The Protected areas of New South Wales include both terrestrial and marine protected areas. As of June 2020 [update] there are 225 national parks in New South Wales. [1] A number established since the late 1970s followed campaigns by local residents and environmentalists. [2]
Based on the Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD) 2020 data there are 2136 separate terrestrial protected areas with a total land area of 7,696,641 hectares (19,018,810 acres) (9.61% of the state's area). [3] CAPAD data also shows 18 marine protected areas with a total area of 348,849 hectares (862,020 acres), covering 39.63% of NSW waters. [3]
New South Wales established the first known protected area in Australia, Royal National Park in 1879. The formation of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1967 saw a bid in the conservation of the state's diversity of natural ecosystems and cultural heritage. Today New South Wales contains more than 16.4 million acres within 870 protected areas, as well as 225 different national parks, each with their own pristine beauty and tranquil scenery.
In June 2020 the Government of New South Wales acquired 153,415 ha (379,100 acres), [4] or 1,534 km2 (592 sq mi) [5] of private land for a new national park, when it purchased Narriearra station in the state's far north-west, [4] subsequently named the Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park. It is the largest ever purchase of private land for conservation in the state, [5] and provides 90 percent of the habitat of the endangered grey grasswren. The Dingo Fence on the border with Queensland forms the northern boundary of the property. [6]
The second largest acquisition ever was made in October 2021, Avenel/Mount Westwood station, north of Broken Hill, comprising 121,390 hectares (300,000 acres). [7] A further 60,416 hectares (149,290 acres) of private land, Langidoon and Metford stations, located 65 kilometres east of Broken Hill was also purchased [8] and gazetted in 2021. [9] Koonaburra station, 45,534 hectares (112,520 acres) located between Ivanhoe and Cobar, was also purchased and gazetted in the same year. [9] [10]
National parks are managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment of New South Wales.
Nature Reserves are managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of Environment and Climate Change of New South Wales.
State Conservation Areas, formerly referred to as State Recreation Areas, are managed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Regional Parks are managed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Aboriginal Areas are managed by local Aboriginal communities and the Department of Environment and Climate Change.
A number of Historic Sites are managed by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Other historic sites in the state are managed by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales.
State Parks are managed by the Land and Property Management Authority.
Four Karst Conservation Reserves are managed by the Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust.
Marine Parks are managed by the New South Wales Marine Parks Authority. [11]
Aquatic reserves are managed by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries. [12]
Protected areas of Australia include Commonwealth and off-shore protected areas managed by the Australian government, as well as protected areas within each of the six states of Australia and two self-governing territories, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, which are managed by the eight state and territory governments.
Queensland is the second-largest state in Australia. As at 2020, it contained more than 1,000 protected areas. In August 2023, it was estimated a total of 14.5 million hectares or 8.38% of Queensland's landmass was protected.
Protected areas of South Australia, consisting of protected areas located within South Australia and its immediate onshore waters and which are managed by South Australian Government agencies. As of 2018, South Australia contained 359 separate protected areas declared under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, the Crown Land Management Act 2009 and the Wilderness Protection Act 1992. Together, they cover a total land area of 211,387.48 km2 (81,617.16 sq mi) or 21.5% of the state's area.
Protected areas of Tasmania consist of protected areas located within Tasmania and its immediate onshore waters, including Macquarie Island. It includes areas of crown land managed by Tasmanian Government agencies as well as private reserves. As of 2016, 52% of Tasmania's land area has some form of reservation classification, the majority is managed by the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service. Marine protected areas cover about 7.9% of state waters.
Victoria is the smallest mainland state in Australia. As of 2022 it contained 5,081 separate protected areas with a total land area of 4,012,888 ha.
The Kamay Botany Bay National Park is a heritage-listed protected national park that is located in the eastern part of Botany Bay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The 456-hectare (1,130-acre) national park is situated approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south-east of the Sydney central business district, on the northern and southern headlands of Botany Bay. The northern headland is at La Perouse and the southern headland is at Kurnell.
Georges River National Park is a protected Australian National Park, under the management of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The park falls in the regions of the Sutherland Shire Council and Canterbury-Bankstown Council. Located in the city of Sydney, 25 km south-west of the CBD, surrounded by neighbouring suburbs of Lugano, Illawong, Alfords Point, Padstow Heights, Revesby Heights, Picnic Point and Sandy Point. The primary use of the park is to service for recreational activities such as; bush walking, picnics, barbeques, boating, fishing, and water/jet skiing. The park is Segmented into 15 sectors along the riverbanks of the Georges River, encompassing 514 hectares, housing many native aquatic and terrestrial Australian flora and fauna. The traditional custodians are the Dharug people located on the north side of the river, and Dharawal people located on the south of the river.
Heathcote National Park is a protected national park that is located in the southern area of Sydney, New South Wales in eastern Australia, and is situated on Dharawal country. The 2,679-hectare (6,620-acre) national park is situated approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest of the Sydney central business district, west of the Illawarra railway line, the Princes Highway and Motorway, and the suburbs of Heathcote and Waterfall.
Lake Macquarie is Australia's largest coastal lagoon. Located in the City of Lake Macquarie and Central Coast Council local government areas in the Hunter and Central Coast regions of New South Wales, Australia, it covers an area of 110 square kilometres (42.5 sq mi) and is connected to the Tasman Sea by a short channel. Most of the residents of the City of Lake Macquarie live near the shores of the lagoon.
The South Western Slopes, also known as the South West Slopes, is a region predominantly in New South Wales, Australia. It covers the lower inland slopes of the Great Dividing Range, extending from north of Dunedoo through central NSW and into northeast Victoria, meeting its southwestern end around Beechworth. More than 90% of the region is in the state of New South Wales and it occupies about 10% of that state.
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service is the government body responsible for managing protected areas of Tasmania on public land, such as national parks, historic sites and regional reserves. Historically it has also had responsibility for managing wildlife, including game.
The Paroo-Darling National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Far West region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 178,053-hectare (439,980-acre) national park spans two distinct regions in the outback area. This region covers the arid catchments of the Paroo River and the Paroo-Darling confluence to the south.
The Yanga National Park is a newly formed national park, located near the township of Balranald in south- western New South Wales. It covers an area of 66,734 hectares which includes 1,932 hectares of Yanga Nature Reserve, and has a frontage of 170 kilometres (110 mi) on the Murrumbidgee River. It is largely located in the Lower Murrumbidgee Floodplain, which is included on A Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia because of its importance as a breeding site for waterbirds when flooded.
The Dharawal National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 6,508-hectare (16,080-acre) national park is situated between the Illawarra Range and the Georges River and is approximately 45 kilometres (28 mi) south west of Sydney. There are three entry points to the park: from the east through Darkes Forest; from the north through Wedderburn; and from the south through Appin.
Stingray Swamp Flora Reserve (SWFR) is located immediately north of Penrose township in the south-western region of Wingecarribee Shire. The reserve is primarily surrounded by the Penrose State Forest, which is a commercially active plantation forest administered by the Forest Corporation NSW. Pine species dominate the state forest with a mix of native vegetation types in isolated pockets and adjacent areas. Stingray Swamp Flora Reserve belongs to a larger wetland complex known as the Paddy's River Wetland Complex (PRWC). These wetlands also form part of the Paddy's River sub-catchment, which belong to the larger Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment. Historic use of this area has mainly been that of pine plantation, agriculture and mining activities. The forest is publicly accessible and therefore is a site of mixed recreational activities.
The Nocoleche Nature Reserve is a conservation area in New South Wales on the Paroo River located 20 kilometres south of the town of Wanaaring, New South Wales. It was created in 1979, and has an area of 711.08 km².
The High Conservation Value Old Growth forest is a heritage-listed forest located across twelve local government areas in the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, and New England regions of New South Wales, Australia. The conservation area is also known as Old Growth Forest; HCVOG Forest; and Upper North East NSW. Broadly speaking, the conservation area forms part of the much larger Gondwana Rainforests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site totalling more than 366,000 hectares. The conservation area is owned by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, both agencies of the Government of New South Wales. The conservation area was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 22 December 2000.
Cook Island, formerly Cooks Island, Turtle Island and Joong-urra-narrian, is an island in the Australian state of New South Wales located on the state's north coast about 600 metres (2,000 ft) north-east of Fingal Head and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south-east of the town of Tweed Heads.
Limeburners Creek National Park is a protected national park on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. The 91.2 km national park is located 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north of Port Macquarie and exists across both the Kempsey Shire and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council local government areas, but is chiefly managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service. The area was originally erected as a nature reserve but this reservation was revoked when it became formally recognised as a national park in 2010 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act (1974). Many threatened ecological habitats and species of fauna and flora are found within this park, alongside several heritage sites of cultural significance, particularly to the local Birpai and Dunghutti people upon whose land the park exists. The protected status of this national park is largely owing to the ecological and cultural value of the area, in addition to the value of the ecosystems to further scientific research.