Protected Areas

This Fact Sheet explains how protected areas are governed at both state and national levels. It describes the framework for declaring and protecting protected areas, and identifies the relevant decision makers and enforcement authorities. It discusses the different categories of protected areas, and the various levels of protection within each, including national parks, Commonwealth reserves, state conservation areas, and Aboriginal areas.

This Fact Sheet will be useful for people who want to know what the difference between the various types of protected areas are, and the kinds of activities that are permitted in each. It will also be useful for people who want to nominate an area for protection, and people who are concerned about breaches of environmental law in protected areas. 

Other Fact Sheets you may find useful: Threatened Species and Ecological Communities, Native Animals and Plants, EPBC Act, Commonwealth Threatened Species Law