Protected areas of South Australia

thumb|right|270px|Cape Spencer Lighthouse, [[Innes National Park]]

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 or 21.5% of the state's area.

Jurisdiction

The jurisdiction for legislation of protected areas within South Australia and the immediate onshore waters known officially as "the coastal waters and waters within the limits of South Australia" is that of the South Australian government. The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 authorises the creation and management of protected areas, which form the majority of South Australia’s contribution to the National Reserve System.

Other South Australian legislation that may create protected areas includes the following: Forestry Act 1950, Wilderness Protection Act 1992, Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981, River Murray Act 2003, Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary Act 2005, Fisheries Management Act 2007, Marine Parks Act 2007, Crown Land Management Act 2009, Arkaroola Protection Act 2012 and Native Vegetation Act 1991.

The Australian Government does not have power under the Australian constitution to legislate for protected areas within South Australia. However, its treaty obligations and its constitutional responsibilities permit the state to develop policies for protected areas and to enter into agreements concerning protected areas. Examples include nomination of sites under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (also known as the Ramsar Convention) and establishment of agreements for Indigenous Protected Areas.

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

The National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (also known as the National Parks Act) is the main South Australian legislation authorising the establishment and management of protected areas. It is concerned with the establishment and management of reserves, establishment of sanctuaries, conservation of native plants and animals, declaration of protected animals, management of protected animals in respect to taking, keeping, farming and harvesting, and control of hunting.

The act is administered by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW).

Reserves declared under this act totalled 320, covering an area of or 19.6% of South Australia's area.

The following types of reserves are listed within the Act: national parks, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks and regional reserves.

National parks

National parks are "areas considered to be of national significance due to wildlife, natural features of the land, or Aboriginal or European heritage".

Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary—Winaityinaityi Pangkara
Belair
Canunda
Cleland (2021)
Coffin Bay
Coorong
Deep Creek (2021)
Flinders Chase
Gawler Ranges
Glenthorne–Ityamaiitpinna Yarta (2020)
Great Australian Bight Marine
Ikara-Flinders Ranges
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes
Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre
Lake Frome National Park (2021)
Lake Gairdner
Lake Torrens
Lincoln
Malkumba-Coongie Lakes
Mount Remarkable
Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert (2021)
Murray River
Naracoorte Caves
Nilpena Ediacara National Park
Nullarbor
Onkaparinga River
Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges
Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges National Park (2021)
Witjira

Conservation parks

Conservation parks are "areas protected for the purpose of conserving wildlife or the natural or historic features of the land".

Lake Gilles
Lake Hawdon South
Lake Newland
Lake St Clair
Lashmar
Lathami
Laura Bay
Lawari
Lesueur
Leven Beach
Lincoln
Lipson Island
Little Dip
Lowan
Lower Glenelg River
Maize Island Lagoon
Malgra
Mamungari
Mantung
Marino
Mark Oliphant
Marne Valley
Martin Washpool
Martindale Hall
Mary Seymour
Media Island
Messent
Middlecamp Hills
Mimbara
Minlacowie
Moana Sands
Mokota
Monarto
Monarto Woodlands
Montacute
Moody Tank
Morgan
Morialta
Mount Billy
Mount Boothby
Mount Brown
Mount Dutton Bay
Mount George
Mount Magnificent
Mount Monster
Mount Scott
Mount Taylor
Mowantjie Willauwar
Mullinger Swamp
Munyaroo
Murrunatta
Mylor
Myponga
Nene Valley
Nepean Bay
Neptune Islands
Newland Head
Ngarkat
Ngaut Ngaut
Nicolas Baudin Island
Nixon-Skinner
Nuyts Archipelago
Nuyts Reef
Olive Island
Padthaway
Pandappa
Para Wirra
Paranki Lagoon
Parndana
Peachna
Peebinga
Pelican Lagoon
Penambol
Penguin Island
Penola
Piccaninnie Ponds
Pigface Island
Pike River
Pine Hill Soak
Pinkawillinie
Point Bell
Point Davenport
Point Labatt
Pooginook
Poonthie Ruwe
Porter Scrub
Pualco Range
Pullen Island
Pureba
Ramco Point
Ramsay
Red Banks
Reedy Creek
Ridley
Rilli Island
Rocky Island (North)
Rocky Island (South)
Roonka
Rudall
Salt Lagoon Islands
Sandy Creek
Sceale Bay
Scott
Scott Creek
Seal Bay
Searcy Bay
Seddon
Shannon
Sheoak Hill
Simpson
Sinclair Island
Sir Joseph Banks Group
Sleaford Mere
Spring Gully
Spring Mount
Stipiturus
Swan Reach
Talapar
Talisker
Tallaringa
Tantanoola Caves
Telford Scrub
The Dutchmans Stern
The Knoll
The Pages
The Plug Range
Thidna
Tilley Swamp
Torrens Island
Troubridge Island
Tucknott Scrub
Tumby Island
Venus Bay
Verran Tanks
Vivigani Ardune
Vivonne Bay
Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs
Wahgunyah
Waitpinga
Waldegrave Islands
Wanilla
Wanilla Land Settlement
Warren
Warrenben
West Island
Wharminda
Whidbey Isles
White Dam
Whyalla
Wiljani
Wills Creek
Winninowie
Wittelbee
Woakwine
Wolseley Common
Yalpara
Yeldulknie
Yulte
Yumbarra

Former conservation parks include Cape Hart, Cape Torrens, Cleland, Ediacara, Eurilla, Investigator Group, Isles of St Francis, Mount Rescue, Mount Shaugh, Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert Conservation Park, Naracoorte Caves, Port Gawler and Scorpion Springs, Spaniards Gully, Telowie Gorge, Western River, and Wirrabara Range.

Game reserves

Game reserves are "areas set aside for conservation of wildlife and the management of game for seasonal hunting". As of 2014, the following native forest reserves, located in the Southern Flinders Ranges, the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Limestone Coast, had been declared:

{|-

|width=250 valign=top|

Bagdad
Boolara
Burr Slopes South
Cave Range
Christmas Hill
Comaum
Congeratinga
Coralinga
Cudlee Creek
Deadmans Swamp
Dry Creek
Gillap North
Gillap South
Glencoe Hill
Grundy Lane
Hacket Hill
Hells Hole
Honan
Honeysuckle
Island Swamp
Kalumunda

|width=250 valign=top|

Kangaroo Flat
Kay
Kennion
Kersbrook
King Tree
Knott Hill
Konetta
Laslett
Little Mt. Crawford
Long
Malone Heath
McRosties
Mount Benson
Mount Gawler
Mount McIntyre
Mount Panorama
Mount Watch
Muddy Flat
Nangwarry
Native Wells

|width=250 valign=top|

Overland Track
Pond Flat
Rock Shelter
Rocky Reserve
Round Waterhole
Snow Gum
Springs Road
The Bluff
The Heath
The Marshes
The Woolwash
Topperwein
Tower Hill
Wandilo
Warreanga
Watts Gully
Whennen
White Waterhole
Windy Hill
Wombat Flat

Wilderness protection areas

The Wilderness Protection Act 1992 was established in 1992 to provide for "the protection of wilderness and the restoration of land to its condition before European colonisation". The day-to-day administration of the act is carried out by DEW. As of 2018, the following areas had been declared:

|width=350 valign=top|

Billiatt
Cape Bouguer
Cape Gantheaume
Cape Torrens
Danggali
Hambidge
Hincks

|width=350 valign=top|

Investigator Group
Memory Cove
Nullarbor
Nuyts Archipelago
Ravine des Casoars
Western River
Yellabinna

As of 2018, reserves declared under the Wilderness Protection Act 1992 totalled 14, covering an area of or 1.9% of South Australia’s area.

|width=350 valign=top|

HMAS Hobart Shipwreck Reserve

|width=350 valign=top|

Zanoni Shipwreck Reserve

River Murray protection area

The River Murray Act 2003, which is administered by DEW, has provision for "the protection and enhancement of the River Murray and related areas and ecosystems". As of 2010, the following protection areas had been designated:

the floodplain of the River Murray within South Australia including Lake Alexandrina, Lake Albert and the Coorong
the watershed of the following tributaries arising from the east side of the Mount Lofty Ranges – Marne, Bremer and Finniss rivers.

Aquatic reserves

Aquatic reserves have been declared under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (SA) and are managed by Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA). They were established "to protect the habitat, ecosystems and communities of the rich variety of underwater organisms found in the marine and estuarine waters of South Australia". The reserves, which are considered to be IUCN Category II protected areas, are as follows:

|width=400 valign=top|

American River
Aldinga Reef
Bales Beach
Barker Inlet-St Kilda
Blanche Harbour-Douglas Bank
Coobowie
Whyalla - Cowleds Landing
Goose Island

|width=400 valign=top|

Great Australian Bight Marine Park Whale Sanctuary
Point Labatt
Port Noarlunga Reef
Seal Bay
St Kilda – Chapman Creek
Troubridge Hill
West Island Encounter Bay
Yatala Harbour Upper Spencer Gulf

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary (ADS) is a sanctuary area intended to protect the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population residing in the Port Adelaide River estuary and Barker Inlet as well as protecting and enhancing the Port Adelaide River estuary and Barker Inlet. The sanctuary was declared under the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary Act 2005 and is managed by DEW.

Marine parks

Marine parks are marine protected areas located within the immediate onshore waters of SA set aside under the Marine Parks Act 2007 (SA) "to preserve the biological diversity of the state's coastal, estuarine and marine environments while allowing ecologically sustainable use of the area's natural resources".

Far West Coast Marine Park
Nuyts Archipelago Marine Park
West Coast Bays Marine Park
Investigator Marine Park
Thorny Passage Marine Park
Sir Joseph Banks Group Marine Park
Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park
Gambier Islands Group Marine Park
Franklin Harbor Marine Park
Upper Spencer Gulf Marine Park
Eastern Spencer Gulf Marine Park
Southern Spencer Gulf Marine Park
Lower Yorke Peninsula Marine Park
Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park
Encounter Marine Park
Western Kangaroo Island Marine Park
Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park
Upper South East Marine Park
Lower South East Marine Park

Arkaroola protection area

The Arkaroola Protection Act 2012, which commenced operation on 26 April 2012, was created to "establish the Arkaroola Protection Area; to provide for the proper management and care of the area; and to prohibit mining activities in the area". The protection area, located north of Adelaide, includes the Arkaroola Pastoral Lease and the Mawson Plateau part of the Mount Freeling Pastoral Lease. The former lease, which has not been stocked for more than 30 years, is operated for the purpose of conservation and tourism under the name, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. The protection area is reported as satisfying the definition of a "category II National Park".

Native vegetation heritage agreements

A native vegetation heritage agreements, usually known as a heritage agreement, is a legally binding agreement between a landowner and the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Conservation in which the landowner agrees to protect native vegetation in perpetuity. In return, the Minister may agree to reduce statutory fees such as local government rates or offer assistance in terms of funding of works such as fencing or provision of expert advice to "protecting and improving the conservation value of the heritage agreement area". The enabling legislation is the Native Vegetation Act 1991. Land covered by heritage agreements is considered to meet IUCN Category III. As of 2014, 1537 agreements in respect to of land within SA, equivalent to 0.64% of the area of SA, had been entered into between landowners and the minister.

Australian government

World heritage site

As of 2015, Naracoorte Caves National Park was the sole World Heritage Site located in South Australia. It was co-listed under the name "Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoorte)" together with Riversleigh, Queensland, in 1994. The listing acknowledged the fossil assemblages present at both sites to be a "superb illustration of the key stages of evolution of Australia’s unique fauna".

Ramsar sites

As a contracting party to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (known as the Ramsar Convention), Australia is encouraged "to nominate sites containing representative, rare or unique wetlands, or that are important for conserving biological diversity, to the List of Wetlands of International Importance".

As of 2014, the Australian Government had nominated the following Ramsar sites within South Australia:

Banrock Station Wetland Complex
Bool and Hacks Lagoons
Coongie Lakes
Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Wetland
Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Wetlands
Riverland.

Indigenous protected areas

An Indigenous protected area encompasses a voluntary agreement between owners of indigenous-owned land (known as traditional owners) and the Australian government. It is intended to "promote biodiversity and cultural resource conservation on indigenous owned land". As of 2014, there were six within South Australia:

Antara-Sandy Bore
Kalka-Pipalyatjara
Mount Willoughby
Nantawarrina
Watarru and Walalkara
Yalata.

Biosphere reserves

Two biosphere reserves belonging to the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve program are located within South Australia: the Mamungari Conservation Park and the Riverland Biosphere Reserve.

The Mamungari Conservation Park in western South Australia, formerly known as the Unnamed Conservation Park, is co-managed by its traditional owners and DEW.

The Riverland Biosphere Reserve is located in the Riverland near Renmark. Two of its components are Calperum and Taylorville stations, which were respectively purchased by the Chicago Zoological Society in 1993 and the Australian Landscape Trust in 2000, with ownership being deeded to the Director of National Parks. Both properties are managed by the Australian Landscape Trust.

Notes

References

External links

Parks SA homepage, formerly the National Parks and Wildlife Service
Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) Fisheries Aquatic reserves and marine parks
DEW Maritime Heritage homepage

Jurisdiction

National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

National parks

Conservation parks

Game reserves

Wilderness protection areas

River Murray protection area

Aquatic reserves

Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary

Marine parks

Arkaroola protection area

Native vegetation heritage agreements

Australian government

World heritage site

Ramsar sites

Indigenous protected areas

Biosphere reserves

See also

Notes

References

External links