Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

What Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation does

The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) is a Queensland Government state department, established circa 2017, headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and structured as a multi-portfolio public agency rather than a commercial enterprise. It administers core Queensland statutes — including the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Nature Conservation Act 1992, Marine Parks Act 2004 and Queensland Heritage Act 1992 — and operates through internal units such as the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS), Advance Queensland, the Office of the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur, and the Queensland Heritage Council. Its service portfolio spans environmental licensing and regulatory services (environment.qld.gov.au), national parks and forests management (parks.qld.gov.au), the Advance Queensland innovation ecosystem, the Destination 2045 twenty-year tourism strategy, science research and engagement programs, and heritage protection services.

The department's products and underlying technology are predominantly transactional and informational public-sector platforms rather than proprietary commercial software. Core digital infrastructure includes the PALM-based online services portal for environmental authorities and permits, the parks.qld.gov.au booking and alerts system, the advance.qld.gov.au innovation platform, and a suite of program websites. Pricing follows the Queensland Government Fee Unit Model — for 2026-27, one fee unit equals $1.133, indexed annually at 3.4% — applied across more than 600 fee items including 296 environmental authority annual fees, 48 application fees, 110 commercial activity agreement items, 61 plant licence items, 40 animal licence items, 57 guided-tour items, and park admission and camping fees.

DETSI's business model combines sovereign budget appropriations (a $1.63 billion budget for 2026-27) with regulatory fee revenue and grant pass-throughs to operators. The department is funded and directed by the Queensland Government under Minister Andrew Powell and led operationally by Director-General Patricia O'Callaghan. It serves four primary customer segments — tourism operators and businesses, environmental licence holders, park visitors and recreationists, and innovators/startups — and routes these relationships through environment service centres, visitor centres, the Tourism Support Hub, and online self-service channels distributed across 13 tourism regions statewide.

Name

Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation

Legal name

Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), Queensland

Website

https://detsi.qld.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) is a Queensland Government department administering environmental regulation, national parks, tourism development, science, and innovation programs for the state's residents, tourism operators, environmental licence holders, and startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Environmental and Tourism Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL), Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD), Facilities Maintenance & Environmental Services (Waste, Water, Trail Maintenance, Restrooms) (THAAAGAI), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Services (Restoration, Wildlife-Safe Operations) (THAAANAH)

Keywords

• Environmental regulation
• National parks management
• Tourism development
• Innovation funding
• Science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The department delivers Queensland Government services across four portfolio areas: environmental protection and regulation (including environmental licensing through the PALM system), management of national parks and forests (covering camping, permits and recreational access via parks.qld.gov.au), tourism industry support and infrastructure investment (including the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund and Tourism Support Hub), and science and innovation programs (including the Advance Queensland initiative). Services are delivered to tourism operators, innovators, businesses holding environmental authorities, scientists, and the general public visiting parks.

Product overview

The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) is a Queensland Government department offering a portfolio of public services, programs, and initiatives rather than a unified commercial product. Core offerings include environmental licensing and regulatory services (via environment.qld.gov.au), national parks and forests management (via parks.qld.gov.au), the Advance Queensland innovation ecosystem, the Destination 2045 tourism strategy with associated funding programs, science research support, and heritage protection services. The department provides online service portals for licences, permits, camping bookings, and public consultations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Queensland National Parks: Parks and forests management brand operated by the department
• Advance Queensland
• Destination 2045
• Deadly Innovation

Products and services

• Advance Queensland

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California State Parks: California Department of Parks and Recreation manages state parks, beaches, and cultural resources. Comparable as a sub-national parks administrator with similar portfolio of protected area management, visitor services, and concession/permit programs.
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: Federal agency managing the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which lies within Queensland waters and is core to Queensland's tourism offering. Comparable as a protected area administrator with overlapping jurisdiction in tourism, conservation, and permitting.
• Department of Conservation (New Zealand): New Zealand's Department of Conservation manages conservation land, national parks, and visitor services. Directly comparable as a national/central government agency with parks management, wildlife protection, and tourism concession functions.
• Parks Canada: Canadian national parks agency managing national parks, marine conservation areas, and visitor services. Directly comparable as a parks and protected areas administrator with similar fee models, camping operations, and conservation mandate.
• Parks Victoria: Parks Victoria is an Australian state agency managing Victorian parks, waterways, and visitor services. Directly comparable as a state-level parks and protected areas administrator with similar visitor services, camping operations, and environmental regulatory functions.
• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: NSW NPWS is a state-level agency managing national parks, wildlife conservation, and visitor services in New South Wales. Directly comparable portfolio: parks management, wildlife regulation, camping/permits, and conservation programs under a state government.

Broad incumbents

• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia): Federal Australian environment department overseeing national environmental policy, climate change, water resources, and parks. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in the same environmental protection and natural resources space, but at the federal rather than state level.
• Tourism Australia: Federal agency responsible for international and domestic tourism marketing for Australia. Comparable as a tourism development and investment attraction agency, but operating at national level across all states rather than focused on Queensland.
• Environment Agency (UK): UK non-departmental public body responsible for environmental protection, flooding, and regulation. Comparable as a public sector environmental regulator with licensing, permitting, and conservation functions, though with a UK rather than Australian remit.

Regional players

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife: U.S. state agency managing Colorado's parks, wildlife, and outdoor recreation. Comparable as a state-level parks and wildlife administrator, but operating in North America rather than the Asia-Pacific region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/qldparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/QueenslandParks
• Facebookfacebook.com/QldEnvironment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-environment-science-and-innovation
• Instagraminstagram.com/qldparks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation