Rangelands Protected Area 2004-2010
Updated information to that provided in
Rangelands 2008 – Taking the pulse
Gary Bastin, ACRIS Management Unit
CSIRO, PO Box 2111, Alice Springs NT 0871
(email: Gary.Bastin@csiro.au)
This project is supported by Ninti One Limited,
through funding from the Australian Government's Caring for our Country
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are
factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be
occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this
publication.
2
Rangelands Protected Area 2004-2010
Updated information to that provided in
Rangelands 2008 – Taking the pulse
Gary Bastin, ACRIS Management Unit, CSIRO, PO Box 2111, Alice Springs NT 0871
Key points
Using data compiled in the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD), the
formally protected area within Australia’s rangelands increased from 606,931 km2 in 2004 to
745,042 km2 in 2010. The increase of 138,111 km2 represents 2.2% of the rangelands area
and brought the protected area in 2010 to 12% of the rangelands.
At bioregion resolution, the greatest percentage increases in protected area between 2004 and
2010 occurred in the northern non-pastoral Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for
Australia (IBRA 7) regions (Arnhem Plateau, Arnhem Coast, Tanami, Central Arnhem and
Gulf Coastal). An additional 7.3% to 53.9% of the area of each IBRA region was listed
within CAPAD across these bioregions. Lesser percentage increases in protected area
occurred over the same period in the pastorally more important bioregions of Finke, Brigalow
Belt South, Central Kimberley and Murray Darling Depression (a further 2.6% to 5.2% of
IBRA area protected). The percentage of IBRA area protected elsewhere in the rangelands
between 2004 and 2010 remained stable or increased slightly (generally <5%).
Further biennial change in formally recognised protected area within the rangelands can be
reported by accessing the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (see URL
below).
Introduction
For many years, the Commonwealth and states and territories have been active in establishing
a system of parks or reserves to protect habitats for biota. Protected areas form part of
Australia’s National Reserve System (NRS, www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/index.html).
Change from 2000 to 2004 in the extent of protected area within each rangeland bioregion
was reported in Rangelands 2008 – Taking the pulse (pages 82-85). These, and more recent
data, are compiled, on a biennial basis, in the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas
Database (CAPAD, www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/index.html).
Increases in the protected area in rangeland bioregions between 2004 and 2010 are
summarised here.
Protected areas within CAPAD are grouped into six different conservation management
categories as described below. These categories follow the World Conservation Union
(IUCN) classification system (see www.environment.gov.au/parks/iucn.html) with all
management categories meeting the requirements for inclusion in the National Reserve
System. The IUCN management categories are:
3
IA
1B
II
III
IV
V
VI
Strict nature reserve: protected area managed mainly for science.
Wilderness area: protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection.
National park: protected area managed mainly for ecosystem conservation and
recreation.
Natural monument or feature: protected area managed for conservation of specific
natural features.
Habitat/species management area: protected area managed mainly for conservation
through management intervention.
Protected landscape/seascape: protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape
conservation and recreation.
Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources: protected area managed
mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems.
While governance and institutional arrangements vary between jurisdictions, four types of
protected areas are recognised in the National Reserve System. These are: public reserves (or
government-owned), Indigenous Protected Areas, private protected areas and shared
management reserves.
A fundamental requirement of any area’s eligibility for inclusion within the National Reserve
System is that it must meet the IUCN definition of a ‘protected area’, that is ‘A clearly
defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other
effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem
services and cultural values.’ While Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) are inherently
different from public protected areas in terms of formal security of conservation tenure and
their governing institutions, management arrangements to secure biodiversity conservation
can be made through other effective means. This includes arrangements such as management
plans that specifically take into account Indigenous cultural issues and Native Title rights in
the development of the National Reserve System [NRS Strategy]. However, the statutory
security of all protected areas, including IPAs, remains dependent on the underlying
jurisdictional tenure legislation.
An IPA is Indigenous-owned land or sea where traditional owners have entered into an
agreement with the Australian Government to promote biodiversity and cultural resource
conservation. Based on the IUCN guidelines IPAs are included in the Australian
Government's reporting of the National Reserve System, making up almost 25 per cent of the
total NRS area in 2010. As such, IPAs are the single governance-type responsible for the
largest increase in protected area size within the National Reserve System to 2010.
Additional areas in the rangelands are privately managed for conservation through ownership
by non-government organisations such as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Australian
Bush Heritage, Greening Australia and The Nature Conservancy. These areas are not
included in this reporting.
Progress on adding protected areas: 2004-2010
A further 139,702 km2 in the rangelands were added to CAPAD reporting of the National
Reserve System between 2004 and 2010, bringing the total protected area to 746,633 km2
4
(12% of the rangelands, Table 1). The sequential increases in protected area to 2008 and
2010 are mapped in Fig. 1.
TIW
DAC
ARP
PCK
CYP
CEA
DAB
VIB
GFU
GUC
STU
NOK
OVP
CEK
DL
ARC
GUP
EIU
DMR
MII
TAN
GSD
PIL
MGD
BRT
DEU
GID
LSD
CAR
BBN
MAC
GAS
CER
SSD
FNK
CHC
BBS
GVD
MUR
STP
MUL
YAL
GAW
NUL
COO
HAM
DRP
FLB
BHC
COP
MDD
RIV
Figure 1. Change in CAPAD’s reporting of the extent of protected areas within the
rangelands, 2004 to 2010. The area protected in 2004 is shown in blue, that added by 2008
shown in green and further additions to 2010 shown in red. IBRA v7 boundaries mapped. See
Table 1 for IBRA names and areas protected in 2010.
Data: CAPAD – Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database. Map: the ACRISMU.
The largest increases in protected area between 2004 and 2010 occurred within non-pastoral
bioregions in northern Australia (Table 1). This included the:
5






Arnhem Plateau (NT) with an additional 12,734 km2 protected in 2010 (equivalent to
55.2% of the IBRA area).
Arnhem Coast (NT) – a further 9,692 km2 protected between 2004 and 2010 (some
31.6% of the IBRA area).
Tanami (NT & WA) – a ten-fold (40,301 km2) expansion in protected area during the
six years and equivalent to 15.5% of IBRA area.
Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) – an increase of 9,970 km2 in protected area
(8.2% of IBRA area).
Central Arnhem (NT) – no area recorded as protected in CAPAD 2004. 2,627 km2
added to the database between 2004 and 2010 to protect 7.6% of the IBRA in 2010.
Gulf Coastal (NT) – a 1,959 km2 increase in protected area (a 68% increase on the
area protected in 2004) to now conserve 7.4% of the IBRA.
Lesser proportional increases in protected area occurred over the same period within some of
the pastorally dominant bioregions, most notably:




The Finke IBRA where an additional 2,991 km2 was protected in 2010 (equivalent to
4.1% of the bioregion).
An additional 2,898 km2 was protected between 2004 and 2010 in the rangelands
component of the Brigalow Belt South IBRA, a 77% increase on that area reserved in
2004.
A similar proportional increase in protected area for the Central Kimberley – a further
3.2% of the IBRA (comprising 2,494 km2) included in CAPAD between 2004 and
2010.
A further 2,673 km2 of the Murray Darling Depression listed in CAPAD in 2010
compared with 2004. This increase represented 2.6% of the IBRA area.
IBRA 7 boundaries were used to calculate and compare areas.
Further information
Further information about the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database, including
licensed access to the spatial data, can be found at
www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/index.html.
Change in rangelands protected area between 2000 and 2004 was reported in Rangelands
2008 – Taking the pulse (Bastin, G. & the ACRIS Management Committee, 2008, published
on behalf of the ACRIS Management Committee by the National Land and Water Resources
Audit, Canberra. Available at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/land/rangelands/acris/index.html).
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Table 1. Area of each IUCN category, and total area, protected within each rangeland bioregion in 2010. Also shown is the percentage increase in
total conserved area within each IBRA since release of the CAPAD 2004 data (the end date for reporting protected areas in Rangelands 2008 – Taking
the pulse). IUCN categories are described at the end of the table. IBRA v7 mapping used for spatial analysis.
IBRA
Area (km2) in each IUCN category
IBRA code
IA
IB
II
III
IV
Arnhem
Coast
ARC
Arnhem
Plateau
ARP
Brigalow Belt
North
BBN
14
383
60
Brigalow Belt
South
BBS
232
3,282
3
Broken Hill
Complex
BHC
682
2
Burt Plain
BRT
191
Cape York
Peninsula
CYP
18,084
1
Carnarvon
CAR
2,495
87
Central
Arnhem
CEA
Central
Kimberley
CEK
3,397
Central
Ranges
CER
3,125
Channel
Country
CHC
7,726
Cobar
COP
V
VI
896
4,864
556
27
67
10,734
31.6
12,735
17,599
55.2
284
767
0.5
3,151
6,667
5.2
721
1,472
1.3
192
0.0
26,672
8.2
3,137
0.2
2,627
7.6
5,893
3.2
49,979
53,104
3.2
16,096
23,834
1.5
1,779
0.4
6,788
2,627
749
1,030
2,496
12
Increase
since
CAPAD
2004 (% of
IBRA area)
9,838
1
1,799
Total area
(km2)
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IBRA
Area (km2) in each IUCN category
IBRA code
IA
IB
II
III
IV
V
VI
Total area
(km2)
Increase
since
CAPAD
2004 (% of
IBRA area)
Peneplain
Coolgardie
COO
11,221
2,817
Daly Basin
DAB
Dampierland
DAL
283
577
Darling
Riverine
Plains
DRP
241
1,572
Darwin
Coastal
DAC
36
7,936
Davenport
Murchison
Ranges
DMR
1,120
2
Desert
Uplands
DEU
1,715
38
Einasleigh
Uplands
EIU
3,466
331
Finke
FNK
Flinders
Lofty Block
FLB
Gascoyne
GAS
Gawler
GAW
Gibson
Desert
GID
18,457
Great Sandy
Desert
GSD
177
Great
GVD
35,878
284
15
33
136
6
1,977
648
2,353
92
98
119
9,779
4,932
24,138
14,722
1.2
43
524
0.0
860
0.0
1,882
0.1
8,282
0.5
1,140
0.0
396
2,148
0.5
1,220
5,023
1.9
2,997
3,019
4.1
527
3,152
0.3
3,494
0.0
14,599
14,849
0.1
37,291
55,749
1.1
20,576
30,532
4.1
49,776
114,876
1.4
68
4
1,050
181
683
153
175
18
18
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IBRA
Area (km2) in each IUCN category
IBRA code
IA
IB
II
III
IV
V
VI
Total area
(km2)
Increase
since
CAPAD
2004 (% of
IBRA area)
Victoria
Desert
Gulf Coastal
GUC
2,904
Gulf Fall and
Uplands
GFU
10,657
Gulf Plains
GUP
5,492
Hampton
HAM
Little Sandy
Desert
LSD
5,140
MacDonnell
Ranges
MAC
3,447
53
Mitchell
Grass Downs
MGD
3,446
3
Mount Isa
Inlier
MII
Mulga Lands
MUL
1,190
6,279
Murchison
MUR
2,354
616
Murray
Darling
Depression
MDD
2,980
Northern
Kimberley
NOK
5,717
Nullarbor
NUL
25,996
Ord Victoria
Plain
OVP
Pilbara
PIL
1,111
1,948
11
75
35
259
258
1,435
1,744
2037
652
2,352
7.4
809
11,478
0.0
320
5,887
0.1
447
1,593
0.1
5,140
0.0
1,821
5,579
0.6
109
5,251
0.4
198
1,942
0.1
1,034
8,885
0.9
132
3,102
0.0
811
10,780
2.6
12,153
0.0
31,514
62,335
0.1
110
9,060
0.1
49
11,357
0.0
6,436
200
2
1,179
1,949
382
4,852
8,934
10,129
15
4,625
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IBRA
Area (km2) in each IUCN category
IBRA code
IA
IB
II
Pine Creek
PCK
Riverina
RIV
49
1,227
Simpson
Strzelecki
Dunefields
SSD
7,535
11,381
Stony Plains
STP
Sturt Plateau
STU
Tanami
TAN
3,537
Tiwi Cobourg
TIW
2,048
Victoria
Bonaparte
VIB
1,130
Yalgoo
YAL
4,922
Total area
IUCN category
IA
IB
II
III
IV
V
VI
III
IV
V
12,037
193
115
123,465
7,073
VI
124
14
12,160
0.1
372
1,781
1.7
6,764
60,602
86,282
2.5
8,074
8,394
0.0
484
689
0.5
40,833
44,370
15.5
2,048
2.5
1
10,723
0.0
417
6,057
2.1
378,640
746,633
2.2
2
9,575
Increase
since
CAPAD
2004 (% of
IBRA area)
118
126
87
3
Total area
(km2)
9
621
6
91
210,909
2,344
15,749
4
8,453
Description
Strict nature reserve: protected area managed mainly for science
Wilderness area: protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection
National park: protected area managed mainly for ecosystem conservation and recreation
Natural monument or feature: protected area managed for conservation of specific natural features
Habitat/species management area: protected area managed mainly for conservation through management intervention
Protected landscape/seascape: protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation
Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources: protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural
ecosystems
Note that CAPAD also reports area statistics at www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/2010/index.html. Those IBRA by IUCN-category
areas differ for some rangeland bioregions because they include “NRS gazettal in progress” properties (i.e. “gazettal in progress” properties were not
included in this update).
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