AUSTRALIA'S newest chain of caravan parks has made a giant leap forward for environment and sustainable tourism.

In a co-operative venture with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Oz Parks has developed a sustainable tourism program for the future.

The Green Park scheme was launched in mid 2007 and Oz Park chief executive officer John Corrall says his national caravan and tourist park chain is the first to adopt such a program.

"We are very conscious of the need to develop a sustainable industry, and wanted a scheme that would allow our members to do something positive for the environment," he said.

"When a member of the chain becomes Green Park certified, they have to physically perform a number of tasks along sustainable tourism lines."

To be certified, member parks must carry out set tasks in greenhouse reduction, water conservation, waste and recycling management, habitat and biodiversity, and social and community.

"We were particularly mindful of some of our remote members where a lot of what city and regional operators take for granted is not available, like green power and basic recycling. To that end, the challenge was to develop a program that all parks could complete," Mr Corrall said.

The Oz Park Green Park scheme has done just that with almost 40 percent of the chain being already certified, from Hervey Bay to Phillip Island and from Sydney to Cobdogla in South Australia. Others are working towards their certification.

Oz Parks was launched in 2005 when a number of individual park owners affiliated to cater not only for families but for travellers not requiring all the bells and whistles offered by some chains.

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