaping career pathways
NPWS was an active partner throughout the doctoral program and has welcomed Louise’s project outcomes.
“The work that Louise has done provides NPWS with options that can lead to improvements in financial sustainability that will contribute to a better managed parks and improved environmental and social outcomes,” says Deon van Rensburg, Acting Executive Director, Park Operations, NPWS.
But the IDP experience has done more than drive real-world change in the land management sector. It has also equipped Louise with valuable expertise that allows her to stand out as a leader in her field.
“I have refined and enhanced my research skills, developed an expertise in financial sustainability, and published my research findings in an industry-based academic journal,” she says.
“I’m determined to share that knowledge as widely as I can.”
And it’s already re-shaping her career: after submitting her PhD in 2022, Louise headed back to NPWS in a new role as a carbon advisory specialist.
The job, which is focused on the delivery of carbon sequestration projects across the National Park Estate to support a NSW transition to a net zero economy, draws on Louise’s expertise in sustainable management and alternative finance mechanisms for conservation.
“I always knew I’d go back to industry, and while it’s only been six months, I can see the benefits from my time as a PhD student,” she says.
“I loved the PhD. It’s the best thing I’ve done with my career.”
