Protected areas of South Australia

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.^[1]

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.^[2] 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.^[1][3]

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[4][5] [note 1]} 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.^[4]

The act is administered by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW).^[6]

Reserves declared under this act as of 2014^[update] totalled 320, covering an area of 19,226,432 ha (47,509,550 acres) or 19.6% of South Australia's area.^[1] As of 2021^[update], there were 359 parks in South Australia subject to the act and national parks Regulations.^[7]

The following types of reserves are listed within the Act: national parks, conservation parks, game reserves, recreation parks and regional reserves.^[5]

National parks are "areas considered to be of national significance due to wildlife, natural features of the land, or Aboriginal or European heritage".^[5] As of May 2020, the following national parks had been declared:^{[8][note 2]}

Conservation parks are "areas protected for the purpose of conserving wildlife or the natural or historic features of the land".^[5] As of 2021, the following conservation parks had been declared:^{[8] [note 3]}

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 are "areas set aside for conservation of wildlife and the management of game for seasonal hunting".^[5] As of 2018, the following game reserves had been declared:^[8]

Former game reserves include Coorong and Katarapko.^[4]

Recreation parks are 'areas managed for public recreation and enjoyment in a natural setting.'^[5] As of March 2018, the following recreation parks have been declared:^[8]

Regional reserves are "areas proclaimed for the purpose of conserving wildlife or natural or historical features while allowing responsible use of the area's natural resources".^[5] As of 2021, the following regional reserves had been declared:^[8]

Conservation reserves are a parcels of "land set aside for conservation of natural and cultural features under the Crown Land Management Act 2009".^[5] As of 2018, the following conservation reserves had been declared:^[8]

As of 2018, reserves declared under the Crown Land Management Act 2009 totalled 15, covering a total area of 19,471 ha (48,110 acres) or less than 0.1% of South Australia’s area.^[1]

The Forestry Act 1950 allows for the declaration of forest reserves for "purposes relating to the conservation, development and management of land supporting native flora and fauna ...." Native forest reserves are administered by the South Australian Forestry Corporation (trading as ForestrySA) which is a wholly owned state government business.^[12][13][14] 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:^[14][15]

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".^[16] The day-to-day administration of the act is carried out by DEW.^[17] As of 2018, the following areas had been declared:^[8][18][19]

As of 2018, reserves declared under the Wilderness Protection Act 1992 totalled 14, covering an area of 1,843,454 ha (4,555,270 acres) or 1.9% of South Australia’s area.^[1]

The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981, which is administered by DEW, allows for the creation of protected zones over land and water around historic shipwrecks. The following protected zones have been declared:^[6][21][22]

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".^[6][23] 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.^[24]

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:^[25][26]

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.^[6][28][29]

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".^[5] As of 2013, the following marine parks had been declared:^[30]

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 600 km (370 mi) 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".^[31][32]

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".^[33] 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 634,242 hectares (1,567,250 acres) of land within SA, equivalent to 0.64% of the area of SA, had been entered into between landowners and the minister.^[15] A notable example is the Gluepot Reserve.^[34]

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".^[35]

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".^[36] As of 2014, the Australian Government had nominated the following Ramsar sites within South Australia:^[37]

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

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".^[38] As of 2014, there were six within South Australia:

• Antara-Sandy Bore^[39]
• Kalka-Pipalyatjara^[40]
• Mount Willoughby^[41]
• Nantawarrina^[42]
• Watarru and Walalkara^[43]
• Yalata.^[44]

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.^[45]

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.^[46][47]

Privately held reserves in South Australia

• 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

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